内容来源：分享美国 地址链接：http://go.usa.gov/cKsRr 　

移民是指那些为了让自己及子女过上更好的生活而迁移到其他国家的人。据联合国统计，移民人数达2.32亿人，而且他们对美国及其他国家产生的积极影响超出人们的预期。

听听奥巴马总统是怎么说的。

他说：“我们是一个移民国家，这意味着我们时时都有相信美国梦的奋斗者加入进来。”[请见英文讲话]

有大量数据能够证实总统所言是正确的：

• 哈佛商学院（Harvard Business School）发表的数据显示，移民与出生在美国的人口相比更有可能登记申请专利，他们为经济做出的贡献重大。
• 新成立的美国公司每10个中就有将近3个是由移民创办的。[请见英文资料]
• 这些公司引领汽车制造业的创新，并开发出全世界的人都使用的应用程序。其中有些公司大家都听说过，例如谷歌公司（Google）。还有苹果电脑的联合创办人史蒂夫·乔布斯（Steve Jobs）也是一位叙利亚移民之子。

正如一位分析人士所言：“通过使劳动力供给丰富多样，并通过增强竞争激励，移民能够提高接纳他们的经济体的生产力。”[请见英文报道]

移民不仅为接纳他们的经济体做出贡献，而且还向家乡的亲属汇款。这些汇款远远超过了全球对外援助的总额。

正如奥巴马总统所言，美国依然是移民之国。根据最近一次人口普查的数据，美国的移民人口刚刚超过4100万。这意味着在全美3.17亿人口中，每10个人中至少有一人是移民。

Migrants are people who move to other countries to make a better life for themselves and their children. The U.N. estimates there are 232 million of them, and it turns out they have more of a positive impact on America and other countries than you might think.

Just ask President Obama.

“We are a nation of immigrants, and that means that we’re constantly being replenished with strivers who believe in the American Dream,” says the president.

Plenty of data says the president is right:

• Evidence published by Harvard Business School suggests migrants are more likely to register patents than native-born Americans and they make strong contributions to the economy.
• Immigrants start nearly 3 in 10 new U.S. companies.
• Those companies pioneered automotive innovations and created apps people use around the world. They include some you’ve heard of, like Google. And don’t forget that Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs was the son of a Syrian immigrant.

As one analyst concludes: “By enriching and diversifying the supply of labor and by sharpening competitive incentives, immigration can boost productivity across host economies.”

Not only do migrants contribute to their host economies, many send money back to family in their home countries. These “remittances” far exceed the amount of global foreign aid.