Open country?Rags-to-riches tales of immigrants who make good are part of America's national mythology. But researchers from the Center for Global Development have found that for immigrants from poor countries, the American Dream American dream also American Dream n. An American ideal of a happy and successful life to which all may aspire: may be easier to find somewhere else. Analysts compared 21 countries using six weighted measures of openness, including the number of immigrants from poor countries each admits relative to its population and the net change in unskilled immigrants from poor countries between 1990 and 2000. Ranked on a 12 point scale, the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. finished in the middle, better than Norway and Italy but behind such countries as Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Why the mediocre score? One major reason is the low number of legal immigrants from poor countries that the U.S. absorbs relative to its size. The number of refugees and asylum seekers asylum seeker asylum n → demandeur/euse d'asile accepted every year also compares unfavorably. That hardly gives the whole picture about immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. in America, where success stories are largely written in the underground economy. But it is another sign of how unevenly the U.S. treats many of its news: Welcomed by businesses, they're spurned spurn v. spurned, spurn·ing, spurns v.tr. 1. To reject disdainfully or contemptuously; scorn. See Synonyms at refuse1. 2. To kick at or tread on disdainfully. v. by bureaucrats. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] |
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