By Courtney Maurer, Director of Research

The U.S. is home to an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants. These individuals are extremely valuable to our country, contributing to both the U.S. labor force and to their communities both culturally and economically, and often have U.S. born children of their own. Without legal status or pathways to citizenship, however, many are forced to live in the shadows fearing deportation and discrimination and our country is struggling to improve these circumstances.

By Thea Rose, Communications Intern

Migrating to the United States from any other country is an extremely complex choice to make. And for many, facing the burden of starting over in an unfamiliar place can inevitably bring up a conflict of identity, individuality and, sometimes, spiritual questioning. 

By Yasemin Akar, Research Fellow & Poorani Jagadeesan, Technology Team Intern

Massachusetts has been home to both refugees and foreign-born populations for centuries. As the current U.S. population ages, refugees and the foreign-born population are keeping Massachusetts and Boston young. Since refugees and foreign born populations tend to be younger than the native born U.S. population in Massachusetts, the state and specifically the city of Boston’s median age have fallen in recent years. While the median age for the U.S. is 38, Boston has a median age of 32 and Massachusetts’ is 39. Moreover, refugees and the foreign population in Massachusetts contribute to the knowledge-based economy that is crucial for STEM and healthcare.