Heaven's Door: Immigration Policy and the American Economy (Paperback)

by George J. Borjas (Author) "IN JANUARY 1979, China's Vice-Premier Deng Xiaoping made a much-celebrated state visit to Washington..." (more)
Key Phrases: ethnic spillovers, open market for visas, typical native household, United States, First Great Migration, Second Great Migration (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Many political activists will quickly label Heaven's Door, by Harvard economist George Borjas, a vicious attack on America's generous immigration policy. They will have a point: Borjas believes the current level and composition of immigration to the United States does not advance--and arguably harms--American economic and national interests. But they will also miss a very careful argument that neatly places Borjas between the extremes of open-borders advocates and full-scale restrictionists. Borjas, himself an immigrant from Cuba, would cut admissions by about one-third and radically redesign the way in which people gain entry, changing the present system from emphasizing family ties to favoring skills. He bases this reasoning on a series of observations, which he examines in great detail: immigrant earnings lag behind native earnings, there is a clear (and troubling) link between national origin and economic performance, immigration hurts the economic opportunities of poor Americans, and so on. Some readers will think Borjas accentuates the negative; in describing how immigrant skill levels have declined relative to natives, for instance, he downplays the fact that they have risen in an absolute sense. Yet this is an uncommonly clear-headed book on a subject that rouses fiery passions. A country that still considers itself a "nation of immigrants"--and wants to remain one--can't afford to ignore it. --John J. Miller --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
Borjas is the leading American economist conducting research and writing about immigration policy today. A Cuban refugee who greatly benefited from the political privileges and economic opportunities associated with living in the United States, he provides a comprehensive account of the economic impact of immigration on this country. In framing his argument that U.S. immigration policy needs to be changed, he considers the skills of the immigrants, their national origin, the impact on the labor market, the costs and benefits associated with immigration, welfare use, economic mobility, ethnic segregation, and the need for cultural and economic assimilation. He highlights his discussion by pointing out that the key issues to be addressed are how many immigrants should be admitted to the United States each year and what skills they should have. A marvelous read that should be useful in both academic and public libraries.ANorman B. Hutcherson, Kern Cty. Lib., Bakersfield, CA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press (March 26, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691088969
• ISBN-13: 978-0691088969
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #199,948 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Required reading for study of modern immigration debate., March 28, 2000

By	[e-mail] - See all my reviews

This review is from: Heaven's Door (Hardcover)

A very sound piece of economic work. Regardless of what you feel about Borjas's conclusions, you must acknowledge the value of his economic analysis. To truly have an understanding of the immigration debate, you must have read Borjas's work. His contributions to the field are immeasurable. While I do not always agree with him on the place of "ethnicity" in the realm of immigration policy making, I am more educated for even considering his proposal. In sum, I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in immigration issues--especially those interested in its economic impact.

3.0 out of 5 stars a different perspective, June 15, 2009

By	AZ - See all my reviews

this is an interesting look at immigration and immigration policy in the United States. rather than accuse or scare people with facts that aren't always true, Borjas chooses to present straight facts that relate to employment, educational, and economic data. it makes you look at what is going on in our country from a different perspective. the chapters do tend to get redundant after a while though.

2.0 out of 5 stars a source for anti-immigrant and frequently false information, February 3, 2009

By	John Ghertner - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr. Borjas is well known for several things:
1. His relationship with the Center for Immigration Studies, an admittedly right wing policy institute whose goal is to markedly decrease immigration and support the Republican Party. This organization consistently sends to the media negative sound bites, which are unsubstantiated, clearly biased, and in many cases false.
2. Fabrication of unproven doctrine, such as migrant labor decreases both the income and jobs of poor Americans. He has stated that this was conjecture when he originally wrote this and uses this in many of his subsequent writings without objectively proving this.

With this background, it is very difficult to accept any "objective" statements from this "scholar."