Recognizing the essential role immigrants play in Arizona matters now more than ever, as radical ideas for unprecedented and unsparing mass deportations take shape on the campaign trail and in Washington.
Immigrants in Arizona make up a significant share of the population, are essential to key industries, and vital to Arizona’s economic strength.
Immigrants account for 16.2% of Arizona’s workforce and make up large sections of key industries:
- In 2023, immigrants in Arizona comprised 16.2 percent of the total workforce.
- In 2023, immigrants accounted for 20.4 percent of entrepreneurs in Arizona
- In 2023, immigrants accounted for $2.2 billion in business income.
- Immigrants make up large sections of key industries in Arizona, including STEM and health care.
Immigrants have contributed billions in tax revenue to Arizona and added billions to Arizona’s economy. According to the American Immigration Council:
- Arizona’s immigrants had $37.6 billion in household income and have an estimated $28.4 billion in spending power.
- Immigrants contributed $3.2 billion in combined state and local taxes, and $5.9 billion in federal taxes.
- A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy found that unauthorized immigrants in Arizona contribute $704 million in combined state and local taxes annually.
The Arizona technology industry relies on immigrant workers for essential operations. As the President of the Arizona Technology Council wrote – “Immigrants offer solution to Arizona’s skills gap”
- According to Steve Zylstra, the President of the Arizona Technology Council, despite negative news coverage of undocumented immigrants, nearly 20 percent of Arizona’s tech workforce were immigrants.
- Zylstra said that the H-1B visa program was vital to supplying Arizona with immigrant workers with advanced degrees in the Phoenix area.
- The average salary of H-1B visa recipients was $92,631 in 2020.
- According to Zylstra, the native-born population alone could not keep up with the tech-sector job demand: “The skills they offer come at a critical time. With an increase in new technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, tech-savvy employees are in demand. And our nation can’t keep up with just a native-born workforce. A study conducted in 2019 by Wiley Education Services and Future Workplace found 64% percent of human resources leaders reported their companies have a skills gap — an increase from 52% in 2018.”
The individual stories behind the numbers highlight the dedication of Arizona immigrants as they work to grow their businesses, strengthen Arizona’s economy, and create opportunities for their families.
Delveen Al-Hamka Operated A Small Farming Business Started By Her Father Who Immigrated From Syria:
“Delveen Al-Hamka helps run Al Hamka Farm and Bakery, a small business in Arizona that her father started twelve years ago upon entering the U.S. Her father came to this country as a refugee knowing only a handful of English words and soon had to navigate how to integrate his vocational skills within the U.S. workforce.”
Hoa Do Immigrated From Vietnam And Found Success Owning Her Own Business:
- “Fifty-eight-year-old nail salon owner Hoa Do — or Rose, as she prefers to be called — has never sat still. She’s been working nonstop since she immigrated to the US from Vietnam when she was 18.”
- “Mulroy attended Estrella Mountain Community College, west of Phoenix, on a full scholarship and studied business administration. She graduated in just three years by taking on extra classes. Mulroy then wasted no time to continue her education, attending Grand Canyon University to get a masters in business on a partial scholarship. She currently works as a marketing assistant for the Luke Air Force Base in Glendale, Arizona.”
Eloisa Guillén Left Durango, Mexico To Seek Greater Opportunity In Arizona In The Beauty Industry:
- “When Eloísa Guillén decided to emigrate from her home in Durango, Mexico to the United States in 2017, she started her journey with an enviable advantage over many immigrants: She was already an American citizen. That didn’t mean, however, that the 27-year-old Phoenix resident didn’t face familiar obstacles many immigrants experience in the US. Language barriers, government processes, cultural differences, separation from family, discrimination, and the high cost of living were all facets of American life that the aspiring aesthetician and cosmetologist has had to grapple with.”
Austria Maneshni Immigrated From Iran As Child And Found Success In Journalism At Arizona State:
- “She enrolled in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU’s downtown campus and knew from day one that she had found her calling. ‘I love storytelling,’ Maneshni said. ‘I love interviewing people. It’s what gets me out of bed every morning, knowing that my job is going to take me to a different location today.’ Maneshni upended her family’s expectations yet again as her graduation neared. She accepted a job across the country at a small TV station in New York state. In Iran, it’s not typical for women to move away from family until they’re married, she said.”
El Bravo Restaurant In Phoenix Was A Beloved Phoenix Establishment Started By Immigrants:
- “Lorraine also mentioned that all of the workers at El Bravo are immigrants from Mexico. Carmen has always been feisty, passionate, kindhearted, and a very hard worker. She often would be working alongside her employees instead of watching from afar even at 90 years of age.”
- “A Valley man who emigrated from Mexico is living the American dream. ‘He is a perfect example of someone who came from absolutely nothing, couldn’t even speak English, and now he’s making over half a million dollars a year consistently.’”
