ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews evidence on the connection of international migration to innovation in the US. We review the quantitative and qualitative importance of immigrants to technological development (e.g., patents, entrepreneurship) and its recent growth. Immigrants account for about a quarter of US innovation, with much of that impact coming through the large and growing number of immigrants engaged in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields. While immigrants are disproportionately represented among superstar inventors, most of the aggregate immigrant advantage for patenting and firm starts can be explained by individuals’ education levels and field of study. We characterise recent studies regarding whether immigrants crowd-in or crowd-out native engagement in innovation, with some differences emerging over studies depending upon whether cities, occupations, or student degree fields are used to measure effects. We close with areas for future research on this topic.
