A Comparative Analysis of the Migration and Integration of Indian and Chinese Immigrants in the United States

TLDR: In the United States, Indian and Chinese immigrants tend to enter through skilled migration channels and go on to enjoy higher employment rates and higher median household incomes than the US-born population.

Abstract: Indian and Chinese nationals comprise two of the largest foreign-born nationality groups in the United States, and are growing rapidly. Indian and Chinese immigrants tend to enter the United States through skilled migration channels—either pursuing further education or entering on temporary work visas for specialty occupations—and go on to enjoy higher employment rates and higher median household incomes than the US-born population. Despite these successes, these groups still face some integration challenges, such as cultural integration and English language proficiency. Immigrant integration services in the United States are relatively decentralised, with crucial services provided by a wide array of actors. Federal funds are usually directed and supplemented by state and local government actors, who then work closely with civil society organisations, including Indian and Chinese diaspora groups, to provide support in areas such as social services, language training, credential recognition and naturalization assistance. Meanwhile, India and China are starting to expand their diaspora engagement activities to include integration services at destination.

Figures

Figure 3. Total Foreign-, Indian- and Chinese-Born Populations in the United States, 1980 to 2013

Figure 4. Chinese and Indian Student and Temporary Worker Population as of January 2012

Full text

INTERACT – REsEARChINg ThIRd CouNTRy NATIoNAls’ INTEgRATIoN
As A ThREE-wAy PRoCEss - ImmIgRANTs, CouNTRIEs of
EmIgRATIoN ANd CouNTRIEs of ImmIgRATIoN As ACToRs
of INTEgRATIoN
Co-nanced by the European Union
A Comparative Analysis
of the Migration and Integration
of Indian and Chinese Immigrants
in the United States
Kate Hooper
with Susanna Groves
INTERACT Research Report 2014/32
© 2014. All rights reserved.
No part of this paper may be distributed, quoted
or reproduced in any form without permission from
the INTERACT Project.
CEDEM

INTERACT
Researching Third Country Nationals’ Integration as a Three-way Process -
Immigrants, Countries of Emigration and Countries of Immigration as Actors of
Integration
Research Report
Corridor Report
INTERACT RR2014/32
A Comparative Analysis of the Migration and Integration
of Indian and Chinese Immigrants in the United States
Kate Hooper *
with
Susanna Groves *
* Migration Policy Institute

© 2014, European University Institute
Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Any additional reproduction for
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Requests should be addressed to mpc@eui.eu
If cited or quoted, reference should be made as follows:
Kate Hooper, with Susanna Groves, A Comparative Analysis of the Migration and Integration of
Indian and Chinese Immigrants in the United States, INTERACT RR 2014/32, Robert Schuman
Centre for Advanced Studies, San Domenico di Fiesole (FI): European University Institute, 2014.
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INTERACT - Researching Third Country Nationals’ Integration as a Three-way Process -
Immigrants, Countries of Emigration and Countries of Immigration as Actors of Integration
Around 25 million persons born in a third country (TCNs) are currently living in the European Union
(EU), representing 5% of its total population. Integrating immigrants, i.e. allowing them to participate
in the host society at the same level as natives, is an active, not a passive, process that involves two
parties, the host society and the immigrants, working together to build a cohesive society.
Policy-making on integration is commonly regarded as primarily a matter of concern for the receiving
state, with general disregard for the role of the sending state. However, migrants belong to two places:
first, where they come and second, where they now live. While integration takes place in the latter,
migrants maintain a variety of links with the former. New means of communication facilitating contact
between migrants and their homes, globalisation bringing greater cultural diversity to host countries,
and nation-building in source countries seeing expatriate nationals as a strategic resource have all
transformed the way migrants interact with their home country.
INTERACT project looks at the ways governments and non-governmental institutions in origin
countries, including the media, make transnational bonds a reality, and have developed tools that
operate economically (to boost financial transfers and investments); culturally (to maintain or revive
cultural heritage); politically (to expand the constituency); legally (to support their rights).
INTERACT project explores several important questions: To what extent do policies pursued by EU
member states to integrate immigrants, and policies pursued by governments and non-state actors in
origin countries regarding expatriates, complement or contradict each other? What effective
contribution do they make to the successful integration of migrants and what obstacles do they put in
their way?
A considerable amount of high-quality research on the integration of migrants has been produced in
the EU. Building on existing research to investigate the impact of origin countries on the integration of
migrants in the host country remains to be done.
INTERACT is co-financed by the European Union and is implemented by a consortium built by
CEDEM, UPF and MPI Europe.
For more information:
INTERACT
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Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies
http://www.eui.eu/RSCAS/

Frequently asked questions

Q1. What are the contributions mentioned in the paper "Interact – researching third country nationals’ integration" ?

Immigrant integration services in the United States are relatively decentralized, with crucial services provided by a wide array of actors.