Discover this podcast and so much more

Podcasts are free to enjoy without a subscription. We also offer ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more for just $11.99/month.

Leah Boustan on Immigration: Then and Now

Leah Boustan on Immigration: Then and Now

FromConversations with Bill Kristol


Leah Boustan on Immigration: Then and Now

FromConversations with Bill Kristol

ratings:
Length:
82 minutes
Released:
May 31, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

How should we think about immigration in American life today? How well do today’s immigrants do—economically and culturally—compared to the immigrants of previous eras? To discuss these questions, we are joined by Princeton economist Leah Boustan. Drawing on rigorous analysis of data for her important co-authored work in economic history Streets of Gold: America’s Untold Story of Immigrant Success, Boustan explains a perhaps surprising fact: despite all of the differences between contemporary America and that of past generations, immigrants today are faring similarly to previous immigrants in terms of how quickly their earnings grow after they arrive in the country, and especially in terms of how well their children are doing in their own upward mobility and earnings. Moreover, Boustan explains how today’s immigrants are assimilating culturally in much the same way as in earlier eras. Boustan considers the challenges and benefits of immigration in the context of the broader economy—and pushes back against arguments for the restricting of immigration that rely excessively on analysis and data that consider only very short-term implications. Above all, she argues that immigration, then and now, has been in the United States an astonishing story of success.
Released:
May 31, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

Conversations with Bill Kristol features in-depth, thought-provoking discussions with leading figures in American public life.