North America's Changing Demographics

Co-hosted by the Consul General of Canada and the AS/COA, this program looked at how Canada and the United States are adjusting to the rapid shift in demographics. The panel discussion analyzed how the retirement of baby boomers, labor shortages, and other challenges of diversity and integration influence public policy decisions and North America’s ability to compete in the global economy.

 

Demographic Changes in Canada and the United States
 

Panelists highlighted the contributions of immigrants to the social and economic fabric of Canada and the United States and the challenges related to integration and demographic shifts. While they noted the many similarities in demographic trends in the U.S. and Canada, particularly the mass retirement of baby boomers, key differences were also highlighted, including Canada’s “points” system for immigrants and undocumented immigration in the United States.

In Canada, international migration has become the most important determinant of population growth. The 2006 census estimated that one in five (19.8 percent) of the total population in Canada is foreign born. Despite achieving high rates of university completion, immigrants in Canada fall behind in employment rates. Another challenge is the widening wage gap between recent immigrants and Canadian-born workers.

Yet the people’s reaction in each country differs. Citing a 2002 Pew Research Center poll of 44 countries asking, “Do immigrants have a positive influence on my country?” Dr. Fellegi revealed that 77 percent of Canadians answered “yes,” while only 49 percent answered “yes” in the United States.

 

Importance of Immigration and Integration
 

Designing immigration policy, integrating and educating new immigrants, and building a skilled and educated workforce to replace retiring baby boomers are major public policy challenges for Canada and the United States. Consul General Daniel Sullivan spoke of the ways in which immigration has shaped Canada over the past 100 years. He concluded by encouraging government, business, and academia in Canada and the United States to consider innovative ways to develop skilled workforces—a priority for North American competitiveness.

Another area of concern is greater integration of Hispanics into the fabric of American society. AS/COA’s Christopher Sabatini noted that this is a goal of the Americas Society’s Hispanic Integration Initiative, whichhas shown that effective integration increases worker loyalty, boosts productivity, and serves as a bridge to the local Hispanic population. Current challenges of integration are different than with past generations of immigrants. Today’s immigrants work more in service-sector jobs than in manufacturing, they settle in areas such as North Carolina and Nebraska where locals are unaccustomed to diversity, and immigrants are often closely tied to their communities back home. He pointed out that the private sector is doing its part by providing English-language programs, civic participation information (State Farm Insurance and Telemundo) and health care access, among other programs.
 

Immigration and Civic Participation
 

With the U.S. election, the panel also looked at the civic participation of Hispanics the United States. Rodolfo de la Garza claimed that certain factors have limited the group’s participation and impact. For example, Hispanics are concentrated in a few states, most of which are not swing states. This distribution, along with predictable outcomes in those particular states, makes it difficult for Hispanics to have an impact on the presidential election. What’s more, according to de la Garza, Hispanics largely vote Democratic in traditional Democratic states: New York, New Jersey, and California. Although they turn out in large numbers—a positive sign of civic participation—Hispanics are “bellwethers, not trendsetters.” De la Garza concluded by stating that lawmakers should not perceive the Hispanic vote as an ethnic vote but as a class vote. The top issues of concern for the community typically include the economy, education, health and housing.