International immigration to California has steadily increased over the past 30 years. Some observers are seeing the extreme diversity of California's population as the harbinger of where the nation is headed. The culmination of a comprehensive study of how immigration has changed over the past three decades, this book assesses the impact immigrants have made on California's economy and culture.

If California were its own country, it would have the world's fifth largest immigrant population. The way these newcomers are integrated into the state will shape California's schools, workforce, businesses, public health, politics, and culture. In Immigrant California, leading experts in U.S. migration provide cutting-edge research on the incorporation of immigrants and their descendants in this bellwether state. California, unique for its diverse population, powerful economy, and progressive politics, provides important lessons for what to expect as demographic change comes to most states across the country. Contributors to this volume cover topics ranging from education systems to healthcare initiatives and unravel the sometimes-contradictory details of California's immigration history. By examining the past and present of immigration policy in California, the volume shows how a state that was once the national leader in anti-immigrant policies quickly became a standard-bearer of greater accommodation. California's successes, and its failures, provide an essential road map for the future prosperity of immigrants and natives alike.

This book sheds light on one of the most controversial issues of the decade. It identifies the economic gains and losses from immigration--for the nation, states, and local areas--and provides a foundation for public discussion and policymaking. Three key questions are explored: What is the influence of immigration on the overall economy, especially national and regional labor markets? What are the overall effects of immigration on federal, state, and local government budgets? What effects will immigration have on the future size and makeup of the nation's population over the next 50 years? The New Americans examines what immigrants gain by coming to the United States and what they contribute to the country, the skills of immigrants and those of native-born Americans, the experiences of immigrant women and other groups, and much more. It offers examples of how to measure the impact of immigration on government revenues and expenditures--estimating one year's fiscal impact in California, New Jersey, and the United States and projecting the long-run fiscal effects on government revenues and expenditures. Also included is background information on immigration policies and practices and data on where immigrants come from, what they do in America, and how they will change the nation's social fabric in the decades to come.

This study to assess the current situation of Mexican immigrants in California and project future possibilities constructs a demographic profile of the immigrants, examines their economic effects on the state, and describes their socioeconomic integration into California society. Models of immigration/integration processes are developed and used to project future immigration flows. The study's major conclusion is that widespread concerns about Mexican immigration are generally unfounded: Mexican immigrants are not homogeneous, and they differ in their characteristics and their effects on the state. Overall, the immigrants provide economic benefits to the state, and native-born Latinos may bear the brunt of competition for low-skill jobs. In general, immigrants contribute more to public revenues than they consume in public services; however, the youthfulness of the population, their low incomes, the progressiveness of the state income tax structure, and the high costs of public education produce a net deficit in educational expenditures. Continued rapid immigration from Mexico and projected shifts in the industrial and occupational structure of California could disrupt the traditional mobility process of immigrants. These changes will make education an increasingly important key to the occupational and social mobility of Mexican immigrants' children and grandchildren. (NEC)