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The truth about immigration : why successful societies welcome newcomers
2024
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Booklist Review
Immigration is one of the most polarizing topics in politics today. In his first book, Wharton School management professor Hernandez offers a clear, evidence-based discussion of the many myths perpetuated by immigration scaremongers. Using journal articles and historical census data combined with personal stories, Hernandez definitively shows that immigrants (both college-educated and not) promote innovation and contribute positively over a lifetime to economies through work and investment. Immigrants also infuse cultures with new ideas and keep societies from stagnating. The effects of the exclusionary 1924 National Origins Act, "the single most impactful event in the history of immigration in America," shows that slamming the doors to immigrants does not create more jobs for natives, and a 2017 literature review commissioned by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine concluded that "the impact of immigration on the overall native wage may be small or close to zero." The current dysfunctional and convoluted system, based on the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, has not kept pace with changes in society and the needs of employers. Hernandez makes a convincing argument for rationality in the discussion of immigration, and his book is highly recommended for all libraries.
Kirkus Review
A fresh, plainspoken take on the perpetual immigration controversy, upending many assumptions. Hernandez, a Uruguayan immigrant, is a professor at the Wharton School. "There's no way that I would be a professor at Wharton without all the opportunities this country gave me," he writes. "Seeing this requires long-term thinking, framing people as an investment rather than a cost." Arguing convincingly for a more complex approach to the issue than current fevered debates suggest, the author delivers well-reasoned analyses of how the social diversity broadened by immigration directly benefits communities and how a well-managed immigration system contributes to subtler yet longer-lasting economic strengths. "The triangle of immigration, investment, and jobs is one of the great untold stories of immigration," he writes. Immigrant-rich communities create a "conveyor belt" of trust and opportunities, which leads to innovation, as exemplified by the unexpected growth of the Pollo Campero chicken chain. Local economies become more diversified and complex, while similar evidence shows a relationship between immigrants in the workplace and product innovation. Following his intriguing discussion of economic benefit, Hernandez offers an "unflinching look at the hot-button issues," beginning with the tragic story of how nativist surges quashed reasonable reform for decades: "We have compelling evidence that the 1924 [National Origins Act] decimated America's capacity for innovation, investment, and job creation." The author speaks to our current political climate with chapters countering accepted narratives that immigrants steal jobs and amplify crime rates, and he concludes with "How To Fix Our Broken Immigration System." Hernandez writes with passion and clearly enjoys the sense of "reaching across the aisle" to those with negative preconceptions, and he offers affecting personal stories that illustrate both immigrant motivations and societal benefits. He ends with a "provocative but true conclusion: the real national security threat is not allowing immigrants in." A highly readable, potentially influential contribution to the literature on immigration. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary

The go-to book on immigration: fact-based, comprehensive, and nonpartisan.

Immigration is one of the most controversial topics in the United States and everywhere else. Pundits, politicians, and the public usually depict immigrants as either villains or victims. The villain narrative is that immigrants pose a threat--to our economy because they steal our jobs; our way of life because they change our culture; and to our safety and laws because of their criminality. The victim argument tells us that immigrants are needy outsiders--the poor, huddled masses whom we must help at our own cost if necessary. But the data clearly debunks both narratives. From jobs, investment, and innovation to cultural vitality and national security, more immigration has an overwhelmingly positive impact on everything that makes a society successful.

In The Truth About Immigration , Wharton professor Zeke Hernandez draws from nearly 20 years of research to answer all the big questions about immigration. He combines moving personal stories with rigorous research to offer an accessible, apolitical, and evidence-based look at how newcomers affect our local communities and our nation. You'll learn about the overlooked impact of immigrants on investment and job creation; realize how much we take for granted the novel technologies, products, and businesses newcomers create; get the facts straight about perennial concerns like jobs, crime, and undocumented immigrants; and gain new perspectives on misunderstood issues such as the border, taxes, and assimilation.

Most books making a case for immigration tell you that immigration is good for immigrants. This book is all about how newcomers benefit you, your community, and your country. Skeptics fear that newcomers compete economically with locals because of their similarities and fail to socially assimilate because of their differences. You'll see that it's exactly the opposite: newcomers bring enduring economic benefits because of their differences and contribute positively to society because of their similarities. Destined to become the go-to book on one of the most important issues of our time, this book turns fear into hope by proving a simple truth: immigrants are essential for economically prosperous and socially vibrant nations.

Table of Contents
Introduction1
1The Invasion of Idaho9
Part 1Economic Questions
2Immigration = Investment = Jobs23
3Immigrants Make Us More Innovative42
4Newcomers Fill Public Coffers65
5Do Immigrants Steal Jobs?83
6Much More than Talent105
Final Thoughts on the Economy: What's the Catch?126
Part 2Social Questions
7Integration, Not Assimilation133
8Immigration Makes You Safer160
9Welcoming Newcomers-The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly185
10But What About Illegal Immigrants?214
11How to Fix Our Broken Immigration System231
Conclusion: Don't Be Afraid. Be Factually Optimistic259
Afterword261
Acknowledgments265
Notes267
Index297
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