STEM Immigration’s Impact on U.S. Workforce Diversity

For decades, the United States has attracted students and employees around the world to pursue careers in engineering and other STEM disciplines. Individuals born abroad are an important part of the American workforce. In recent years, many decision-makers and researchers have also sought to better understand and improve racial diversity and between the sexes of the STEM workforce–But these efforts have largely focused on domestic students.

Byeongdon (don) oh, Deputy Professor of Sociology and Director of the Center for Research on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and belonging (DEIB) at Suny Polytechnic Institute, hopes to have an overview of the way in which immigration status is overlapped from efforts to promote a more diverse and more inclusive STEM workforce. In a recent study, OH examined the data of a national survey of college graduates on race, sex and immigration status on American workforce STEM. He noted that many immigrants continue STEM – about a third of American graduates STEM were born abroad – but disparities by race and sex are more Pronounced among these students that people born in the United States in higher education.

Spectrum ieee spoke to OH of factors stimulating STEM immigration tendencies, racial disparities and the future of STEM immigration. The following has been modified for duration and clarity.

Byeongdon oh on:

Byeongdon oh: Immigration STEM refers to the growing influx of people born abroad in search of STEM diplomas or careers in the United States. This increase is certainly influenced by the individual choice, because individuals with STEM skills have good chance in a good career and good income in the United States. But it is not only an individual choice. So many other social forces shape STEM immigration.

Higher education establishments have attracted talented and born students abroad to support institutional development and generate schooling income. The two international students specializing in STEM and US high -ranking universities benefit from each other. There is also a mutually favorable relationship between people born abroad in search of STEM careers and American employers. Decision -makers and employers have expressed a continuous need for more STEM workers To support economic growth.

The government also knows, and American immigration laws have evolved to attract more students and workers with high -level STEM skills. For example, international students cannot work outside campuses during their studies. But after obtaining the diploma, they are allowed to work for a year thanks to the optional practical training program. STEM graduates are eligible for an extension of two years of this period. Many graduates ask for the H-1B and the permanent residence during this period. STEM immigration is not only an individual choice; It has increased by many social and structural factors.

What have you found in your research?

Oh: My study reveals that around 30% of STEM diploma holders living in the United States are immigrants. Many discussions have explained how immigration affects the American economy and the way STEM immigration is affecting the salary rate of workers born. This is the first study focused on the way STEM immigration affects the diversity profile of the workforce of the American STEM.

OH’s research divides immigrants educated in college into three groups: first generation, generation 1.25 and 1.5 generation.Byeongdon oh; National survey of college graduates

Compared to white graduates born in the United States, immigrants – independent of the breed – are just as probable, if not more, to hold rod diplomas. However, racial and sexist disparities are more pronounced Among immigrants among graduates born in the United States. The gap is already significant in people born in the United States, but it is even wider among immigrants.

I subdivided immigrants educated at the college in the first generation, generation 1.25 and 1.5 generation. The first generation refers to immigrants who finish all their studies outside the United States. The second generation was born in the United States. In my study, 1.5 generation refers to immigrants who have graduated from the United States. The generation of 1.25 obtained a secondary school diploma abroad but frequented college in the United States. The race and gender gaps in the representation of the stems are in fact the widest among the 1,25 generation.

What do you think causes these disparities?

Oh: It does not yet come from my data, but I suspect that there are three major causes. The first comes from the country of origin: as in the United States, racial and gender disparities can exist in the country of origin. And it’s not just inequalities in STEM education or skills. The racial majority and men may also have a better chance of migrating to the United States.

The second factor stems from inequalities between the country. Many white and Asian immigrants come from world northern countries, where stronger savings and larger investments in R&D are generally associated with better quality STEM education.

The third factor relates to the American immigration process. The immigration process is long and racial minorities and women can be particularly vulnerable to socioeconomic struggles during this long waiting time. In addition, employers can have biases that certain racial groups are better for STEMs or men are more qualified. This type of stereotype or discrimination can have an effect. So this could be three major causes, but honestly, we do not know which one plays the biggest role.

Previously, we focused on [diversity in] STEM education in K-12 STEM and in particular students born in the country. But as I said, generation 1.25 as the widest and there is a substantial volume. Therefore without considering these immigrants, Social interventions aimed at diversifying the American workforce STEM will remain limited in their impact.

How can we better support international individuals?

Oh: We need collective social interventions and policy changes. You can think of a short and long -term strategy.

The short -term strategy is to include more immigrants in our discussion and our debate on politicians. Many students and STEM workers do not only come here as tourists and go back to one or two years. There is a good chance that they remain. If we really want to improve diversity and inclusion on the American workforce STEM, we must include them and learn from their experiences to improve immigration policy.

And in the long term, we need better data collection. Many sets of government data on the immigration process are inaccessible. Immigration researchers really want to have this data, but the government has not given it. In addition, the federal government requires that all higher education institutions report racial and ethnic profiles each year, using categories similar to those used in the census. But federal directives for the upper list of update of international students in a separate category. If they are international students, they do not count the race or ethnicity. Many institutions collect this information, but when they report, they place all international students in a category. This is an example of how we have neglected the problems of breed and diversity among immigrants.

With recent changes in federal immigration policy, we see early indications that international students can turn away from the research of higher education in the United States. How is this potential trend linked to your results?

Oh: Recent policy changes can have short -term negative effects on STEM immigration. When potential immigrants do not think they can successfully settle in the United States, they can hesitate to start the process. If they see tensions between their country and the United States, it can discourage them from the continuation of education or employment here. In this way, we will lose stem talents.

In the longer term, I think that STEM immigration will continue. There are factors that attract them, such as economics and education. It is unlikely that the structural demand for highly qualified STEM students and STEM workers immediately disappear.

During the first Trump presidency, many STEM immigrants, in particular with graduate diplomas, continued to use derogations from national interests [an exemption from job offer requirements for advanced degree workers applying for certain visas]. If you have higher education diplomas in STEM, this provides an accelerated path to permanent residence. I remember that it did not decrease. Although Immigration is often described in political discourse as a threat to jobs or public securityHaving highly qualified immigrants helps economic growth. If we lose all STEM immigrants, domestic employers will have a problem.

What is the next step for your research?

Oh: I continue two directions. One is focused on STEM diploma holders and the probability of seizing STEM professions. Not all holders of STEM diplomas do not have STEM jobs, and racial and gender inequalities can contribute to this inadequacy of education-occupation. I want to see if these disparities differ according to immigration status.

The second management is the qualitative interviews. In my establishment, there are many international students and immigrant teachers. I plan to conduct qualitative interviews with them. I am also a research teacher invited to the University of California in Berkeley, so I want to compare UC Berkeley and my institution. In the end, I hope that this research line can help to reframe the way we think of diversity-not just in terms of race or sex in the United States, but also beyond borders and generations.