By welcoming immigrants, Iowa stands to gain more than it gives

In September, President Barack Obama announced that the U.S. would seek to take in at least 10,000 Syrian refugees who are fleeing their country's violent civil war. Since then Iowans have discussed the possibility of Syrians relocating to our state. For some, opening the doors to Syrian refugees is important because of our moral responsibility to assist others in times of need. For others, Syrian refugees mean a possible strain on our resources. However, both sides of the argument often assume that in some way, we are giving more than we may be receiving from Syrians who relocate to the U.S. As we consider Iowa's role in this global crisis, I believe it is important to reframe the debate. Specifically, we should focus more broadly on the positive impact that immigration can have on our state, and generally on our country.

Research has shown that many of Iowa's small towns and cities face population decline. For example, a 2015 report by Liesl Eathington, a researcher at Iowa State University, shows that between 2010 and 2013 nearly 70 percent of towns in Iowa experienced population decline. This decline was concentrated in towns with less than 50,000 people, with the greatest declines occurring in Clinton, Mason City, and Fort Dodge. As sociologists Patrick J. Carr and Maria J. Kefalas find in their 2010 book Hollowing out the Middle, levels of population decline have been particularly high among young and among college-educated individuals. This means that many towns may face a shrinking workforce and slowed economic development.

Researchers like Carr and Kefalas argue that immigration could play an important role in turning around population decline. Specifically, immigrants may be able to fill job openings and help to boost the economy in many of the Iowa towns that continue to lose residents. A 2015 study by Gihoon Hong (Indiana University) and John McLaren (University of Virginia) published by the National Bureau of Economic Research shows that on average, each immigrant in the U.S. actually creates 1.2 jobs for local workers in the community they reside in. They argue that this is in part because immigrants increase demand for consumer goods. In addition, immigrants increase the tax base, which provides more government funding at the state and national levels (Center for American Progress 2013). The Migration Policy Institute (2015) also emphasizes that when considering the specific case of Syrian refugees, it is important to consider the successes of Syrians already living in the U.S. For example, on average they are more likely to be college-educated than native-born Americans - and educational attainment rates are highest among most recent immigrants.

In sum, as we discuss the circumstances of Syrian refugees, we should think generally about the importance of immigration. This is not meant to minimize the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis that is occurring, but to reframe the debate surrounding the presence of immigrants in our state. Immigrants can help to curb population decline and bring economic growth. Thus, Syrian refugees and other immigrants can have a positive impact on Iowa's future.

' Jessica Welburn is an assistant professor of sociology and African-American studies at the University of Iowa. Comments: jswelburn@gmail.com