Immigration is vital to growing the regional economy and can further NEI’s goals to increase innovation and entrepreneurship, grow talent, and transform the culture in Michigan. 

Immigration is an important source to sustain the region’s population.  Immigrants not only bolster consumer spending, available workforce, and tax revenues, they often are hardworking, industrious, and entrepreneurial, having immigrated to pursue better economic opportunities.  Additionally, their diverse food, entertainment, and retail offerings can attract non-immigrant residents and serve as the basis of economic activity based on cultural tourism.  Moreover, the “creative class” types often seek the ethnic food, music, and environments created in immigrant communities.  Finally, it is common for immigrant communities to be places of revitalization where residents have bought older, deteriorated homes and invested in their rehabilitation; where large families occupy public streets and parks, injecting energy and life into otherwise disinvested and blighted areas.

Partners for the study include NEI, the Skillman Foundation and the Detroit Regional Chamber. 

The Global Detroit Study is an effort to understand the role and impact foreign-born residents have on the region’s economy and to define strategies to enhance their role in revitalizing older neighborhoods and transitioning the region to a new economy.   Written by Steve Tobocman, former State Representative, and assisted by an Advisory Board of 38 regional leaders drawn from business organizations, universities, ethnic business chambers, advocacy groups and foundations, the Global Detroit Study documents those positive contributions, as well as investigates the realities that dispel the fears and myths surrounding the role of immigrants in the regional economy. 

The Global Detroit Study outlines a comprehensive strategic plan that can build upon regional and historic assets to help return Michigan to economic prosperity.  The study envisions a wide-range of activities that welcome and retain foreign-born residents and investment into the region, as well as help position the transformation of the economy in southeast Michigan. The study’s results were based upon academic research, interviews with national and local experts, best practice visits to other large metro areas and dozens of local interviews.  The study explores eleven strategies that the region can implement to fully harness the economic and social impact of the Southeast Michigan immigrant population.

Please click here to go to the study.