Immigration

An Immigration Reading List

Prepared by Alex Nowrasteh

“Myths and Facts of Immigration Policy” by Alex Nowrasteh
Each administration has a policy that dominates its tenure in office. For George W. Bush it was foreign policy; for Barack Obama, health care. For President Trump, throughout his campaign and his time in office, that dominant issue has been immigration.

Let Their People Come: Breaking the Gridlock on Global Labor Mobility by Lant Pritchett
Concise and clear rundown of the benefits of immigration globally and for receiving countries.
Open Immigration: Yea & Nay by Mark Krikorian and Alex Nowrasteh
Dueling essays that disagree about the benefits of more open immigration to the United States and what policies the government should adopt.
Free to Move: Foot Voting, Migration, and Political Freedom by Ilya Somin
Brilliant application of political science, economics, and libertarian theory to explain how the freedom to move improves individual liberty, public policy, and economic prosperity.
“Is There a Right to Immigrate?” by Michael Huemer
Controversial libertarian essay on the individual right to immigrate in most situations.
Open Borders: The Science and Ethics of Immigration by Bryan Caplan and Zach Weinersmith
Graphic nonfiction book that makes the economic, ethical, and social case for the free movement of people.

“Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk?” By Michael A. Clemens
Groundbreaking peer-reviewed paper on the potential trillion-dollar gains from liberalized immigration.
The Economic and Fiscal Consequences of Immigration by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Massive literature survey on the economic and fiscal impact of immigration in the United States. The one-stop volume for the most recent research on the economics of immigration.
The Economics of Immigration: Market-Based Approaches, Social Science, and Public Policy by Benjamin Powell
Edited volume making the free-market case for increasing legal immigration.
Exceptional People: How Migration Shaped Our World and Will Define Our Future by Ian Goldin, Geoffrey Cameron, and Meera Balarajan
Immigration is enormously beneficial for the citizens of developing countries because immigrants tend to be exceptionally energetic, cosmopolitan, and entrepreneurial.
The Gift of Global Talent: How Migration Shapes Business, Economy & Society by William R. Kerr
Skilled immigrants are gifted scientists, ambitious entrepreneurs, and productive inventors who have contributed greatly to American economic success.

The Integration of Immigrants into American Society by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Massive literature survey on how immigrants and their descendants are assimilating and integrating into American society.
From Immigrants to Americans: The Rise and Fall of Fitting In by Jacob L. Vigdor
Immigrants today are generally assimilating into American culture more quickly than in the past or, at worst, at about the same pace as earlier waves.
Does Immigration Increase Crime? Migration Policy and the Creation of the Criminal Immigrant by Francesco Fasani, Giovanni Mastrobuoni, Emily G. Owens, and Paolo Pinotti
Edited volume about the impact of immigration on crime in the United States and Europe.

Global Migration and the World Economy: Two Centuries of Policy and Performance by Timothy J. Hatton and Jeffrey G. Williamson
Thorough economic history of immigration globally and in the United States.
A Nation by Design: Immigration Policy in the Fashioning of America by Aristide R. Zolberg
Sweeping historical volume on how immigration has affected American society, how politicians and civil society have adapted to the influx over the centuries, and the debates about government policy in response.