STEM Immigration and US STEM Workforce Development at the Intersections of Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and Immigration Status

• In Event: 20862 - Section on International Migration Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 5: Migration and Education

Abstract

Immigrants constitute nearly one-third of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree holders in the United States, yet their contributions to diversifying the US STEM workforce are often overlooked. This study delineates disparities in the likelihood of holding a STEM degree among college graduates, considering the intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and immigration status. The analyses reveal that immigrant men and women from all non-White racial/ethnic groups are equally or more likely than their US-born White counterparts to hold a STEM degree. However, compared to the US-born, race/ethnicity and gender disparities are more pronounced among immigrants, particularly the 1.25 generation—those who earned a college degree in the United States after completing K-12 education in their country of birth. The findings underscore the limitations of social interventions that have narrowly focused on US-born individuals in efforts to foster a more diverse and inclusive STEM workforce.

Author

• Byeongdon Oh, SUNY Polytechnic Institute