In George Borjas’s ‘We Wanted Workers: Unraveling the immigration narrative’ chapter 4 discusses much about the selection of immigrants within the United States. The immigration population within the United States is compromised by a diverse group of people. Borjas highlights several different themes throughout this chapter, they include: barriers to immigration, trends in the entry wage, and why national origin matters. In terms of barriers for immigrants to overcome, financial limitations stand out the most. The reason being is because moving costs are more overwhelming than the personal economic potential of financially progressing in a new environment. Possible migrants have psychological value to the social, cultural, and physical traits of their hometowns or cities and it is hard for them to give this up. Moving forward, immigrants are measured in regard to economic standards based on their past experiences such as work, education, and English language fluency. According to studies, it can be implied that since the mid-1900s, immigrants’ entry wages have been facing a decline. Such an occurrence has taken place due to the change in US labor markets. In contrast, some claim that it doesn’t even have an effect on immigration productivity. Lastly, Borjas mentions that national origins play a significant role in the success of immigrants within the United States. Generally speaking, Mexican immigrants earn less than say a German immigrant. Self-selection, the wealth of an individual’s prior country, and discrimination all play roles in this concept. If a migrant has more money than another, he or she is more likely to have a better lifestyle in terms of employment and economic opportunity. Discrimination also limits immigrants in many forms as some employers hold biases in the workforce. Overall, Borjas makes strong claims in this chapter and it is backed by profound research and data.
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