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hile the United States benefits from the

entry of skilled foreign-born profession-

als and international students, research

shows that the country gains even more from their children. An

astounding 60 percent of the top science students in the United

States and 65 percent of the top math students are the children

of immigrants. In addition, foreign-born high school students

make up 50 percent of the 2004 U.S. Math Olympiad’s top scor-

ers, 38 percent of the U.S. Physics Team, and 25 percent of the

Intel Science Talent Search finalists—the United States’ most

prestigious awards for young scientists and mathematicians.

The National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), a non-

partisan public policy research group, produced these findings

after conducting more than 50 interviews and examining the

immigration backgrounds of top U.S. high school students.

New research shows that foreign-born professionals and students are contributingmore to the United States than previously thought—their children are rising intellectual superstars—andwithout them the nation’s technological and scientificstanding is at risk.

W

16 I N T E R N A T I O N A L E D U C A T O R

Seven of the top 10 award winners at the2004 Intel Science Talent Search were im-migrants or their children. (In 2003, threeof the top four awardees were foreign-born.1) In fact, in the 2004 Intel ScienceTalent Search, more children (18) haveparents who entered the country on H-1B(professional) visas than parents born inthe United States (16). To place this findingin perspective, note that new H-1B visaholders each year represent less than 0.04percent of the U.S. population,2 illustratingthe substantial gain in human capital thatthe United States receives from the entry ofthese individuals and their offspring. At atime when U.S. leadership in science andtechnology is threatened, these findingsprovide evidence that maintaining an openpolicy toward skilled professionals, interna-tional students, and legal immigration isvital to U.S. technological and scientificstanding in the world.

Concern That the Nation Is Slipping“The United States has started to lose itsworldwide dominance in critical areas ofscience and innovation,” recently reportedThe New York Times. “Foreign advances inbasic science often rival or even exceedAmerica’s, apparently with little publicawareness of the trend or its implicationsfor jobs, industry, national security, or thevigor of the nation’s intellectual and cul-tural life.”3 Analysts cite a declining per-centage of prizes awarded to U.S. citizens,publications in professional journals,patents, and other indicators of scientificprowess as reason for concern.

In January 2004, the U.S. government’sNational Science Board warned that, “TheUnited States has always depended on theinventiveness of its people in order to com-pete in the world marketplace. Now, prepa-

ration of the science and engineering work-force is a vital arena for national competi-tiveness.” While cognizant of nationalsecurity issues, the National Science Boardexpressed concern that the percentage ofrefused visa applications in importanthuman capital categories had increased sig-nificantly in the past few years. Denials ofhigh-skilled employment visa applicationsnearly doubled between 2001 and 2003, ris-ing from 9.6 percent to 17.8 percent. Simi-lar increases in visa denials have been seenamong J-1 exchange visitors, and to a lesserextent, F-1 student visas.4 One dynamic ofthe changed environment is that fewer in-ternational students apply to U.S. universi-ties in the first place. For the fall 2004semester, 76 percent of U.S. graduateschools reported declines in applicationsfrom Chinese students and 58 percent re-ported declines from Indian students, ac-cording to a survey of 113 graduate schoolsby the Council of Graduate Schools.5

The historic contributions made to theUnited States by immigrants in key fields is amajor reason these trends have raised alarmbells. An underreported phenomenon in themedia and history textbooks is how signifi-cant a role immigrants have played in U.S.dominance of technological fields. Whilemuch recent news coverage has focused onhigh-skilled foreign-born professionals as asource of competition for native-born com-puter programmers and systems analysts,little attention has been paid to the enor-mous contributions—both individually andcollectively—foreign-born individuals haveplayed in U.S. world leadership in scienceand technology. To cite some examples:

While many scientists played a role indeveloping the atomic bomb, Russian-born George Kistiakowsy, who designedthe bomb’s plutonium core, and Hungar-

ian-born John von Neumann, who turnedmathematical calculations into computerlanguage, receive much of the credit.Moreover, Hans Bethe believed that thedevelopment of the modern computerwould have been delayed 10 years withoutJohn von Neumann.6

Examining Nobel Prizes and otherawards, a 1997 National Academy of Sci-ences report concluded, “[I]t is fairly clearthat Americans with recent roots are over-represented in any classification of Ameri-cans who have brought honor andrecognition to the United States.”7

Today, more than 50 percent of the engi-neers with Ph.D.s working in the UnitedStates are foreign-born, according to theNational Science Foundation. In addition,45 percent of math and computer scientistswith Ph.D.s, as well as life scientists andphysicists, are foreign-born. Among mas-ter’s degree recipients working today, 29.4percent of engineers, 37 percent of mathand computer scientists, and 25 percent ofphysicists are foreign-born.8 These datahelp illuminate the significant role immi-grant scientists and engineers play in theUnited States.

Despite some attention paid to theachievements of immigrants, no one hasdocumented the contributions made by thechildren of immigrants to the math and sci-ence base of the United States. The limita-tion of available data is a primary reasonthe contributions of the children of immi-grants are rarely examined. “Standard datasources, including most biographical refer-ences, rarely report all the information nec-essary to record the number of immigrantsamong prizewinners or selected profes-sions. Place of birth (and sometimes citi-zenship) is usually available, but detailsabout the person’s naturalization and thenativity of her or his parents are rarelyavailable,” concluded the National Acad-emy of Sciences. “This means that estimatesof the numbers of the second generationare almost never available.”9

This study closes some of the gap in theresearch literature. To conduct the research,I consulted Web sites and interviewed final-ists of the 2004 Intel Science Talent Search,top scorers of the U.S. Math Olympiad, andmembers of the U.S. Physics Team, as wellas their parents, to obtain biographical andimmigration information.

espite some attention paid to theachievements of immigrants, no onehas documented the contributionsmade by the children of immigrantsto the math and science base of theUnited States.

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S U M M E R 2 0 0 4 17

Intel Science Talent SearchPreviously known as the Westinghouse tal-ent search or the “Junior Nobel Prize,”more than 95 percent of winners of the IntelScience Talent Search (STS) traditionallyhave pursued science as a career, with 70percent earning Ph.D.s or M.D.s.10 Morethan 1,500 high school seniors entered thecontest in 2004 by completing a detailedentry form that includes short essays on thestudent’s science interests, academic infor-mation, and supporting statements from ateacher/adviser and a supervisor of the stu-dent’s project. In addition, the student sub-mits a research paper of 20 pages or less thatdocuments his or her findings, includingpossible laboratory results. The projectshould display evidence of “research ability,sc ient i f ic or ig ina l i ty , and creat ivethinking.”11 The top 40 finalists gathered inWashington, D.C., in March 2004 for thelast phase of the competition.

After examining the immigration back-grounds of the Intel STS finalists, the mostsignificant finding is that the proportion ofstudent finalists whose parents came to theUnited States as professionals on H-1Bvisas is extraordinary, indicating the UnitedStates gains more than was previously real-ized by the entry of skilled professionals.Nearly half—18 of 40—of the finalists atthe Intel STS have parents who entered thecountry on H-1B visas (known as H-1 priorto 1990), which is more than the 16 chil-dren whose parents were born in theUnited States. Given that, in a U.S. popula-tion of 293 million, fewer than 100,000 in-dividuals enter the United States each yearon H-1B visas, it demonstrates that this visacategory serves as a highly efficient meansof the United States assimilating many ofthe world’s future leading scientists.

A typical path for many H-1B visa hold-ers, which is limited to those in specialtyoccupations who have received the equiva-lent of a bachelor’s degree or higher, is firstto attend a U.S. university. The father ofRyna Karnik came to the United Statesfrom India on a student visa to attend theUniversity of Texas at Austin and later ob-tained an H-1B visa to begin a successfulcareer in high technology. His daughterRyna, who finished third in the competi-tion, designed a method for reproducingand testing prototypes of semiconductorchips, for which a patent is pending. “Since

many immigrants come here as students, itworks as a strong catalyst for their kids tobecome focused on academics,” she said.

The data bear out Ryna’s observation.Although a child of native-born parents,Herbert Mason Hedberg, finished first inthe competition, nearly a quarter (9 of 40)of Intel STS finalists’ parents came to theUnited States as international students. Theparents of Ann Chi came from Taiwan asgraduate students at the University at Buf-falo, the State University of New York.Ann’s father earned a Ph.D. and receivedwhat was then an H-1 visa to teach at Indi-ana State University, where he remains aprofessor.12 Ann’s sophisticated chemistryresearch earned her eighth place in thecompetition.

Students from immigrant families seemacutely aware of the opportunity to excelthat their parents gave them by immigrat-ing to the United States. Qilei Hang, wholives in Cumberland, Maryland, was bornin China. She came here as an 8-year-oldwhen her father pursued a Ph.D. in engi-neering and later obtained an H-1B visa.She told me, “If I were in China, I’d bepreparing for the big exam, the one that de-cides whether you go into blue collar workor get to go to college. In China, it’s a one-shot deal.” Her work on using mathemati-cal modeling to increase the efficiency ofmineral reclamation is used today and hasbeen recognized by the Society for Mining,Metallurgy, and Exploration.13

Russian-born Boris Alexeev, whose fa-ther arrived on an H-1B visa to teach at theUniversity of Utah, garnered a second-

place finish for mathematical work, the ap-plications of which range from decipheringthe genome and DNA to optical characterrecognition. Boris also was one of the topscorers in the 2004 U.S. Math Olympiad.

Haim Harel immigrated with his familyfrom Israel on an H-1B visa and has startedhis third company, Clinton, N.J.-basedMagnolia Broadband, which employs 35people. His son Matan’s physics project in-volved developing a mathematical model ofcell movement. “It’s clear that the scientificfuture of the United States is reinforced byimmigrants,” said Haim Harel. “You see thisnot only at this contest but at professionalconventions and at graduate schools.”

The future scientific and medical accom-plishments of the Intel STS finalists arelikely to influence many U.S. families. Feli-cia Yuen-Lee Yen, whose parents originallycame as students from China, developed adiagnostic test to help predict tumor for-mation in the early stages of breast cancer.Felicia, a resident of Dix Hills, New York,said she chose this research and plans tostudy medicine in college because breastcancer is the second-leading cause of deathamong women in the United States, killing40,000 a year. Earlier detection of tumorgrowth could reduce the death rate frombreast cancer significantly.

Melis Nuray Anahtar’s research may helpfuture burn and trauma victims. She de-signed and built her own microchips to cre-ate a device that isolates white blood cells ina way that they can be examined. Since herprocess takes 10 seconds, rather than the 30minutes or longer for standard techniques,it could allow diagnostic tests to be per-formed on unaltered white blood cells. Herfather, an architect, entered on an H-1Bvisa from Turkey and was later sponsoredfor a green card by his employer.

Indian-born Divya Nettimi, whose fathercame to the United States with an H-1Bvisa, will attend Harvard and plans to be-come a research scientist. Divya, a residentof Oakton, Virginia, has developed theoret-ical calculations that may enhance the un-derstanding of muscle activity. Herbiochemistry project involves “the rate atwhich myosin, a molecular biomotor, re-acts with adenosine triphosphate (ATP), anenergy source, and drives muscle contrac-tion.”14 Neha Chauhan, whose parents alsoentered from India on H-1B visas, has re-

Source: National Foundation for American Policyinterviews with finalists and parents.

Table 1 Children of Immigrants Among 2004 Intel Science Talent Search FinalistsOut of 40 High School Seniors

60%(24)

searched food nutrients and compoundsthat can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.Neha has founded a national organizationto increase understanding of Alzheimer’samong younger U.S. citizens.

One should not infer from these exam-ples that the United States gains only fromthe entry of high-skilled professionals andtheir children. Immigration is the crucialfactor in determining whether labor forcegrowth in the United States rises or be-comes stagnant as in Western Europe. Par-ents of 6 of the 40 finalists arrived throughthe general openness of the United States’immigration system, as opposed to its em-ployment-based part. Three family-spon-sored immigrants and two refugees areamong the finalists.

The mother of Romanian-born Andrei

Munteanu came to the United States after

winning the sometimes-criticized Diversity

Visa Lottery, which allows individuals from

countries with less immigration to the

United States to receive up to 50,000 visas a

year. Inspired by the movies Armageddon

and Sudden Impact, Andrei has performed

research that could contribute to saving us

all—literally. He invented a new algorithm

to predict collisions between Earth and as-

teroids. Lisa Doreen Glukhovsky, whose par-

ents came to the United States as refugees

from Russia, has developed a “method of

measuring near-Earth asteroids [that] could

one day help mitigate the danger of asteroid

collisions with Earth.”15 In an extraordinary

feat for an amateur astronomer, she used

high-resolution asteroid images at both a

European and a U.S. observatory to develop

a new approach to measuring the distances

of asteroids. Like many of the Intel STS final-

ists, Lisa is fluent in multiple languages

(English, French, Russian, and Hebrew) and

plays classical music (piano and violin).

Both Daniel Chimin Choi and Duy MinhHa are in the United States because of fam-ily-sponsored immigration. Choi, whoseSouth Korean-born parents were sponsoredby a sibling, plans to pursue a Ph.D. in bio-medical engineering. He constructed a fuelcell “that derives electricity from bacterialrespiration,” which improved generation by750 percent compared with similar fuelcells.16 Duy Minh Ha was born in Vietnamand came to the United States after relativessponsored his family. Duy wants to dedicatehis life to studying neurodegenerative disor-ders. His research on the impact of long-term estrogen replacement therapy on whiteand gray brain matter may provide clues forlowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

U.S. Math OlympiadThe U.S. Math Olympiad, the nation’s pre-miere mathematics competition for highschool students, is also dominated by im-migrants and the children of immigrants.Organized by the Mathematical Associa-tion of America, each year an originalgroup of more than 250,000 students is re-duced to (a qualifying round) of 10,000.From there, tests reduce the group to 250,and finally to the top 24 scorers.

From these top scorers, six are chosen torepresent the United States at the Interna-tional Mathematical Olympiad. The bookCount Down by Steve Olson details the sec-ond-place finish (tied with Russia) of the2001 U.S. team. Four of the six team mem-bers that year were the children of immi-grants: Tiankai Liu (born in China), Ian Le(born in Australia to Vietnamese refugeeparents), David Shin (born in SouthKorea), and Oaz Nir (born in the UnitedStates to Israeli parents who immigrated toLouisiana). The past representation of thechildren of immigrants in these competi-

tions illustrate that the findings for 2004 inmath and science are not an anomaly butpart of a well-established pattern.17

Immigrants have played an importantrole in fostering competitive mathematicsin the United States. Hungarian-bornmathematician George Berzsenyi is cred-ited by many with building the math com-petition culture in this country, accordingto Steven Dunbar, director of the AmericanMathematics Competitions in Lincoln, Ne-braska. Romanian immigrant Titu An-d r e e s c u , c h a i r o f t h e A m e r i c a nMathematics Competitions, served as headcoach of the U.S. Math Team from 1996until recently. When he traveled with theteam, observers dubbed him the “BelaKaroly” of U.S. math, a reference to the Ro-manian-born coach of the U.S. Olympicchampion women’s gymnastic team.18

Among the top scorers of the 2004 U.S.Math Olympiad, 65 percent (13 of 20)were the children of immigrants. A re-markable 50 percent were born outside ofthe United States (10 of 20). Both propor-tions are higher than among the finalists ofthe Intel STS.19

The immigration background of the par-ents of the 2004 U.S. Math Olympiad topscorers is similar to that of the Intel STS fi-nalists. More of the Math Olympiad topscorers have parents who received H-1Bvisas (10) than parents born in the UnitedStates (7). Twenty percent (4) of the parentsentered first as international students. Twoof the 20—Tony Zhang, born in China, andJongmin Baek, born in South Korea—cameto the United States when their U.S.-based

Source: National Foundation for American Policyinterviews with finalists and parents.

Table 2 Children of Immigrants Among 2004 U.S. Math OlympiadTop ScorersOut of 20 High School Students

65%(13)

18 I N T E R N A T I O N A L E D U C A T O R

f those who most oppose immigrationhad succeeded over the past twodecades, two-thirds of the most out-standing future scientists and mathe-maticians in the United States wouldnot be in the country.

I

relatives sponsored their parents for immi-gration. Oleg Golberg arrived with his fam-ily as a refugee from Russia.

Interviews with the parents and studentsreveal a strong family culture of encour-agement at an early age. In a number ofcases, one finds a parents’ professional ex-perience in mathematics, and, in severalinstances, a student’s interest in music.Math and music are similar, according toJae Bae, who was born in South Korea andlives today in Hackensack, New Jersey. Jaeused to play the piano and believes that agood head for math and music go together.

The presence of many immigrant chil-dren in the U.S. Math Olympiad is so no-table it is even a source of humor amongnative-born U.S. parents. “My son is theJewish Caucasian representative,” jokesElizabeth Batson, the mother of JoshuaBatson who was an honorable mention topscorer in the 2004 U.S. Math Olympiad.She credits immigrant parents for much oftheir children’s success. “There’s a differ-ent attitude and different priorities abouthow kids spend their time.”

“Most Asian American children don’tsee themselves growing up to be NBA play-ers, captains of industry, or politicians....But many believe that if they do well inmathematics and science, they can suc-ceed. They can become scientists, engi-n e e r s , c o m p u t e r p r o g r a m m e r s ,physicians,” writes Count Down authorSteve Olson. “All new immigrants to theUnited States must work hard to succeed,and they expect their children to workhard, too.”20

Olson argues that immigrant success inthe U.S. Math Olympiad is not coinci-dental. In addition to the drive of the in-dividuals and their families, he points outthat because the students or their parentsare recent immigrants, “they speak morethan one language and have experiencewith multiple cultures, which, as [DeanKeith] Simonton demonstrated, can be asource of creativity.” Olson adds, “Froman early age they absorb the lesson thatthey must work hard to do well in theUnited States and that, if they mastermathematics and science, they are morelikely to succeed. Given the precariousposition of immigrant families in U.S. so-ciety, the intensity of their drive to suc-ceed is hardly surprising.21

U.S. Physics TeamNearly half the members of the U.S. PhysicsTeam are the children of immigrants—11of 24, or 46 percent. In addition, 9 of 24 (or38 percent) were born outside the UnitedStates, primarily from China.

The annual competition organized bythe American Association of Physics Teach-ers and the American Institute of Physicsbegins each year with high school physicsteachers nominating outstanding students.Then, after tabulating the scores of a seriesof challenging exams, the field is winnowedfrom 1,100 to 24. These 24 young peoplemake up the U.S. Physics Team. After an-other week of exams, lab experiments, andclassroom work, five students were selectedto represent the United States in SouthKorea at the 2004 International PhysicsOlympiad.

Two of the five students chosen to repre-sent the United States this year are immi-grants. Elena Udovina, the only womanamong the five, was born in Russia. Her fa-ther, Alexander Bogorad, came to theUnited States six years ago on an H-1B visato work in the computer industry. Alexan-der points to one explanation for the strongshowing of students with recent immigrantroots. Based on Elena’s experience, he esti-mates that what U.S. students are taught intwelfth grade math classes, Russian childrenstudy in the eighth and ninth grade. “I don’tlike saying this but math and physics are notthe strong side of American schools,” saidAlexander. He believes U.S. schools need tobe more challenging and intensive in mathand science fields, and at an earlier age.

This may be difficult to accomplish inthe near future. In 2003, only 26 percent ofU.S. high school graduates achieved thebenchmark level on the ACT test in science,a level considered necessary to have a rea-sonable chance of completing first-year col-lege science courses. Fewer than half thegraduates even took three years of scienceclasses in high school, including physics,notes the National Science Teachers Asso-ciation. Previous assessments have con-cluded that, “on average, only one in fiveAmerican high school seniors has a solidgrasp of science.” The association believesrecent emphasis on math and reading test-ing could leave science out of the educationreform agenda.22

Yi Sun, only a sophomore at the HarkerSchool in San Jose, California, and theyoungest of the five team representatives,was born in China. His parents, bothchemists, first went to Canada and thencame to the United States when his fatherbecame a postdoctoral fellow at Duke Uni-versity. Yi sees a strong connection betweenmath and physics, having started in mathcompetitions in the seventh grade. Yi andElena both were among the top scorers inthe 2004 U.S. Math Olympiad.

Mix of CountriesNearly all of the immigrant parents of U.S.Physics Team members were born inChina. The parents of Elena Udovina, bornin Russia, are an exception. The foreign-born parents of the 2004 U.S. MathOlympiad’s top scorers were dividedamong South Korea (four), China (four),Russia (three), and India (two). The IntelSTS finalists showed a more diverse mix offoreign-born parents, including seven fromIndia, five from China, three from Taiwan,two each from Russia and Ukraine, and oneeach from Vietnam, Israel, Turkey, andSouth Korea.

Policy to the Rescue?If those who most oppose immigration hadsucceeded over the past two decades, two-thirds of the most outstanding future scien-tists and mathematicians in the UnitedStates would not be in the country sinceU.S. policy never would have allowed intheir parents. Any effort to preserve U.S.strength in science and technology shouldstart by recognizing the key role that immi-Source: National Foundation for American Policy

interviews with finalists and parents.

Table 3 Children of Immigrants On 2004 U.S. Physics TeamOut of 24 High School Students

46%(11)

S U M M E R 2 0 0 4 19

grants and their children play in the na-tion’s leadership in these fields. As the re-search detailed here demonstrates, thecontributions made by the children of im-migrants are beyond that ever consideredby policymakers.

Some observers have noted the problemof placing excessive constraints on the entryof individuals who would come to workand study in the United States. “A minorexodus also hit one of the hidden strengthsof American science: vast ranks of brightforeigners. In a significant shift of demo-graphics, they began to leave in what ex-perts call a reverse brain drain. Afterpeaking in the mid-1990s, the number ofdoctoral students from China, India, andTaiwan with plans to stay in the UnitedStates began to fall by the hundreds,” re-ported The New York Times. “These de-clines are important, analysts say, becausenew scientific knowledge is an engine of theAmerican economy and technical innova-tion, its influence evident in everythingfrom potent drugs to fast computer chips.”23

However, the National Science Board,noting the future need for scientists, math-

ematicians, and engineers to keep theUnited States’ competitive edge, has de-clared, “Even if action is taken today tochange these trends, the reversal is 10 to 20years away.” This is not necessarily the case.With a relatively open immigration policy,the future will not be bleak in this area.When immigrants are allowed to come tothe United States legally and stay, the na-tion also in many cases gains the futureskills of outstanding children who becomeU.S. citizens. The question is whether theUnited States will maintain a student andimmigration system that is open enough tointegrate that talent into U.S. society—orwill policymakers push or keep that talentout of the United States?

Other trends are within the control ofU.S. policymakers. For example, for thefourth time in the last decade, the annualcap of 65,000 on H-1B visas has beenreached early in the fiscal year, meaning thatfor several months U.S. employers cannothire skilled foreign-born professionals onnew visas. While in previous years Congresseventually increased the limits, to date therehas been no legislative action on increasing

the cap. Soon a vicious cycle may emergethat will harm the United States’ futurecompetitiveness in science and technology:Without a cap increase in the near future,employers would soon face year-long waitsto hire new professionals out of U.S. col-leges, as backlogs from previous H-1B ap-plications soak up visas that would havegone to new hires. Finding they are forbid-den to engage in such new hiring inside theUnited States, U.S. companies will hiremore highly skilled people outside thecountry. And realizing that a U.S. educationis not likely to lead to employment in theUnited States, many international studentswill decide to attend universities elsewhere.

Keeping the Door OpenWhile some have decried the “exporting” ofU.S. jobs and intellectual capital, many ofthose individuals also oppose the nation’sopenness to skilled professionals and stu-dents entering the county on temporaryvisas, ironically, a key source of maintainingand expanding the United States’ intellec-tual base in science, mathematics, and tech-nology. Previously it was thought with theserestrictions on immigration the UnitedStates lost only the skills of such profession-als. Now we understand the United Statesloses those professionals’ children, too, per-haps an even more significant blow.

Those who wonder from where the nextgeneration of U.S. scientists and mathe-maticians will come should look closely atthe small children standing next to theirparents as they take the oath of citizenshipto the United States of America. Closing

50% 38% 25%

Source: National Foundation for American Policy interviews with students and parents.

20 I N T E R N A T I O N A L E D U C A T O R

Source: National Foundation for American Policy interviews withfinalists and parents. Note: Totals add up to more than 40 and100 percent since Student Visa Holders later also received H-1Bstatus to stay in the United States.

Table 5 Immigration History of Parents of2004 Intel Science Talent Search FinalistsOut of 40 Students

H-1B Visa Holder45% (18)

Native Born40% (16)

StudentVisaHolder22.5%(9)

Family-basedImmigrant 7.5% (3)

Refugee 5% (2)

Diversity Visa2.5% (1)

he question is whether the UnitedStates will maintain a student andimmigration system that is open enoughto integrate that talent into U.S. soci-ety—or will policymakers push or keepthat talent out of the United States?

T

Table 4 Students Who Are Immigrants in 2004 Competitions Percentage of Foreign-Born Students

U.S. Math Olymiad Top Scorers U.S. Physics Team Intel Science Talent Search Finalists

Source: National Foundation for American Policy interviews withfinalists and parents. Note: Totals add up to more than 20 and100 percent since Student Visa Holders later also received H-1Bstatus to stay in the United States. Canadian participants and oneparticipant on a student visa from Thailand were not included.

Table 6 Immigration History of Parents of2004 Math Olympiad Top ScorersOut of 20 Students

H-1B Visa Holder50% (10)

Native Born35% (7)

StudentVisaHolder20%(4)

Family-basedImmigrant 10% (2)

Refugee 5% (1)

S U M M E R 2 0 0 4 21

Endnotes1. Interviews with author; Intel Science Talent

Search 2003 Winners, Intel STS. Unless otherwisenoted, all quotations were obtained from personalinterviews with students, parents, or event and teamorganizers.

2. In FY2004, a cap of 65,000 new H-1B visa holdershas been in force, in addition to allowing an estimated15,000 individuals who are exempt from the cap,including those hired by universities, according to theDepartment of Homeland Security. Previous years hadsomewhat higher totals but would remain less than0.04 percent of the U.S. population.

3. William J. Broad, “U.S. Is Losing Its Dominancein the Science,” The New York Times, May 3, 2004.

4.“An Emerging and Critical Problem of the Scienceand Engineering Labor Force,” A Companion toScience and Engineering Indicators 2004, TheNational Science Board, National Science Foundation,January 2004. Skill-related visas include H-1B, L-1, H-3, O-1, O-2, and TN visas. Visa applications refused forF-1 students increased from 27.3 percent in 2001 to35.2 percent in 2003. For J-1 exchange visitors, thenumber refused increased from 7.8 percent to 15.9 per-cent between 2001 and 2003.

5. “Council of Graduate Schools Survey FindsWidespread Declines in International Gradate StudentApplications to U.S. Graduate Schools for Fall 2004,”Press Release, March 2, 2004, Council of GraduateSchools.

6. Stuart Anderson, In Defense of a Nation, TheMilitary Contributions of Immigrants, EmpowerAmerica and the American Immigration LawFoundation, 1996; and Laura Fermi, Illustrious

the door to immigrants, students, andskilled professionals hurts the United Statestoday—and for a generation yet to come.

— Stuart Anderson, former staff director ofthe Senate Immigration Subcommittee, isexecutive director of the National Foundationfor American Policy, a nonpartisan public poli-cy research organization in Arlington, Virginia.

Immigrants, Chicago: University of Chicago Press,1968, pp. 187 and 290.

7. The New Americans, National Academy ofSciences, 1997 (advance copy), Chapter 8, p.15.

8. Science and Engineering Indicators 2004, TheNational Science Board, National Science Foundation,January 2004.

9. The New Americans, Chapter 8, p. 15.10. 2004 Finalists, booklet from Intel Science Talent

Search, 2004, p. 3. Previously the WestinghouseFoundation sponsored the competition. The IntelCorporation became the new sponsor in 1998.

11. Facts and Official Entry Form, 2003–04, IntelScience Talent Search, p. 7.

12. In 1990, Congress redesignated the H-1 visa asH-1B and set an annual cap of 65,000 and made otherchanges.

13. Finalists, p. 11. Interview with author.14. Finalists, p. 17. 15. Ibid., p. 17.16. Ibid., p. 7.17. Steve Olson; Count Down, Houghton Mifflin

Co., New York, NY, 2004, pp. 141, 150.18. Ibid., pp. 41–42.19. These totals for the U.S. Math Olympiad did not

include Canadians and one international student fromThailand who participated.

20. Ibid., pp. 145–46.21. Ibid., p. 146.22. “NSTA Cites Neglect of K-12 Science Education

as Cause for Low Benchmark Achievement on ACTScience Test,” Press Release, National Science TeachersAssociation, August 21, 2003.

23. See note 3.