A new report examines the economic impact being made by the more than 640,000 immigrants who call Michigan home. We learn more from Michigan Office for New Americans deputy director Karen Phillippi.
Over the years, new Americans arriving in Michigan have helped mitigate some of the negative effects of the state’s economic downturn and loss of population during the Great Recession.
In 1990, Michigan’s immigrant community represented less than 4-percent of the state’s total population. By 2010, that had risen to nearly 6-percent. Between 2010 and 2014, Michigan’s foreign-born population grew by an additional 60,000, almost twice as fast as the national average, making the state a standout from others in its attraction to new Americans.
Recently, a report was released from the Partnership for a New American Economy called “The Contributions of New Americans in Michigan.” It’s a culmination of research including data on the foreign-born population in the state from the years 2010-2014.
Current State goes over the study’s findings with Karen Phillippi, deputy director of the Michigan Organization for New Americans (MONA). MONA was established by Gov. Snyder in 2014 to support immigration efforts for the state of Michigan.