demographics The Foreign-Born Population in the United States By Mark Mather

At 36 million people, the number of foreign-born Americans is at its highest point in history. Two-thirds of the foreign-born population reside in just six states—California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey. However, the foreign-born are increasingly settling in other parts of the United States—especially in the South—bringing new cultures, languages, racial and ethnic diversity, economic opportunities and challenges for policymakers.

As a country settled by immigrants, the United States has always had a large foreign-born population. In 2005, the The “Foreign-Born Population” vs. “Immigrants” number of U.S. foreign-born residents In this report, the terms “foreign-born” and “immigrants” are used 1 reached 36 million, an all-time high. interchangeably, but these are technically two different concepts. The foreign-born population currently The U.S. Census Bureau collects information about the foreign-born accounts for about 12 percent of the population, which includes anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth, U.S. population, and that proportion is including immigrants, legal non-immigrants (temporary migrants), expected to increase. In many states and humanitarian migrants, and people illegally present in the United cities across the country, especially in States (undocumented aliens). Immigrants are more narrowly defined the South and Southwest, immigration as “aliens who are admitted to the United States for lawful permanent has become a hot-button political issue. residence.” This article provides an overview of the Census questionnaires do not ask about the legal status of people foreign-born population in the United born outside the United States. In 2005, the foreign-born population in States, their demographic characteris- the United States numbered about 36 million, according to the Ameri- tics, emerging trends and some of the can Community Survey. However, there were 1.1 million immigrants key implications for state policymakers. who obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States that year, according to the Office of Immigrant Statistics. Growth of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States Reference U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration Statis- Although the number of foreign-born tics, Yearbook of Immigration Statistics: 2005 (2006): Table 1. Americans is at its highest point in his- tory, the foreign-born made up a larger proportion of the U.S. population in the early 1900s “nonimmigrants” may account for just 3 percent of than it does today (Figure A). In 1910, almost 15 per- all foreign residents. Roughly 7 percent are refugees cent of the U.S. population was foreign-born, mostly who are unable or unwilling to return to their home immigrants from Europe. The immigration boom at countries. The remaining 90 percent is divided among the turn of the 20th century was followed by several three groups of roughly equal size: legal immigrants decades of declining proportions of immigrants in (28 percent), naturalized citizens (31 percent) and the U.S. population, the result of two world wars, unauthorized migrants (30 percent).4 severe legal restrictions on immigration, the Great Most of the foreigners living in the United States Depression and high U.S. fertility rates that boosted arrived here fairly recently: More than one-fifth of the the size of the U.S.-born population.2 2005 U.S. foreign-born population entered the country By 1970, less than 5 percent of the U.S. population after 2000, and more than half came here since 1990. was foreign-born, but the share more than doubled More than 90 percent of the foreign-born residents over the next 30 years. Based on the current rates of who arrived after 2000 lack U.S. citizenship. South- increase, the foreign-born population is projected to ern states, which have not had historically high levels number more than 40 million by 2010.3 of immigration, had the highest proportions of recent Who are these foreign-born residents and how did immigrants. For example, in Alabama, North Carolina, they come to live in the United States? Some came South Carolina and Tennessee, more than one-third of as legal, temporary migrants (e.g., students) and are the foreign-born population arrived in this country expected to return to their home countries; these since 2000, while in New York, about one in six did.5

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Figure A: Foreign-Born Population in the United States, 1850 to 2005

40 35 30 Total U.S. foreign-born 25 population, in millions

20 Foreign-born as a percentage of the total U.S. population 15 10 5 0 1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2005

Source: U.S. Census Bureau.

Immigration is the engine driving rapid popula- Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and West tion growth in the United States. Today about 40 per- Virginia), in Maine, and in several states in the Great cent of U.S. population growth each year is due to Plains (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota and immigration, while 60 percent is due to natural Wyoming). (Table A). increase (the excess of births over deaths). However, if the children born to immigrants after they enter the Country of Origin United States are factored in, immigration plays a Immigrants who have arrived in the United States much larger role in U.S. population growth. since 1970—mostly from Latin America and Asia— In fact, immigration has created a population look very different from those who came from Europe momentum in the United States that is unique among during earlier waves of immigration. In 2005, slightly developed countries. In October 2006, the United more than one-half of the foreign-born population States became only the third country—behind China were born in Latin America, more than one-quarter and India—to pass the 300 million population thresh- were from Asia, about one-sixth were born in Europe old. Based on the current growth rate and immigra- or Canada, and most of the remainder were from Afri- tion levels, the U.S. population is expected to reach can countries. About 31 percent of all foreign-born 400 million by 2043.6 residents reported Mexico as their country of origin. Immigrants from Latin America account for more Geographic Distribution than two-thirds of the foreign-born populations in Historically, most immigrants settled in a handful six states: Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, New of “gateway” cities, mostly located on the east and Mexico and Texas (Table A). Alaska and Hawaii lead west coasts. Although the foreign-born population is the nation in the proportions of foreign-born from dispersing throughout the United States, two-thirds Asia. And Montana and Vermont have the highest still reside in just six states—California, New York, proportions of foreign-born from Europe. Many of Texas, Florida, Illinois and New Jersey (Figure B). these Europeans are elderly Americans who have These same six states are home to about two-fifths of lived in the United States for decades. the total U.S. population. This shift in the country of origin has contributed California has the highest proportion of residents to the changing racial and ethnic composition of the born outside the United States, at 27 percent, fol- U.S. population. Between 2000 and 2005, the num- lowed by New York (21 percent) and New Jersey (20 ber of Hispanics increased from 35.6 million to 42.7 percent). The states with the lowest shares of foreign- million, a 20-percent increase. During the 1990s, His­ born residents are located in the South (Alabama, panic population increased nearly fivefold in North

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Carolina and at least doubled in 21 other states.7 The than English at home. The number of Americans majority of this growth is directly or indirectly linked speaking a language at home other than English has to immigration, through new arrivals or through chil- more than doubled since 1980, reflecting the influx of dren born in the United States to foreign-born parents. millions of immigrants to the United States in recent People arriving in the United States come here with decades, especially from Latin America. The Census a wide range of education levels and skills. Those who Bureau estimates that about 32 million U.S. residents arrive from Latin America tend to have less education speak Spanish at home. With fewer migrants from and lower skill levels. Many Latin American immi- Europe, several languages that were once spoken grants come here to work in farming, construction, widely in the United States (French, German and Pol- manufacturing or service jobs. Those who come from ish) are becoming less common.9 Asia tend to be at the other end of the socioeconomic The majority of those who speak languages other ladder. In fact, Asian immigrants are more highly edu- than English at home report that they are very pro- cated, on average, than the U.S.-born population; many ficient in English. Fewer than 50 percent of people are recruited to work as scientists or engineers in the who speak Spanish or another non-English language high-tech global economy. Both groups—those from at home have difficulty speaking English10—includ- Latin America and Asia—are filling important jobs ing 48 percent of those who speak Spanish.11 in the U.S. labor force, but they have very different However, English language proficiency is a big social and economic trajectories. In 2005, the average issue in California, where one of every five residents 5 earnings for full-time, foreign-born workers from Asia years and older has difficulty speaking English (Table were $57,000, nearly double the average earnings for A). The ability to speak English is closely linked to full-time workers from Latin America ($30,000).8 earnings and social and economic integration for new immigrants to the United States. Although many English Language Ability adults who arrive here have difficultly learning Eng- Country of origin is also important because many of lish, most young children of immigrants will grow the people arriving in the United States speak lan- up learning English as their primary language. These guages other than English. In 2005, about 84 percent children are often called upon to act as translators for of the foreign-born population spoke a language other parents or older siblings.12

Figure B: U.S. Foreign-Born Population by State, 2005

District of Columbia, 13.1%

Percent (%) Foreign-Born Less than 5% 5% to 9.9% 10% to 14.9% 15% or more

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey. Note: These estimates are based on a sample of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error.

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Table A Characteristics of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population, by State, 2005

Percent of total Place of birth for the foreign-born population Percent of population children Percent of people State or other Foreign-born that is Latin in immigrant with difficulty jurisdiction population foreign born America (%) Asia (%) Europe (%) families (a) speaking English (b) United States...... 35,689,842 12.4% 53.0% 27.0% 14.0% 21.0% 9.0% Eastern Region Connecticut...... 423,254 12.5 39.2 21.0 31.9 18.0 7.5 Delaware...... 62,867 7.7 41.5 27.1 19.2 13.0 4.9 Maine...... 38,727 3.0 10.0 20.9 26.4 5.0 2.0 Massachusetts...... 891,184 14.4 36.1 27.2 25.8 22.0 8.9 New Hampshire...... 72,480 5.7 18.6 27.0 30.5 9.0 2.5 New Jersey...... 1,662,857 19.5 43.5 30.0 20.4 30.0 11.5 New York...... 3,997,268 21.4 49.5 25.1 20.3 32.0 12.7 Pennsylvania...... 603,674 5.0 24.6 35.5 29.3 8.0 3.5 Rhode Island...... 130,517 12.6 43.8 14.8 27.1 25.0 8.9 Vermont...... 21,843 3.6 5.2 26.0 35.0 5.0 1.3 Midwestern Region Illinois...... 1,695,289 13.6 48.1 24.3 23.9 22.0 9.8 Indiana...... 242,281 4.0 49.8 24.7 17.1 7.0 3.1 Iowa...... 103,143 3.6 40.9 28.9 21.4 7.0 2.6 Kansas...... 153,535 5.8 55.6 27.8 9.6 11.0 4.3 Michigan...... 605,656 6.1 19.8 42.4 24.5 11.0 3.5 Minnesota...... 316,716 6.3 27.4 39.2 13.9 12.0 4.0 Nebraska...... 96,127 5.6 56.5 23.2 11.0 11.0 4.5 North Dakota...... 11,968 2.0 15.1 30.3 20.7 4.0 1.4 Ohio...... 387,216 3.5 19.0 36.9 29.4 5.0 2.2 South Dakota...... 17,269 2.3 25.2 27.7 29.5 5.0 2.1 Wisconsin...... 227,372 4.2 40.2 32.3 21.1 8.0 3.2 Southern Region Alabama...... 120,773 2.7 48.1 26.6 17.5 5.0 1.8 Arkansas...... 101,169 3.7 65.7 19.4 9.3 7.0 2.8 Florida...... 3,212,955 18.5 73.4 9.3 11.9 29.0 11.4 Georgia...... 795,419 9.0 55.3 23.6 11.3 15.0 5.8 Kentucky...... 98,798 2.4 35.8 30.7 22.6 4.0 1.7 Louisiana...... 121,590 2.8 42.7 37.0 14.6 4.0 2.5 Maryland...... 641,373 11.7 37.3 33.0 13.2 19.0 5.9 Mississippi...... 43,336 1.5 48.1 32.0 13.9 2.0 1.2 Missouri...... 193,735 3.4 31.9 33.0 24.9 6.0 2.0 North Carolina...... 560,753 6.7 58.4 20.0 11.9 12.0 4.7 Oklahoma...... 155,880 4.5 59.7 26.3 8.0 9.0 3.5 South Carolina...... 170,750 4.2 49.4 21.4 19.2 7.0 2.9 Tennessee...... 223,118 3.8 45.1 29.3 13.5 7.0 2.5 Texas...... 3,542,513 15.9 75.5 16.2 4.4 30.0 14.8 Virginia...... 723,667 9.9 35.4 40.6 13.0 16.0 5.4 West Virginia...... 19,302 1.1 15.3 42.2 28.7 2.0 0.6 Western Region Alaska...... 34,368 5.4 19.8 47.6 20.4 11.0 4.2 Arizona...... 843,296 14.5 73.2 12.1 8.3 28.0 11.8 California...... 9,611,356 27.2 55.3 34.0 7.1 47.0 20.2 Colorado...... 460,294 10.1 59.1 19.1 13.9 20.0 7.5 Hawaii...... 212,404 17.2 5.1 82.1 5.0 27.0 11.5 Idaho...... 76,377 5.5 66.0 11.1 13.4 11.0 4.1 Montana...... 16,734 1.8 10.4 20.8 40.6 3.0 0.7 Nevada...... 413,298 17.4 61.3 24.0 10.1 32.0 12.1 New Mexico...... 168,640 8.9 78.0 10.5 8.6 18.0 10.6 Oregon...... 344,575 9.7 49.0 26.8 17.0 19.0 7.0 Utah...... 192,916 7.9 60.4 17.9 12.4 14.0 5.7 Washington...... 750,258 12.2 30.0 39.0 19.1 21.0 7.5 Wyoming...... 11,235 2.3 45.4 16.0 23.6 4.0 1.7 District of Columbia...... 67,717 13.1 50.4 18.1 18.6 18.0 6.0 Puerto Rico...... 115,683 3.0 89.7 3.0 6.3 N.A. 80.2

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005 American Community Survey. Key: Note: These estimates are based on a sample of the population and are (a) The share of children who are foreign-born or residing with at least subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. The 2005 American Com- one foreign-born parent. munity Survey excluded persons living in group quarters. (b) People ages 5 and over who speak English less than “very well.”

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Emerging Trends children and families.20 Most of the news coverage on immigration has focused on illegal immigration, New Immigrant Hot Spots border security, public sentiment or national and Most of the states with the fastest-growing foreign- state policy issues. born populations between 2000 and 2005 are those However, the children of immigrants make up a that, historically, have had few immigrants: Arkan- large and growing segment of American society. In sas, Delaware, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada, 2005, more than one in five children in the United North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina and Ten- States (15.7 million) were living in immigrant fami- nessee.13 Immigrants are also increasingly settling in lies. The vast majority of these children are U.S. small towns and rural areas across the United States. citizens who were born in the United States to for- In the Southeast, new immigrants are attracted by eign-born parents. In 2005, nearly half of all children opportunities for low-skilled work in manufactur- in California (47 percent) lived in immigrant fami- ing, food processing and agriculture. The Midwest is lies, and the state is home to nearly one-third of all offering new jobs in meatpacking plants. And West- children in immigrant families in the United States.21 ern states provide employment in agriculture and, Children are leading the way to a more diverse increasingly, tourism industries.14 U.S. society, and not just in California. In 2005, In many cases, immigrants have revitalized and re- nearly half of all children under age 5 were racial or populated areas that have been in decline for decades. ethnic minorities. As these children grow older, go to However, many longer-term residents in these areas school, get jobs and start families of their own, they are slow to adapt to the changing cultures, languages will lead a major shift in the racial and ethnic compo- and racial and ethnic diversity of the new arrivals.15 sition of the U.S. population and labor force. The Debate Over Unauthorized Migrants Implications for State Governments Most of the debate about immigration in the United Immigrants play a vital role in both the U.S. and state States is focused on the estimated 12 million unau- economies, filling a broad range of positions ranging thorized migrants currently residing in the United from low-wage agricultural workers to scientists and States.16 Unauthorized migrants include those who engineers working in high-tech industry. The federal entered the United States illegally and those who government sets policies on migration across U.S. entered the country legally but violated the terms borders, but states can use a variety of mechanisms of their admission (in most cases, by overstaying to meet the needs of the U.S. foreign-born popula- their visas). The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that tion, including the following: between 2000 and 2005, the unauthorized migrant ß Promoting English language instruction in schools, population increased by about 500,000 each year.17 to ensure that all children have the resources they About 56 percent of unauthorized immigrants are need to succeed in school and to become produc- estimated to be Mexican, and another 22 percent are tive adults; from elsewhere in Latin America. About 40 percent ß Providing access to health care for the foreign- of the unauthorized population came to the United born population, including preventive medicine to States since 2000.18 reduce expenditures for emergency room care; and The growing number of unauthorized immigrants ß Providing financial services to help foreign-born in the United States has gotten the attention of state populations buy homes, start businesses and send policymakers and their constituents. Hundreds of their children to college. pieces of legislation have been put before state leg- These programs can help integrate the foreign- islatures around the country to deal with the issue. born population, especially children, into American Most of these bills—but not all—are proposals to society to ensure a strong labor force for the future. crack down on illegal workers and the businesses that hire them.19 Notes The Children of Immigrants: Reshaping America 1 Estimate from the Census Bureau’s 2005 American Com­ More often than not, children are left out of the im- munity Survey. 2 Phillip Martin and Elizabeth Midgley, “Immigration: Shap- migration debate. An analysis of more than 9,000 ing and Reshaping America,” Population Bulletin, 6: 4 (2006). articles on immigration published in the 20 largest 3 Projection by the Population Reference Bureau based on newspapers in 2006 showed that fewer than 5 per- 2000–2005 trends. cent of articles covered issues related to immigrant 4 Jeffrey S. Passel, “Size and Characteristics of the Unau-

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thorized Migrant Population in the U.S.: Estimates Based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey,” (Pew Hispanic Center, 2006). 5 Population Reference Bureau analysis of the 2005 Amer­ ican Community Survey. 6 U.S. Census Bureau population projections. 7 Mark Mather, Kerri L. Rivers, and Linda A. Jacobsen, “What the American Community Survey Tells Us About Im- migration,” (Population Reference Bureau, 2005). 8 Population Reference Bureau analysis of the 2005 Amer­ ican Community Survey. 9 Mary Kent and Robert Lalasz, “In the News: Speaking English in the United States,” (Population Reference Bureau, 2006). 10 Difficulty speaking English is defined here as those who speak English less than “very well.” 11 Mary Kent and Robert Lalasz, “In the News: Speaking English in the United States,” (Population Reference Bureau, 2006). 12 Jean D’Amico and Laura Beavers, “Children in Immi- grant Families: U.S. and State-Level Findings from the Cen- sus 2000,” A Kids Count/PRB Report on Census 2000. (Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation and Wash- ington, D.C.: Population Reference Bureau, 2005). 13 Population Reference Bureau analysis of the Census 2000 Supplementary Survey and the 2005 American Com- munity Survey. 14 Leif Jensen, “New Immigrant Settlements in Rural Amer- ica: Problems, Prospects, and Policies,” A Carsey Institute Re- port on Rural America, (2006). 15 Ibid. 16 Jeffrey S. Passel, “Size and Characteristics of the Unau- thorized Migrant Population in the U.S.: Estimates Based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey,” (Pew Hispanic Center, 2006). 17 Ibid. 18 Ibid. 19 T.R. Reid, “Hill Impasse Spurs States to Tackle Illegal Immigration,” the Washington Post, Wednesday, May 3, 2006; Page A01. 20 Population Reference Bureau analysis of Nexis. 21 Population Reference Bureau analysis of the 2005 Amer- ican Community Survey.

About the Author Mark Mather is deputy director of Domestic Programs at the Population Reference Bureau, where he coordinates several projects that communicate population research to advocacy groups, educators, the media and the public. He holds Ph.D. and M.A. degrees in sociology/demography from the University of Maryland and has more than 10 years experience in demographic data analysis.

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