We Wanted Workers

In We Wanted Workers, Harvard economist George J. Borjas explores the complex realities of immigration, challenging simplified views that see it solely as a source of labor or societal benefit. He highlights how immigration has created both winners and losers, affecting different groups in varied ways, and argues that its overall impact can be viewed as a form of government redistribution. The book emphasizes that immigrants are more than just workers—they are individuals shaped by their social environments with lives outside of work.