Immigrants Are Now More Educated Than U.S.-Born Natives
Or at least smart enough not to eat cats. The recent Census Bureau data debunks many myths.
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When Albert Einstein disembarked from the SS Belgenland in New York Harbor in October 1933, it was not the first time he had laid eyes on the Statue of Liberty, but this time, the sight carried new meaning.
Back in Berlin, the streets, once bustling with brilliant minds, now echoed with the boots of Nazi soldiers. Einstein's home, his research, his colleagues — everything had become unstable. His Jewish identity, long a mere footnote in his personal narrative, now made him hate's target.
The gangplank swayed beneath his feet as he stepped onto the dock. As the autumn sea breeze mingled with the sharp scents of brine and industrial fumes, he hugged his worn brown coat closer to his slender frame. Dock workers scurried about, their faces weathered by years of hard labor. The sound of crates being dropped onto the concrete thudded in the distance. It was a stark transition from the quiet circles of Europe's intellectual elite to the chaotic, working-class pulse of New York City.
However, when Einstein first visited America in 1921, he was not impressed. In one interview, he referred to American men as the "toy dogs of women" and castigated them for letting women "dominate the entire life in America." As for America's science community, he called it "nonsense" compared to Europe's academia.
But this time, Einstein's arrival was not a visit. This time, it was an escape.
Hitler's regime had not only barred Einstein from teaching and revoked his German citizenship but had placed a price on his head. Before formally emigrating, his house had been raided, and his books burned. Einstein had no patience for the "Zwang," a word that translates to "compulsion" or "coercion" in German. Einstein would never step foot in Europe again.
Here in America, there was something different. With every step further from the ship, Einstein stepped closer to a nation where his mind could roam freely.
It wasn't an easy decision — leaving behind the country of his birth — the land where he'd revolutionized physics. But as he gazed out at the jagged skyline of New York, silhouetted against the steel-gray clouds, he knew there was no going back.
Einstein, like so many others arriving on America's shores, wasn't here just to survive. He was here to rebuild, to flourish. And in a way, America needed him as much as he needed America.
Today, many immigrants come to America with the same hopes and dreams. Let's debunk some of the most common myths.
“You look at Haiti, you look at the demographic makeup, you look at the average I.Q. — if you import the third world into your country, you’re going to become the third world.” — Donald Trump Jr.
Myth #1: Immigrants are less educated.
According to the recent Census Bureau Data, 48% of immigrants who entered the country between 2020 and 2022 held at least a bachelor's degree, compared to only 36% of U.S.-born citizens.
You won't hear that statistic quoted at a Trump rally.
Sure, earlier waves of immigrants might have come in with less formal education, but today? Immigrants aren't uneducated — they're the ones teaching the class.
And it's not just degrees — they're leading in STEM fields. According to The National Science Foundation, foreign-born workers accounted for 19% of the STEM workforce and 45% of a subset of STEM workers (i.e., mathematical and computer scientists, physical scientists, life scientists, social scientists, and engineers).
You've got highly educated people fueling industries like tech, healthcare, and engineering, while MAGA supporters are stuck in the past, clinging to old stereotypes.
“Decades of record immigration have produced lower wages and higher unemployment for our citizens, especially for African-American and Latino workers.” — Donald Trump
Myth #2: Immigrants drive down wages
Another fear is that immigrants, particularly undocumented workers, depress wages by accepting lower pay.
However, Giovanni Peri and Alessandro Caiumi, economists at UC Davis, found that between 2000 and 2019, immigration had a "positive and significant" impact on wages for less-educated native workers, boosting them by up to 2.6%. And for college-educated workers? No negative impact at all. The National Bureau of Economic Research stands behind these findings.
Overall, immigrants boost innovation (half of Silicon Valley's startups have at least one immigrant founder) and increase productivity, making everyone's pie bigger.
Keeping out migrants isn't protecting American jobs. It's keeping essential industries from functioning.
“You better be smart. They’re taking your jobs. You better be careful.”- Donald Trump
Myth #3: Immigrants steal American jobs
According to 2023 Census Bureau Data, the labor force participation rate for foreign-born workers was 66.6%, compared to 61.8% for native-born workers. Since many foreign-born workers arrive on work visas, where continued employment is a condition of their residency, they can't just quit their jobs and backpack through New Jersey. There's obviously a huge incentive to contribute to the labor force.
Unfortunately, many bad actors have used this data to claim immigrants are "stealing jobs." Yeah, so that's kind of like blaming your neighbor for eating the cookies you never wanted in the first place.
Here's the deal. Immigrants fill jobs that Americans just don't want — those backbreaking, soul-sucking roles in agriculture, construction, and elder care. Think of them as the mop-up crew in an office full of people too uppity to touch the broom.
Immigrants don't just take the jobs Americans won't do; they create them. According to data from the Harvard Business School, approximately 25% of new businesses in the United States are started by immigrants.
But there's another reason the U.S. needs immigrant workers. With fertility rates dropping, your retirement will look a little less posh without immigrants seeding the economy.
“Build that wall!” — Chant repeated at Trump rallies
Myth #4: Stronger border security will keep undocumented immigrants out
First, let's state the obvious. The concept of "illegal" immigrants predates modern borders. In the early 1600s, before formalized borders, many English settlers arrived without proper authorization, often trespassing on Native American lands or other European colonies.
Still, border control is an undeniable problem. Everyone wants to secure the borders, but the current system is like trying to stop a flood with a roll of duct tape.
Let's break it down. First, the U.S. spends $409 billion on immigration enforcement and tens of billions more on border barriers. Yet illegal crossings still happen. Why? Because the root problem isn't just about walls or patrols. It's about the complex reasons people migrate in the first place. People are fleeing violence, poverty, and political instability, not just taking a leisurely walk into the U.S.
Unfortunately, data on the percentage of undocumented immigrants who cross the border illegally is a bit squirrelly for one reason. Many immigrants come in on legal visas on this little invention called an airplane and overstay. So, that giant, expensive fence? It's about as effective as putting up a No Trespassing sign at the Delta terminal.
Then there's the human cost. Border control policies have turned what could be orderly immigration into a humanitarian crisis. Migrants face dangerous journeys, traffickers, and death in the desert because legal pathways are closed. Instead of deterring illegal immigration, it's forcing desperate people to take even more desperate measures.
“In the town of Springfield, Ohio, which I’m honored to represent, we’ve heard from a number of residents that there are certain parts of town where they won’t even drive because the illegal immigrants who have come in have made it unsafe to be on the roads.” — J.D. Vance
Myth #5: Immigrants cause crime to escalate
Gang violence from immigrants has become the monster under every MAGA child's bed. Attend any MAGA event, and you will hear your fair share of ridiculous claims about "bad hombres" coming for your wives, children, and uneaten cats.
So, let me get this straight. Migrant men, women, and children are desperately trying to escape high crime and violence in their home countries, only to start a wave of crime and violence in the U.S.? How entrepreneurial. Hot tip — it is generally not a good idea to get crime statistics from a man convicted of 34 felons.
Let's look at the real data. Immigrants — both documented and undocumented — are less likely to commit crimes than native-born citizens. Multiple studies back this up. A Cato Institute report found that undocumented immigrants in Texas (the biggest fear state), for instance, had a criminal conviction rate 50% lower than U.S.-born residents. Legal immigrants? Even lower. Plus, communities with higher immigrant populations often see lower crime rates.
Think about it. Immigrants have more at stake. Getting caught shoplifting a Snickers bar could mean deportation and going back to a country that has no Snickers bars.
Bottom line: If you are ever alone in the woods and you encounter an American bear or an immigrant bear, choose the immigrant.
If Einstein had not reached celebrity status, he might not have ever escaped Nazi Germany. Many brilliant minds did not.
Today, German-Americans are among the most assimilated and influential groups in U.S. history, but that was not always the case. Benjamin Franklin, like many of his contemporaries, was critical of German immigrants, fearing they would not assimilate into English customs and language.
He was wrong. He won't be the last xenophobic leader to be wrong.
And yet, these arguments have been trotted out for every wave of immigrants, and the U.S. economy didn't implode. Instead, it grew stronger.
In the nineteenth century, the Irish took on the dirtiest, most backbreaking jobs — digging trenches, laying rail lines, working in mills, and cleaning houses. Basically, if it was menial, dangerous, and underpaid, the Irish were on it. And yet, many businesses proudly hung "No Irish Need Apply" signs just to make sure they knew where they stood.
When Italians first arrived in the U.S., they were stereotyped as criminals, anarchists, and undesirables. Seen as racially inferior, Italians weren't even considered "white" by many Americans. Tensions reached a zenith in 1891 when 11 Italian immigrants were lynched in New Orleans after being accused (without proof) of murdering the police chief — one of the largest mass lynchings in U.S. history.
And let's not forget the Chinese. The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 was passed explicitly to curb Chinese immigration under the fear they were taking jobs. But after banning them, it became clear that without Chinese laborers, especially in agriculture and railroads, entire industries struggled.
Of course, fear and sensationalism sell, so naturally, politicians use immigrants as scapegoats. It's a tired old tale that needs a different ending.
Carlyn Beccia is an award-winning author and illustrator of 13 books. Subscribe to Conversations with Carlyn for free content every Wednesday, or become a paid subscriber to get the juicy stuff on Sundays.
When I was a construction PM, I worked road construction contracts with Caltrans. Most (if not all) resident engineers and superintendents were middle eastern or Asian because the US does not produce enough civil engineers to keep up with the demands of its infrastructure.
Also, you can't forget about brain drain or human capital flight. There are many highly qualified and intelligent people that choose the US because they feel they can do better here than in their countries.
This is a nice aside.
Of course you're trying to debunk that ole ''murikan Exceptionalism. Nice try.