The landscape of American society is perpetually shaped by the currents of human migration, a dynamic force that has woven an intricate tapestry of cultures, economies, and communities across the nation. A recent report, the 2023 Map the Impact Report, released by the American Immigration Council on November 13, 2023, casts a stark light on the profound and pervasive contributions of immigrants, underscoring their vital role in every state and across diverse industry sectors.
This interactive data-map serves as a comprehensive resource, illustrating immigrant tax contributions, spending power, entrepreneurship, workforce participation, home ownership, demographic shifts, and even voting power. It conclusively demonstrates that immigrants are not merely present but are actively invigorating and expanding the economy in every corner of the country. The report further enriches its data with hundreds of stories and videos, capturing the voices of local leaders from across the nation who articulate the deep significance of immigration to their communities.
To truly grasp the multifaceted influence of immigration, one must look beyond the immediate data and delve into the historical and evolving patterns of settlement that have defined the immigrant experience in America. From the foundational movements of early European arrivals to the complex, diverse flows of the present day, these settlement choices have profoundly shaped the cultural and economic character of the states they call home, transforming localized enclaves into vibrant, integral components of the national fabric.
1. **The Immigrant Demographic Landscape: A Growing Force**The sheer scale of the immigrant presence in the United States is a testament to its enduring appeal as a destination for those seeking new opportunities and lives. In 2021, the nation was home to an impressive 45.3 million immigrants, a figure that represents more than one-eighth of the total U.S. population, embedding their influence deeply within American demographics.
The sheer scale of the immigrant presence in the United States is a testament to its enduring appeal as a destination for those seeking new opportunities and lives. In 2021, the nation was home to an impressive 45.3 million immigrants, a figure that represents more than one-eighth of the total U.S. population, embedding their influence deeply within American demographics.
This substantial population is not static; it is a continually expanding segment of the country. Between 2016 and 2021, the immigrant population experienced a significant growth of 3.7 percent, or an addition of 1.6 million people. This increase alone accounted for a notable 18.3 percent of the country’s overall population growth during that five-year period, highlighting immigration’s crucial role in national demographic expansion.
Such growth underscores a fundamental truth about the American economy and society: immigrants are not just participants, but drivers of progress. Their increasing numbers translate into expanding workforces, growing consumer bases, and diverse perspectives that ultimately contribute to the robust and varied development of the nation. Indeed, the data unequivocally demonstrates that immigrants are “helping to grow the economy everywhere,” a widespread impact reaching far beyond traditionally recognized gateway cities and states.
2. **Immigrants as Economic Pillars: Taxes, Spending, and Entrepreneurship**Beyond their sheer numbers, immigrants are undeniably central to the economic vitality of the United States, acting as crucial workers, taxpayers, and consumers who fuel growth across all sectors. Their financial contributions form a significant pillar of the national economy, supporting public services and driving private commerce alike.
Beyond their sheer numbers, immigrants are undeniably central to the economic vitality of the United States, acting as crucial workers, taxpayers, and consumers who fuel growth across all sectors. Their financial contributions form a significant pillar of the national economy, supporting public services and driving private commerce alike.
In 2021, immigrant households collectively earned a staggering total income of $1.9 trillion. From this income, they contributed an immense $524.7 billion in total taxes, a figure comprising $346.3 billion in federal taxes and an additional $178.4 billion in state and local taxes, providing essential revenue streams for governments at all levels. Furthermore, these households wielded a formidable $1.4 trillion in spending power, injecting substantial capital into local and national markets.
Entrepreneurship stands out as a particularly vibrant area of immigrant economic contribution, showcasing their drive and ingenuity. In 2021, immigrants constituted a remarkable one in five entrepreneurs across the country, founding and operating businesses that collectively generated an impressive $95.6 trillion in business income. The entrepreneurial spirit within the immigrant community is also on an upward trajectory, with the number of immigrant entrepreneurs rising by 11.5 percent between 2016 and 2021, growing from 3.1 million to 3.5 million.
A compelling example of this entrepreneurial vigor can be observed in Florida, where at least one-third of all entrepreneurs were foreign-born in 2021. The state witnessed the largest rise in the country during the same period, with the number of immigrant entrepreneurs growing by 87,500 from 2016. Nan Wu, Director of Research at the American Immigration Council, succinctly summarized this impact, stating, “This data puts the economic power of America’s immigrants in stark view, clearly showing how immigrants are contributing to every state in the nation every day. Across the map, immigrants play a significant role in growing industries and strengthening the economy.”
3. **The Genesis of American Settlements: Early European Influx**The very concept of settlement in what is now the United States is intrinsically linked to immigration, as every place that has been settled was, by definition, originally an immigrant settlement. The formative years of the British North American colonies, which would eventually coalesce into the first thirteen American states, were almost exclusively populated by European immigrants, seeking new lives and opportunities across the Atlantic.
The very concept of settlement in what is now the United States is intrinsically linked to immigration, as every place that has been settled was, by definition, originally an immigrant settlement. The formative years of the British North American colonies, which would eventually coalesce into the first thirteen American states, were almost exclusively populated by European immigrants, seeking new lives and opportunities across the Atlantic.
Accompanying this European influx was a substantial number of involuntary immigrants, imported from Africa as slaves, whose forced labor became a foundational, albeit tragic, element of the burgeoning colonial economy. After the hard-won independence and the establishment of the American states, the trajectory of American settlements began its significant expansion westward, venturing far beyond the established boundaries and eventually crossing the mighty Mississippi River.
By this pivotal time, the total population of native-born Americans, which included African slaves whose families had been in the country for generations, stood at approximately four million. The original thirteen states, following complex negotiations, largely surrendered their claims to the unsettled western lands beyond their defined boundaries to the new national government. However, certain tracts were specifically reserved for disposal to particular groups, such as the Western Reserve of northeastern Ohio, which provided preferential treatment to natives of Connecticut, and military tracts in Ohio and Indiana, designated as bonus payments to veterans of the American Revolution.
A federally administered national domain was subsequently created, primarily encompassing the vast territory acquired through the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and later the lands beyond the Mississippi, as well as Florida in 1819. The notable exceptions to this federal jurisdiction included the public lands of Texas, which remained under that state’s authority, and earlier French and Spanish land grants that were confirmed, often after lengthy and intricate legal battles, along with certain Indian lands. This systematic approach contrasted sharply with the more “slipshod methods of colonial land survey and disposal.” The federal land managers, beginning with Ohio in the 1780s, efficiently surveyed, numbered, and mapped their territories in advance of settlement, subsequently selling or deeding them to settlers under attractive terms through a network of regional land offices.
The new survey system, implemented universally except within the confirmed French, Spanish, and Indian grants, adopted a remarkably simple and efficient rectangular scheme. Townships were meticulously laid out as six-by-six-mile blocks, precisely oriented with the compass directions, further subdividing into thirty-six sections, each one square mile or 640 acres in size. Public roads were systematically established along these section lines and, where necessary, along half-section lines, creating a uniform grid. While irregular offsets were introduced to account for the Earth’s curvature, individual property lines consistently aligned with, or ran parallel to, these survey lines, a pervasive rectangularity that extended into the geometry of fields, fences, and the townsites subsequently superimposed upon this foundational rural survey. This all-encompassing checkerboard pattern remains strikingly visible today, best appreciated, as the context notes, “from an airplane window over Iowa or Kansas,” where few natural features or diagonal thoroughfares interrupt the overwhelming squareness of the landscape. A less rigorous, but still systematic, rectangular layout can also be observed in much of Texas and in parts of Maine, western New York and Pennsylvania, and southern Georgia, areas settled after the 1780s.
4. **Urban Roots: Irish, Italian, and British City Concentrations**The nineteenth century witnessed profound shifts in global populations, and for a significant wave of European immigrants arriving in the United States, particularly the Irish, Italian, and British, the cities became the primary destinations. During the early to mid-nineteenth century, a vast majority of these newcomers eschewed rural life, instead gravitating toward the burgeoning urban centers that dotted the East Coast and beyond.
The nineteenth century witnessed profound shifts in global populations, and for a significant wave of European immigrants arriving in the United States, particularly the Irish, Italian, and British, the cities became the primary destinations. During the early to mid-nineteenth century, a vast majority of these newcomers eschewed rural life, instead gravitating toward the burgeoning urban centers that dotted the East Coast and beyond.
This strong preference for urban settlement was driven by a complex interplay of economic necessity and prior experiences. Many of these immigrants had arrived from predominantly rural communities in their native lands, yet they often lacked the financial resources to purchase farmland upon their arrival in the United States. Moreover, a painful history of mistreatment by landlords in their home countries instilled in some a deep-seated aversion to any further engagement with farming, pushing them away from agricultural pursuits.
Furthermore, the practical realities of the American economy at the time made cities far more attractive. Wage-paying jobs were generally more plentiful and accessible in urban environments compared to the scattered opportunities in the countryside. These jobs, often in factories, docks, and construction, offered immediate income, a critical factor for new arrivals establishing themselves in a foreign land.
Within these urban centers, the process of settlement was often facilitated by existing social networks. Newcomers frequently encountered fellow countrymen who had immigrated earlier and had already established lives and communities. This presence of familiar faces and cultural touchstones created powerful gravitational pulls, leading subsequent waves of immigrants naturally into these established enclaves, thereby reinforcing and expanding the distinct ethnic neighborhoods that became hallmarks of American cities.
5. **The Allure of the Land: Homestead Act and Railroads**While urban centers initially drew the majority of European immigrants, the 1860s ushered in transformative developments that significantly enhanced the appeal of farming and rural settlement. These changes opened new avenues for immigrants to acquire land and establish agricultural livelihoods, profoundly altering the geography of opportunity across the American interior.
While urban centers initially drew the majority of European immigrants, the 1860s ushered in transformative developments that significantly enhanced the appeal of farming and rural settlement. These changes opened new avenues for immigrants to acquire land and establish agricultural livelihoods, profoundly altering the geography of opportunity across the American interior.
A pivotal legislative act was the U.S. Congress’s passage of the Homestead Act in 1862. This landmark law made plots of land, up to 160 acres, available to both American citizens and immigrants alike. The enticing condition for acquiring this land was simple yet demanding: individuals were required to reside on and actively develop the land for a specified period, a policy designed to populate and cultivate the vast, undeveloped territories.
Coinciding with this legislative initiative was the monumental construction of the transcontinental railroad line, completed in 1869. This engineering marvel drastically reduced travel times and costs, making the distant western lands more accessible than ever before. Following the success of the first line, additional transcontinental routes soon followed, weaving a network of transportation across the continent.
To facilitate the immense financial undertaking of railroad construction and simultaneously spur settlement and development in the relatively empty expanses through which many of these lines traversed, the federal government granted the railroad companies vast tracts of land surrounding their tracks. The railroad companies, in turn, strategically sold much of this land to settlers, some of whom had themselves contributed to the arduous task of building the lines. Crucially, these companies also actively encouraged European immigrants to come to the United States, recognizing them as a vital source of labor and a market for their land. The undeniable availability of “free and cheap land was a powerful lure to many immigrants,” fundamentally reshaping their settlement patterns and drawing them into the agricultural heartland.
6. **German Immigrants: Cultivating Both Cities and Farmlands**German immigrants, arriving in substantial numbers during the 19th century, notably displayed a diverse settlement pattern that reflected both their varied socio-economic backgrounds and their adaptation to American opportunities. Unlike some groups who concentrated almost exclusively in urban settings, Germans demonstrated a dual preference, establishing deep roots in both burgeoning cities and the expansive agricultural frontiers of the nation.
German immigrants, arriving in substantial numbers during the 19th century, notably displayed a diverse settlement pattern that reflected both their varied socio-economic backgrounds and their adaptation to American opportunities. Unlike some groups who concentrated almost exclusively in urban settings, Germans demonstrated a dual preference, establishing deep roots in both burgeoning cities and the expansive agricultural frontiers of the nation.
Those who favored urban life established large and culturally vibrant communities in key Midwestern cities such as St. Louis, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Milwaukee. These urban enclaves became centers of German-American culture, complete with German-language newspapers, schools, churches, and social clubs. The presence of skilled artisans, merchants, and laborers allowed these communities to thrive, contributing significantly to the industrial and commercial growth of these metropolitan areas while preserving aspects of their heritage.
Conversely, a substantial segment of German immigrants, driven by a desire for land ownership and agricultural livelihoods, opted for rural settlement. These individuals journeyed westward, primarily to the Old Northwest Territory and the Great Lakes region, areas that were still largely unsettled and offered vast tracts of fertile land. The climate and agricultural potential of these regions often resonated with the farming traditions many Germans brought from their homelands, making them ideal for establishing new farms and communities.
This distinctive dual pattern underscores the adaptability and varied aspirations within the German immigrant population. Whether contributing their labor and skills to urban industries or transforming the wilderness into productive farmland, German immigrants left an indelible mark on both the urban and rural landscapes of 19th-century America, creating enduring economic and cultural legacies across a broad geographical spectrum.
