Them and Us: How immigrants and locals can thrive together

by Philippe Legrain

Overview

Immigration is good for society and here's the data that proves it.

Winner of the Diversity, Inclusion and Equality Award at the Business Book Awards 2021

‘Underpinned by scholarship...entertaining...Legrain’s book fizzes with practical ideas.’ The Economist


‘The beauty of diversity is that innovation often comes about by serendipity. As Scott Page observed, one day in 1904, at the World Fair in St Louis, the ice cream vendor ran out of cups. Ernest Hami, a Syrian waffle vendor in the booth next door, rolled up some waffles to make cones – and the rest is history.’

Filled with data, anecdotes and optimism, Them and Us is an endorsement of cultural differences at a time of acute national introspection. By every measure, from productivity to new perspectives, immigrants bring something beneficial to society. If patriotism means wanting the best for your country, we should be welcoming immigrants with open arms.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780861542222
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	11/29/2022
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Philippe Legrain is the founder of the international think tank Open Political Economy Network (OPEN), senior visiting fellow at the London School of Economics’ European Institute and a commentator for Project Syndicate, Foreign Policy and the Guardian among others. His book Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them was shortlisted for the 2007 Financial Times Business Book of the Year.

Read an Excerpt

The beauty of diversity is that innovation often comes about by serendipity. One day in 1904, at the World Fair in St Louis, the ice cream vendor ran out of cups. Ernest Hami, a Syrian waffle vendor in the booth next door, rolled up some waffles to make cones – and the rest is history. Just as waffles and ice cream combine to create something new and better, so do diverse populations.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Preface xi

Part 1 Fear and Loathing 1

Introduction. The Populist Peril 3

1 Why is Immigration So Unpopular? 17

Part 2 People on the Move 27

2 A Very Brief History of Migration 29

3 Post-1945 Migration 37

4 The Current Picture 47

5 Future Flows 55

Part 3 Economic Dividends 65

6 The Lottery of Life 67

7 Dynamism Dividend 74

8 Diploma Dividend 82

9 Deftness Dividend 89

10 Diversity Dividend 107

11 Drudgery Dividend 118

12 Demographic Dividend 128

13 Debt Dividend 141

14 Development Dividend 149

Part 4 Cultural Challenges 165

15 Cultural Cornucopia 167

16 Irregularity 170

17 Identity 188

18 Illiberalism 201

19 Integration 208

Part 5 Seeking Solutions 227

20 Persuading Sceptics 229

21 Conclusion, Open Future(s) 245

Notes 252

Index 297

Editorial Reviews

‘Underpinned by scholarship...entertaining... Legrain’s book fizzes with practical ideas.’

the Economist

‘Underpinned by scholarship...entertaining... Legrain’s book fizzes with practical ideas.’

The Economist

‘A blueprint for a brighter future and how to achieve it’

George Soros on European Spring

On European Spring

‘A blueprint for a brighter future and how to achieve it’

George Soros