Children of immigrants outperform their American-born peers

By siliconindia   |   Tuesday, 31 May 2011, 23:14 IST   |    12 Comments
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Children of immigrants outperform their American-born peers
Bangalore: It is good news for those professionals who are applying for H1B visas. All that you have to do is have a brain child who will outperform. in any Math and science competition in U.S. Yes the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a non-profit and a research organization of Virginia says that 70 percent of the finalists at the Intel Science Talent Competition held in 2011 were children of immigrants. Out of the 70 percent, 60 percent of the finalists were kids of those who made a debut in America with their H1B visas. At the Intel Science fair, the prime distinction was not among the children and their intelligence but was primary recognized by their parent's immigration status. The results are evident in Silicon Valley classrooms as well. Children of immigrant parents, particularly those with skills-based H-1B visas, are abundant in the top tiers of academia. "The benefit America derives from the children of immigrants in science and math is an additional advantage the country reaps from being open to talent from around the world," said author Stuart Anderson, director of the organization and a former head of policy at the Immigration and Naturalization Service. The immigrant population in U.S. is less than 1 percent and this number is going to further go down with U.S. implementing new restrictions on legal immigration, both family and employment-based immigration. The numbers are warning for U.S. as they will be loosing on talented and eminent researchers and scientists will steer the next generation of America. Indians comprised only 0.8 percent of the U.S. population and Chinese made up only 1 percent, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. The NFAP also reveals that many immigrant parents place a heavy emphasis on education, particularly in math and science, viewing this as a path to success in America. Skilled professionals hired in America on H-1B visas represent a surprisingly important source of outstanding children in science. Many of these parents first came to the United States as international students, then were hired on H-1B visas (or its precursor H-1) and were sponsored for permanent residence (a green card) by an employer. While researchers have documented achievements by immigrants in science, business and other fields, little research has been done on the contributions made by the children of immigrants. The benefit America derives from the children of immigrants in science and math is an additional advantage the country reaps from being open to talent from around the world. America needs to be open to individuals and their children who can succeed in the United States without regard to class or place of birth. Liberalizing the nation's immigration laws will likely yield even greater rewards for America in the future.