We often hear the American Dream is dead. But whatever you think of immigration, every year people come here from around the world in pursuit of that dream.
Why it matters: People across borders and oceans still view the U.S. as the place to come to build a better life for their children.
- And 70% of U.S. adults — across race, gender, political party and income — say the American Dream is achievable, Gallup polling found.
Three stats to chew on:
- Founder frenzy: 44% of Fortune 500 companies have at least one founder who is an immigrant or the child of immigrants, according to stats from New American Economy, founded by Michael Bloomberg.
- Upward mobility: Even the children of immigrants who fall in the poorest quarter of the U.S. end up in the middle class, Princeton researchers found.
- Self-made wealth: 80% of America's millionaires — foreign- and U.S.-born — are first-generation.
The bottom line: The U.S. remains the leading destination for immigrants with big dreams. 20% of all the world’s immigrants are in the U.S., according to Pew Research Center.
Editor's note: This story was originally published on May 10.