America's history of immigrant entrepreneurs goes all the way back to the Founding Fathers. Alexander Hamilton, designer of the American financial system, was born in the British West Indies.
Some of the country's biggest companies were started by “New Americans” - immigrants or the children of immigrants. These include Amazon, Apple, and Costco.
Immigrants are just over 13% of the population but are 25% of America's entrepreneurs.
This year's New American Fortune 500 list shows that immigrants started 102 Fortune 500 companies. When children are counted, that number is 219 - almost 44%. That's a big increase from the 40% in 2011's first New American Fortune 500 list.
The report also says Fortune 500 companies founded by New Americans:
Employ almost 15 million people worldwide.
That's more people than Pennsylvania - America's 5th-biggest state. And with an average of 67,580 employees per company, that's 21% bigger than other Fortune 500s.
Make more money than every country except the US and China
Their joint revenue for 2021 was over $7 trillion - more than the GDPs of Japan, Germany, and the UK.
Represent a Wide Range of Industries
They're in 68+ industries, including pharmaceuticals, food manufacturing, and human resources.
Have Headquarters in 35 States
They are a major part of some state economies, especially New York (31), California (25), Illinois (23), and Texas (21).
As competing countries actively attract talented immigrants, the US needs smarter immigration policies to keep the world's best and brightest coming to America.
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