Immigrants' vital role in shaping American science and tech

Controversy arose when President Trump cited the splitting of the atom as an American achievement, causing a stir in British and New Zealand scientific communities. In fact, it was Ernest Rutherford, a British scientist of New Zealand origin, who accomplished this in 1917 and is recognized as a founder of nuclear physics.

Confusion similarly surrounds attributing all Albert Einstein's achievements to the United States. While it's well known that he was born in Germany, not everyone knows he became an American citizen only in 1940. Einstein often visited the U.S., but he published the General Theory of Relativity in 1915 while living in Berlin. He chose to stay in the U.S. permanently in 1933 after Hitler's rise to power.

It's no surprise that Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s Founding Fathers, was a descendant of immigrants. The immigrant community has been a significant force in American science throughout the nation's 250-year history. Alexander Graham Bell, born in Scotland, moved to the U.S. in 1871 and invented the telephone in 1876, prior to obtaining citizenship. The physicist Joseph Henry, of Scottish descent, developed a prototype of a direct current motor.

Misunderstandings can arise from a lack of historical knowledge about the U.S., as many American citizens can trace foreign roots in their ancestry. Samuel Morse and Thomas Edison were Americans for generations, but Henry Ford was the child of Irish and Belgian immigrants. Similarly, Nikola Tesla was born in Serbia within the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Numerous scientists achieved success before arriving in the U.S. John Ericsson, from Sweden, was one of the inventors of the propeller and built the USS Princeton, the first American steam-powered ship. John von Neumann, a Hungarian-American scientist, laid the groundwork for the mathematical formalism of computer science in the 20th century.

A study from Harvard University reveals that between 1880 and 1940, nearly 20 percent of patents were filed by immigrants, a figure that has now risen to 30 percent. Immigrants are often more productive and innovative than U.S. residents, despite earning lower incomes. In terms of Nobel Prizes, 40 percent of American laureates are immigrants.

The transition from the 19th to the 20th century was a period of new understandings of reality, with science replacing old superstitions. European scientists played a critical role during this time as turbulent circumstances encouraged emigration.

During World War II, the Manhattan Project attracted many foreign scientists. The atomic bomb project was led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, whose family emigrated to the U.S. from Germany. Key figures involved at various stages included Richard Feynman (of Polish-Russian Jewish descent), Enrico Fermi (from Italy), Edward Teller and Leo Szilard (born in Hungary), Stanislaw Ulam (from Poland), and Hans Bethe (from Germany). These individuals eventually attained American citizenship.

Following the Third Reich's surrender, the USA brought in over 1,600 German scientists through Operation Paperclip, many from the rocket industry led by Wernher von Braun. He played a pivotal role in the early NASA years, particularly in developing the Saturn V rocket for the Apollo program.

Immigrants are also prominent among the founders of major tech companies like Intel, Google, eBay, Yahoo!, Sun Microsystems, Apple, and Nvidia. However, immigrants' contributions go beyond famous names; they are integral in scientific communities and tech companies, using their experiences and education (often from their homeland) not only in management roles. In tech-related companies, immigrants make up a quarter of the workforce.

The percentage of doctorate holders in the U.S. who weren't born there is even higher, around 57 percent (data from 2024). For scientific and engineering roles, 30 percent are foreigners (data from 2020). Most come from Asia, followed by the Americas outside the U.S., with Europeans forming a smaller group. Securing a postdoctoral position at a university doesn't guarantee immigrant status, as achievement alone isn't enough; the appropriate visa and resident status are crucial and are expected to become more challenging under the new president.

The biggest supporter of the current U.S. president was born outside America. Elon Musk, originally from South Africa, "escaped" mandatory military service at 17 by moving to Canada, where he began his studies, eventually completing them in Philadelphia.

Musk's journey to the stars began in 2002 with the founding of SpaceX, which has grown into a leader in private space flight. That same year, he became an American citizen. His initial successes, like Zip2 and PayPal, which made him a substantial fortune, occurred while he was still an immigrant, even lacking a proper work visa at first. In Donald Trump's vision, Musk's story might have been different, which is why outgoing President Joe Biden accused Musk of double standards during the campaign.

The United States is frequently cited as a highly favorable environment for businesses in advanced technologies and the commercialization of scientific achievements. This is attributed to factors like the country's economic stability, a robust private-capital-driven investment system, and a supportive system of scientific grants.

A conducive legal framework, business environment, and progressive thinking geared towards "science for society, not just science itself" are advantageous. Numerous universities and research centers, with budgets comparable to entire nations' science budgets, provide an ideal setting for scientific and commercial growth.

The U.S. is a nation of contrasts. Despite significant investments in science promotion, a large segment of the population does not value it highly. The current president enjoys support not only from Musk but also from tech leaders like Sundar Pichai of Alphabet and Satya Nadella of Microsoft, both originally from India. These executives are part of the "technology oligarchs," influential leaders of American Big Tech involved in politics.

China has been skillfully exploiting the cracks in the idealized U.S. image for years. The friendly scientific atmosphere in China is drawing Chinese experts back and attracting American and European scientists. Yet, the notion that the U.S. has stopped being a haven for science and technology is overstated. In 2022, China spent 2.5 percent of its GDP on research and development, while the U.S. invested 3.5 percent.

Decisions made by President Trump will shape the U.S.'s future in global science, technology, and potentially space exploration. They may influence the technological competition with China. The Stargate initiative, announced with OpenAI, aims to invest $500 billion in AI development by 2029. This plan hasn't thrilled Elon Musk, who doubts the presence of investors with such deep pockets, although he welcomes the president's support for the Starship rocket project, which is poised to revolutionize space transportation.