SENATE RESOLUTION
8614
By Senators Fortunato, Conway, Hasegawa, and Riccelli
WHEREAS, Washington has emerged in recent decades as an increasingly popular destination for immigrants and the state of Washington continues to benefit tremendously from the contribution of immigrants; and
WHEREAS, Immigrants are our neighbors, our friends, and most importantly, Washingtonians; and
WHEREAS, Immigrant culture provides change for the better by introducing new ideas, expertise, customs, food, and art; and
WHEREAS, Linguistic diversity in Washington boasts 163 different languages, and nearly half of all immigrants in Washington are naturalized citizens; and
WHEREAS, 15.3 percent of the state's population is foreign-born, with an additional 8.8 percent of the population having at least one immigrant parent; and
WHEREAS, Immigration fuels the economy by increasing the productive capacity of the economy and contributing to the gross domestic product, and immigrants pay state and local taxes; and
WHEREAS, Washington is one of the highest food-producing states in the nation and relies heavily on its growing immigrant population and their significant contributions to this state, as over half of the state's agriculture, fishing, hunting, and forestry work is performed by immigrant workers; and
WHEREAS, Immigrant business owners accounted for 21.5 percent of all self-employed Washington residents in 2022 and generated three billion dollars in business income, and immigrants comprised at least 19 percent of the labor force, 30.6 percent of STEM workers, and 17.3 percent of nurses; and
WHEREAS, Nearly half of immigrants in Washington state have white-collar jobs, have made substantial contributions to their community, and have invigorated business, church, and academic interests in the United States;