The role of immigrants in the United States has always been met with ambivalence during hard economic times. However, a closer look at the statistics related to the growing number of “New Americans” in the state of Massachusetts alone gives a clearer picture of the contribution of immigrants to the state’s economy.
Who Are the New Americans?
In Massachusetts, “New 
Americans”—immigrants and the children of immigrants — account for 15.5% of registered voters. Roughly one in six Bay Staters are Latinos or Asians and help the economy through the billions of dollars in tax revenue and through their consumer purchases. Statistics show that Latinos and Asians yield about $35.2 billion from consumer purchases and $9.2 billion from businesses they own. In addition, Latino and Asian businesses have employed more than 65,000 individuals and are integral to the Massachusetts economy and tax base.
The Impact of Immigrants
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of foreign-born immigrants in Massachusetts rose from 9.5% in 1990 to 12.2% in 2000, then to 15.6% in 2013. Additionally, in 2013 Massachusetts was home to 1,046,155 immigrants — more than the total population of San Jose, California. Also, in the same year, 549,009 immigrants or 52.5% were naturalized U.S. citizens, meaning that these individuals are eligible to vote. As a result, 15.5% of all registered voters in Massachusetts are considered “New Americans”.
New Americans and Start-Up Businesses
Since 1990, the purchasing power of Asians in Massachusetts has increased by 810%, totaling $19.2 billion in 2014. As for Latinos, their purchasing power increased by 532% in the period between 1990 to 2014, totaling nearly $16 billion. As a direct result of Asian and Latino-owned businesses, in 2007 employment in Massachusetts covered 65,610 individuals. Currently, more than 18.8% of business owners in Massachusetts are foreign-born; specifically, 29.1% of “Main Street” businesses in Boston were foreign-born as of 2013.
Foreign University Students
Finally, foreign students account for 37.8% of all master’s degrees and 41.9% of all doctorates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields in Massachusetts in 2009. This number has continued to grow since then, and has stimulated the number of immigrants in Massachusetts with a college degree or higher to grow by 57.5% between 2000 and 2011.
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