Immigration has always played an important role in the development of California over the last two centuries. Today, immigrants represent a major portion of the California’s electorate and more importantly have become the backbone of the economy.
According to the Immigration Policy Center’s 2013 report, foreign-born Californians now represent 27 percent of the state population and nearly half of them have been naturalized, meaning they can vote in the elections.
Immigrants represent a third of California’s workforce and play a crucial role in industries such as agriculture, manufacturing or construction. Immigrants also represent an important share of the taxpayers as they contribute $30 billion in federal taxes, $5.2 billion in state income taxes, and $4.6 billion in sales taxes each year.Unauthorized immigrants in California also pay taxes to the amount $2.7 billion in state and local taxes in 2010.
Latino and Asians represent the majority of immigrants and children of immigrants. They now constitute 51.3 percent of California’s population. These two groups not only have a great buying power in California, $310.5 billion for Latino’s, $236.7 billion for Asians, but they also create many jobs. Businesses owned by Latinos and Asians comprise 1/4 of all businesses and employ more than 1.3 million people.
California immigrants constitute the backbone of the state’s economy and are expected to play an important role in California economic recovery.
The following infographic was provided by the Immigration Policy Institute.
