A new definition to the word Immigrant

The most important term to understand would probably be immigrant. An immigrant is defined as, “a person who comes to a country where they were not born in order to settle there.” Even though this is a rather neutral definition of immigrant, when most people hear the word, it has a negative connotation. What people don’t realize though is that “immigrants make up a smaller part of the population today than in 1940, but their numbers have increased since 1970. About 7.5% of US residents today are foreign-born. The most recent immigrants come from Asia and Latin America and live in geographically concentrated areas that include Los Angeles, California, and Miami, Florida. The US Census Bureau estimates that more than 2 million illegal immigrants were counted by the 1980 census. The influx of legal and illegal immigrants has led to allegations that immigrants take jobs away from US workers. However, recent studies suggest the impact of immigrants is more positive than negative. For example, an Urban Institute study found that labor force participation rates in Los Angeles are higher than the national average, and there is no evidence that Hispanic immigration has led to black unemployment. Immigrants could be helping the economy by offering low-wage labor that attracts manufacturers” (Courtenay, 1986).