Immigration is Good for the Economy Followup

As a response to the article from Mitra regarding immigrants and the economy:

The study referred to in that article comes from The Fiscal Policy Institute. The nonpartisan research firm studied 25 metropolitan areas and found that immigrants contribute nearly 20% to the local GDP. By contrast, that makes up about 20% of the population. It is a 1:1 ratio. The taxes and profits made and paid by immigrants is directly related to immigrant population. In fact, most local municipalities are benefiting from immigrants.

The study was conducted to give policy makers a clear picture of how immigration truly effects our economy. But what I think is interesting is that this study has been a major focal point in newspapers and online news outlets all over the country.

And what caught my eye the most is this article in a Cincinnati online news site; “Immigrants Help Local Economy.” Why does this shock me? Because Cincinnati is one of the most conservative cities in America. It is like South Carolina, Texas, and Georgia all rolled into one. And they proudly admit the city is not very “immigrant friendly.” The first line of the article reads, “There may be debate over whether Greater Cincinnati is immigrant-friendly but a study released this week made one thing clear: foreign-born residents are good for Cincinnati’s economy.” The article continues to draw connections to immigration and a flourishing economy.

The FPI may have conducted research to influence policy makers, but it may have an effect on America’s view of immigration. For years immigration has been viewed negatively by American society. However, in times of economic hardship, perhaps articles like this one from Cincinatti and research from the FPI will help shed new light on the issue of immigration.

(It should be noted that while Cinci has not been hit as hard by the recession like it’s Democratic neighbor to the North, Cleveland; it has been severely effected by the current economy)

-Katy Johnson