Refugees in Upstate New York and New Americans in Buffalo and Syracuse

Article Summary and Critique
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Article Summary and Critique
Article 1 - Refugees in Upstate New York: A Little-Known Success Story
            In this article, Scott Fein discusses the issue of refugees in Upstate New York and their resultant impact on the area’s vitality. This has been a significant area of debate over the years based on the notion that the increasing number of immigrants leads to the depletion of resources. It is notable that areas such as Upstate New York face a population decline, majorly based on an aging population and other economic reasons (Fein, 2021). Consequently, the influx of refugees settling in this area has been found to have massive benefits since they pay taxes, take up jobs and add value to the neighborhood.  
            These findings, based on statistical and economic analysis by different organizations and contributors, point to various impacts. From a demographic point of view, the resettlement of refugees has led to an increase in population. The ratio of old people to working-age people was determined to be 3:1, meaning that more people were unable to work and provide for others, thus posing a challenge for sustaining services and new businesses. On the other hand, the economic impact of refugees was felt in the number of low- and high-skilled job uptakes. Further, their contribution to GDP was approximately 8%, with further significant contributions as taxes at both state and federal levels (Fein, 2021). Consequently, the role of immigrants in the region cannot be underplayed based on their visible contributions to enhancing growth.
            This article has developed an argument of the various benefits that refugees have added to the New York Upstate region based on data from different sources. The arguments presented are valid and reliable based on their collation from various contributors and data sources. However, it is notable that the discussion is based on successes and does not consider the backside of issues, such as costs associated with such resettlement. A proper analysis and comparison of the related costs together with the gained benefits would give a better picture of the overall impact of refugees in the region.
Article 2 - New Americans in Buffalo and Syracuse
            This article by the New American Economy highlights the important impact that immigrants have had in the Upstate areas of Buffalo and Syracuse. This is attributed to their significant contributions with regard to population growth, high rates of workforce participation, large tax contributions, and spending power. With data collected between the years 2000 and 2014, the results attempted to draw an overall overview of the power of immigrants in the community. In Buffalo, foreign-born residents preserved approximately 3,116 jobs in the manufacturing sector, grew the population in the area by 32.3%, raised the total housing value by $964.5 million, and contribu...