American Innovation and Economic Growth Hinge on Immigrants
June marks Immigrant Heritage Month — an opportunity for us to celebrate the fact that immigration has always been an incredible source of strength for our country. In this OpEd, Postmates CEO & Co-Founder Bastian Lehmann outlines how the contributions that immigrants have made and will continue to make are a foundation for our nation’s economic success. By recounting his own journey to the country, and pointing to steps we can take to strengthen our own immigration laws, Lehmann also highlights how a spirit of global inclusivity is woven into America’s DNA.
As the President looks to refocus the national dialogue on jobs, workforce training, and apprenticeships this month, one thing remains clear: The United States will only remain a place of opportunity and innovative growth if we embrace our heritage as a nation of immigrants.
During Immigrant Heritage Month, we honor the basic idea of welcoming citizens from around the world to our shores, not because it is good public policy, but because it is central to our way of life. It is woven into our DNA. The story of America is much like my own immigrant journey from Germany. It is rooted in a belief that our diversity and our differences, when joined together by a common set of ideals, makes us stronger, more creative, and different. From all these different strands, we continue to build a more perfect union that allows individuals to thrive, tackle modern challenges, build businesses, and add to our nation’s economic competitiveness.
Of course, we cannot just celebrate this heritage, we must defend it by modernizing our immigration system to power 21st century growth. That means we need to preserve not repeal, policies, like the International Entrepreneur Rule — set to go into effect this July — in order to protect the immigrant founders of high-growth startups which are generating revenue for local economies and creating jobs. No one country has a monopoly on brain power — so while the current Administration must safeguard the interests of American workers, it must also craft policies that do not close the door on foreign-national talent, or their ability to travel to this country, since curbing an enthusiasm to innovate on U.S. soil, only inhibits additional opportunities for American workers.
We also need to ensure guest worker programs, including H-1B visas, are reformed to ensure competitive pay, but also preserved so that American companies can source the ingenuity that helps build the new products that change the way we interact with the world around us. Ultimately, Congress has a responsibility to muster the political will and modernize our legal immigration infrastructure to provide a pathway to citizenship for immigrants of all stripes, while also curbing abuses where they may exist.
By establishing smart rules, we can change the world around us. Postmates, the online logistics company I co-founded, is an online platform that delivers over $1 billion worth of goods, products, food and more to the doorsteps of more than 200 communities around the country. Our first-ever employee was born in Myanmar. We do not to discriminate against individuals based on where they are from, and that has allowed us to hire and employ the most talented people from the U.S. and around the world. And the high-quality products, food, and merchandise that power our economies and are sold on our platform are crafted and curated by a diverse set of merchants of all stripes and backgrounds.
Like many, I took a risk and came to this country to turn my idea into a reality while navigating the challenges involved with the visa process. You cannot build a strong business from scratch without some tolerance for risk. From the mobile devices that connect us to the world, to the way we shop online or navigate directions — all of these inventions took shape by taking a risk on a kernel of an idea that today has expanded our economy and connectivity. Such innovations would not exist without immigration and inclusivity. In fact, immigrants to the United States make up 20 percent of our nation’s entrepreneurs. And more than 40 percent of firms on the latest Fortune 500 list had at least one founder who was either an immigrant or child of immigrants. These firms generated more than $4.8 trillion in revenue and employed 18.9 million people globally. That is why immigration policies that degrade or demonize particular groups just because of how they look, where they are from, or what religion they practice — run counter to the whole American experiment.
The United States must remain a place of opportunity for those from all walks of life to thrive, tackle modern challenges, and build new enterprises.
When our policies reflect a commitment to our nation’s heritage and philosophy, we are stronger as a nation, more secure, and capable of addressing the challenges of our lifetime shoulder to shoulder with the best and brightest the world has to offer.
