How immigrants have made America a leader in tech innovation

1/30/2017

American tech innovation owes much to the talent of immigrants and their children, according to John Villasenor, a CIRI-affiliated researcher from UCLA. Take a very timely look at the impact of the global talent market on innovation and economic growth in the U.S.

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FROM THE CHRONICLE OF HIGHER EDUCATION - The vital role of immigrants in American technology innovation is so well documented that it shouldn’t need repeating. But in light of last week’s executive order that blocks access to the United States by citizens of seven countries with a collective population of well over 200 million, a few reminders might be timely.

America’s well-deserved reputation as a global leader in technology innovation is inseparable from its tradition of welcoming people from other countries. The list of American companies co-founded by immigrants includes Google, Yahoo, eBay, Qualcomm, VMware, Facebook, and many more. A 2016 study by the National Foundation for American Policy found that over half of the 87 tech start-ups valued at over $1 billion at the time of the study were co-founded by immigrants and that each of these companies had created an average of 760 jobs.

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This story was published January 30, 2017.