Highpoints of 2020: Immigrant Players Steal Bases And Basketballs, Not Jobs

 

We at the ImmigrationProf blog are trying to end a miserable 2020 on a positive note.  Immigrants are contributing big-time to U.S. sports.

In June, Stuart Anderson for Forbes wrote that the number of foreign-born players is rising in professional U.S. sports. "Rising revenues and sports salaries show native-born players have benefited and consumers (i.e., fans) are happy to experience the improved product."

“New research shows foreign-born athletes play an important role in professional sports in America. Foreign-born players make up 23% of the rosters in the National Basketball Association (NBA), 29% in Major League Baseball (MLB) and 72% in the National Hockey League (NHL),” according to a new National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis. “This is the highest proportion of foreign-born players ever recorded for the NBA and MLB.”

Sports fans can see the impacts of immigrant athletes.  Mexican-born Julio Urias closed out the World Series for the world champion Los Angeles Dodgers.  One National Basketball Association mega-superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) is a previous two-time Immigrant of the Day.  His amazing story started in Nigeria, moved to Greece, and later the United States.  Be on the lookout for a Disney biopic on the "Greek Freak."

KJ