Environmental Impact of Immigrants to the U.S.: An Empirical Study of Air Quality
Class
Article
Graduation Year
2018
College
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Department
Sociology, Social Work & Anthropology Department
Faculty Mentor
Erin Trouth Hofmann
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Abstract
Environmental consequences are frequently cited as a justification for restricting immigration to the United States, but there is little empirical research on the environmental consequences of immigration to support such arguments. The research that does exist casts doubt on the assumed negative association between immigration and environmental quality, but is hampered by small sample sizes and the use of varying measures of pollution. We use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, available for more than 1000 U.S. counties, to examine the association between immigrant and native populations and local air quality through spatial analysis. We find that larger populations are strongly associated with worse air quality, but the association is driven entirely by the native population. These findings demonstrate the limitation of immigration control as an effective environmental protection measure, and highlight the importance of population characteristics in understanding population-environment linkages.
Location
South Atrium
Start Date
4-13-2017 3:00 PM
End Date
4-13-2017 4:15 PM
Environmental Impact of Immigrants to the U.S.: An Empirical Study of Air Quality
South Atrium
Environmental consequences are frequently cited as a justification for restricting immigration to the United States, but there is little empirical research on the environmental consequences of immigration to support such arguments. The research that does exist casts doubt on the assumed negative association between immigration and environmental quality, but is hampered by small sample sizes and the use of varying measures of pollution. We use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, available for more than 1000 U.S. counties, to examine the association between immigrant and native populations and local air quality through spatial analysis. We find that larger populations are strongly associated with worse air quality, but the association is driven entirely by the native population. These findings demonstrate the limitation of immigration control as an effective environmental protection measure, and highlight the importance of population characteristics in understanding population-environment linkages.