New Americans in the Old Line State

The Immigration Policy Center, a non-partisan Washington think tank, released statistical summaries that show the political and economic impact of immigrants in each state. (See New Americans in the Old Line State, Immigration Policy Center, Dec 17, 2009.) Here are a few key facts from the Maryland summary:

• Maryland was home to 694,590 immigrants in 2007 – more than the total population of Memphis, TN;
• 45.5 percent of Maryland immigrants – 315,892 people – were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2007, meaning they are allowed to vote;
• 1 in 9 Marylanders are Latino or Asian; their 2008 purchasing power in Maryland was $10.2 billion;
• Immigrants made up 15.5 percent of Maryland’s workforce in 2007, or 471,219 workers;
• Asian-owned businesses in Maryland had sales and receipts of $7.1 billion and employed 50,471 people in 2002, the most recent year for which these statistics are available;
• About 27 percent of all scientists in Maryland were foreign-born as of 2006, along with 21 percent of health care practitioners and 19 percent of mathematicians and computer scientists;
• In 2000, immigrant households paid $4 billion – 18 percent – of all taxes collected in Maryland.

The statistics show that immigrants are a vital force in the politics, economy, and cultural infrastructure of Maryland, and they are worth reading through in greater detail than is reproduced here. It’s a fascinating numerical portrait, one that could go a long way to correct the negative stereotypes that persist in some quarters of our society.