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Immigration Policy Center Publishes New Study Regarding Immigrants and Arab Americans in Michigan
The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians not only wield tremendous political power in Michigan, but are also an integral part of Michigan’s economy and tax base.
As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse–especially the Arab American community.
As voters, they are a potent political force. As Michigan’s economy begins to recover, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in the shaping and growing the economic and political landscape of the Great Lakes State.
Highlights of the research include:
–Immigrants make up more than 6% of Michigan’s total population (roughly equal to the total population of Boston, MA) and nearly half of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
–New Americans (naturalized U.S. citizens and their U.S.-born children) represent 5.2% of the state’s voting population.
–The purchasing power of Michigan’s Asians totaled $9.2 billion in 2008 and Latino buying power totaled $8.8 billion.
–Asian-owned businesses in the state generated sales and receipts worth more than $5.1 billion annually and Latino-owned businesses generated $3.2 billion in 2002.
–Arab Americans accounted for $7.7 billion in total earnings in the four counties of the Detroit metropolitan area, generating an estimated $544 million in state tax revenue and supporting an estimated 141,541 jobs.
There is no denying the contributions immigrants make and the important role they play in Michigan’s political and economic future. For more data on the contributions of immigrants to Michigan’s economy, view the IPC fact sheet in its entirety.
Full Report Below:
The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Michigan Immigrants account for large and growing shares of the economy and the electorate in Michigan.
Immigrants make up more than 6% of the state’s population, and nearly 47% of them are naturalized U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote. “New Americans”—immigrants and the children of immigrants—account 5.2% of all registered voters in the state.
Latinos account for nearly 5% of all Michiganians and wield more than $8.8 billion in consumer purchasing power. At last count, the sales and receipts of businesses owned by Latinos and Asians totaled more than $8 billion. Michigan is also home to the largest proportion of Arab Americans, who generate an estimated $544 million in state tax revenue each year. Immigrant workers and entrepreneurs are integral to Michigan’s economy and tax base—and they are an electoral force with which every politician must reckon.
Immigrants and their children are growing shares of Michigan’s population and electorate.
–The foreign-born share of Michigan’s population rose from 3.8% in 1990, to 5.3% in 232000, to 6.1% in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Michigan was home to 609,457 immigrants in 45 2007, which is roughly equal to the total population of Boston.
–46.9% of immigrants (or 285,770 people) in Michigan were naturalized U.S. citizens in 62007—meaning that they are eligible to vote.
–5.2% (or 273,323) of all registered voters in Michigan are “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2006 Census Bureau data by 7 Rob Paral & Associates.
Nearly 5% of Michiganians are Latino—and they vote.
–The Latino share of Michigan’s population grew from 2.2% in 1990, to 3.3% in 2000, to 4.0% (or 402,873 people) in 102007. The Asian share of the population grew from 1.1% in 1112131990, to 1.8% in 2000, to 2.4% (or 241,724 people) in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
–Latinos comprised 3% of Michigan voters in the 2008 elections, and Asians 1%, according to 14CNN exit polls. Barack Obama defeated John McCain among Latino voters in Michigan by 64%
–Michigan has the highest proportion of Arab Americans in the nation, and they contribute to the state’s economy.
–The share of Michigan’s population reporting Arab ancestry rose from 0.82% in 1990, to 1.2% in 16172000, to 1.4% (or 138,269 people) in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
–Dearborn, Michigan, has the largest proportion of Arab Americans in the United States, representing nearly 30% of the city’s population in 2000 (the last year for which data is available). By way of comparison, Arab Americans represented 0.87% of the population in New York and 0.69% in Los Angeles as of 2000.18
–Arab American employment accounted for $7.7 billion in total earnings in the four counties of the Detroit metropolitan area in southeast Michigan, generating an estimated $544 million in state tax revenue in 2005, according to the Center for Urban Studies at Wayne State University
–Arab American business and consumer spending supported an estimated 141,541 jobs in the four-county region in 2005, according to the same 20 study. Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add billions of dollars and tens-of-thousands of jobs to Michigan’s economy.
–The 2008 purchasing power of Michigan’s Latinos totaled $8.8 billion—an increase of 303.7% since 1990. Asian buying power totaled $9.2 billion—an increase of 393.0% since 1990, according to the 21 Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
–Michigan’s 15,337 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $5.1 billion and employed 44,587 people in 2002,22 the last year for which data is available. The state’s 9,841 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $3.2 billion and employed 15,930 people in 2002,23 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Ow
Immigrants are essential to Michigan’s economy as workers.
–Immigrants comprised 6.9% of the state’s workforce in 2007 (or 348,016 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau
–Unauthorized immigrants comprised 1.3% of the state’s workforce in 2008 (or 65,000 workers), according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center
–If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Michigan in 2008, the state would lose $3.8 billion in expenditures and approximately 20,339 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the 26 Perryman Group.
Naturalized Citizens Excel Educationally.
–In Michigan, 36.3% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 37.7% of noncitizens.
–At the same time, only 21.3% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 27.3% of noncitizens.
–The number of immigrants in Michigan with a college degree increased by 34.5% between 2000 and 2007, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.
–37.0% of Michigan’s foreign-born population age 25 and older had a bachelor’s or higher degree in 2007, compared to 23.7% of native-born persons age 25 and older.
–In Michigan, 74.8% of all children between the ages of 5 and 17 in families that spoke a language other than English at home also spoke English “very well”