Minority Residents are an Economic Powerhouse in Georgia and Tennessee
NEW AMERICANS IN THE PEACH AND VOLUNTEER STATES:
September 2, 2009
Washington D.C. - The Immigration Policy Center has compiled research which shows that immigrants, Latinos, and Asians are an integral part of Georgia's and Tennessee's economies and tax bases and are a growing share of voters in each state. As workers, taxpayers, consumers, and entrepreneurs, immigrants and their children are an economic powerhouse. As voters, they are a growing political force. As these states work towards economic recovery, immigrants and their children will continue to play a key role in shaping and growing their economic and political landscape.
Highlights from Georgia include:
- Immigrants make up about 9.1% of Georgia's total population, and a third of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
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The purchasing power of Georgia's Latinos and Asians totaled $24 billion in 2008.
- If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Georgia, the state would lose $21.3 billion in expenditures, $9.5 billion in economic output, and about 132,000 jobs.
Highlights from Tennessee include:
- Immigrants make up 4.1% of Tennessee's total population, and a third of them are naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
- The purchasing power of Tennessee's Latinos and Asians totaled $7.8 billion in 2008.
- If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Tennessee, the state would lose $3.8 billion in expenditures, $1.7 billion in economic output, and about 26,000 jobs.
There is no denying the contributions immigrants, Latinos, and Asians make and the important role they play in Georgia and Tennessee's political and economic future. For more data on the contributions of immigrants, Latinos, and Asians to these state's economic futures, view the IPC fact sheets in their entirety.
Read more about immigrant contributions in other states:
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For more information contact Wendy Sefsaf at 202-507-7524 or wsefsaf@ailf.org