What impact do immigrants have on the Dallas economy?
DALLAS — Immigrants in the city of Dallas made up 23% of the population in 2022 and contributed billions of dollars in taxes and spending, according to a recent report released by the American Immigration Council.
Using U.S. Census data, the New Americans in Dallas report explores the role visa holders and naturalized citizens play in the labor force and in contributing to social programs.
The AIC issues similar reports in cities across the country, and according to the nonprofit's Texas state organizer Chelsie Kramer, the economic impact of immigrants on Texas as a whole is greater than in many other states.
Immigrants make up 17% of Texas' population and 22% of the state's workforce. In Dallas, immigrants represent less than a quarter of the population but they make up more than 28% of the workforce.
"Places like Houston and Dallas are the poster children when it comes to making sure that immigrants are fully employed in the labor force and are part of this economic engine that we have here in Texas," Kramer said.
Two of nearly 300,000
Patricia Blasquez and Ken Tse are just two of the 299,800 immigrants living in Dallas.
Blasquez's family immigrated from the Philippines when she was just 12. Decades earlier, Tse's family immigrated from China when he was 10.
Both families were driven to come to the U.S. by a desire for better opportunities.
Tse said his parents fled communist China to Mississippi.
"They have sacrificed their entire lives so that we can have an opportunity," Tse said of his parents' decision to immigrate.
Tse has spent his adult life in the Dallas area, where he founded KMT Architects.
According to the AIC report, immigrants like Tse are 60% more likely to be entrepreneurs than their U.S.-born counterparts, and 15% of immigrants in the area work for their own businesses.
Tse said he is proud of his professional accomplishments, but he's also proud of his nonprofit New Hope Compassion, which delivers resources to children in war-torn countries. He said this kind of impact, the kind that has less to do with generating profits and more with helping others, is oftentimes overlooked.
"I don't have to have a fancy car," Tse said. "If I can make a difference, that's a measure of success."
Blasquez also takes pride in the ways she's given back. For years, she volunteered with refugees in Dallas' Vickery Meadow neighborhood, an area of town known for its large immigrant population. A communications professional, she currently works at Housing Forward, an organization that works to address homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties.
"I think our city is more enriched when we are aware that there are many people that contribute to the city's success," Blasquez said.
Other key findings of the AIC report
- In 2022, immigrant households in Dallas earned more than $10 billion, contributing $1.6 billion to federal taxes and $900 million to state and local taxes.
- Immigrants in Dallas contributed $1.1 billion to Social Security and $274.5 million to Medicare.
- Immigrants make up 26% of STEM workers in Dallas, 63% of construction workers and nearly 40% of manufacturing workers.
Kramer said the data disproves what she calls a common myth "that immigrants are coming to our country for a free lunch."
"The truth is that immigrants are coming here to fill incredible workforce gaps that we have across the state," Kramer said.
A recent poll from Gallup found that 55% of U.S. adults would like to see immigration to America decreased, up from 41% a year ago. This is the first time since 2005 that a majority of Americans have wanted there to be less immigration, according to Gallup.
"I think that sometimes people want immediate economic impact, and I think what you will find with immigrant families is it is not always immediate," Blasquez said.
Blasquez said she was always aware of the sacrifices her parents made to give their children more opportunities; Her father's professional credentials in the Philippines didn't transfer to the U.S.
"When he was cleaning pools, he went into his car and he was just crying," Blasquez said.
It was not until Blasquez was finishing graduate school years later that her father told her that story.
"He said, 'Now I understand why I came here,'" Blasquez said her father told her. "'Maybe the American dream isn't for me. It's for my children.'"
