Emma Lazarus’s words at the base of the Statue of Liberty — “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses” — are well known. According to new research by Vivek Wadhwa, executive-in-residence at Duke University, “highly educated” and “entrepreneurial” should be added to the list. Following a survey of 28,000 U.S. startups, Wadhwa and his coauthors found that a vast majority of immigrant entrepreneurs have strong educational backgrounds, especially in the so-called “STEM” areas (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The U.S. depends on these immigrants “to maintain its global edge,” the researchers argue, and that calls for a relaxation in U.S. immigration policy. Other experts who are familiar with the study aren’t so sure.
Editor’s Note: a bit topical and US-centric, but the issues raised are interesting and apply in principle across the globe…
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