E.g., 12/02/2021
E.g., 12/02/2021
U.S. Data

U.S. Data

U.S. Immigrant Population Spotlights
Immigration_History

More than 43 million people living in the United States—whether as naturalized citizen, legal permanent resident, temporary resident, or unauthorized immigrant—were born in another country, representing 13 percent of the U.S. population. Immigration has ebbed and flowed throughout U.S. history, peaking at nearly 15 percent of the population in 1890 and plummeting to 5 percent in 1970. The data-rich research offered here traces the U.S. immigrant population by size, educational and workforce characteristics, English language proficiency, and more.

For information on U.S. immigrants by state, check out the State Immigration Data Profiles tool. And for detailed profiles on unauthorized immigrants nationally and by state, visit this tool.

Recent Activity

Articles
June 1, 2004
The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program
By Erin Patrick
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Fact Sheets
May 2004
Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends
By  Elizabeth Grieco
Articles
May 1, 2004
Naturalization in the United States in 2002
By Sarah Margon
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Reports
April 2004
Immigrants and Homeownership in Urban America: An Examination of Nativity, Socio-Economic Status and Place
By  Demetrios G. Papademetriou, Brian Ray and Maia Jachimowicz
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Reports
March 2004
Hispanic Challenge? What We Know About Latino Immigration
By  Philippa Strum and Andrew Selee
Articles
March 1, 2004
Mexican Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Force in 2000
By Elizabeth Grieco, Brian Ray
Articles
February 1, 2004
The Foreign Born from Vietnam in the United States in 2000
By Elizabeth Grieco
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Fact Sheets
January 2004
What Kind of Work Do Immigrants Do? Occupation and Industry of Foreign-Born Workers in the United States
By  Elizabeth Grieco

Pages

Spotlight
February 1, 2003
Foreign-Born Hispanics in the United States
Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco examines the size and distribution of the foreign-born Hispanic population throughout the United States.
Spotlight
January 1, 2003
English Abilities of the U.S. Foreign-Born Population in 2000

Using Census 2000 data, MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco examines the ability to speak English among the foreign born at the national, regional, and state levels.

January 1, 2003
The New Immigrant Survey in the U.S.: The Experience over Time
Large gaps exist in the social science and public policy research on immigration. Guillermina Jasso of New York University, Douglas S. Massey of the University of Pennsylvania, Mark R. Rosenzweig of Harvard University, and James P. Smith of RAND take an in-depth look at the New Immigrant Survey, which aims to bridge the chasm between information needs and existing data.
Spotlight
December 1, 2002
Characteristics of the Foreign Born in the United States: Results from Census 2000
This Spotlight by Elizabeth Grieco, MPI Data Manager, examines some of the demographic, social, and economic characteristics of the foreign-born population in the United States.
Spotlight
November 1, 2002
Temporary High-Skilled Migration
Globalization has made the international mobility of high-skilled workers a vital issue for the United States. MPI's Maia Jachimowicz and Policy Analyst Deborah W. Meyers explain the complicated visa system for high-skilled temporary workers.

Pages

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Recent Activity

Articles
June 1, 2004

The U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program

MPI Associate Policy Analyst Erin Patrick provides the latest figures on the U.S. refugee resettlement program, which is still operating well below traditional levels long after being thrown into crisis by the Sept. 11 attacks.
Articles
May 1, 2004

Naturalization in the United States in 2002

MPI's Sarah Margon outlines the latest developments affecting U.S. migration policy, including the application of the US-VISIT program to nationals of visa-waiver countries.

Fact Sheets
May 2004

Immigrant Union Members: Numbers and Trends

Immigrants often work in traditionally unionized sectors of the economy, such as manufacturing and construction, or in occupations, such as services, that are becoming increasingly organized—yet little is known about their patterns of union representation. This report offers insight into the union affiliation, including membership and non-member coverage, of employed immigrant workers age 16 and over.

Reports
April 2004

Immigrants and Homeownership in Urban America: An Examination of Nativity, Socio-Economic Status and Place

This report analyzes the housing status of immigrants in the 100 largest metropolitan areas in the United States with respect to homeownership. In addition, it examines the factors that appear to influence homeownership among immigrants, and the programs and initiatives that can encourage homeownership among these groups.

Articles
March 1, 2004

Mexican Immigrants in the U.S. Labor Force in 2000

MPI’s Elizabeth Grieco and Brian Ray outline the characteristics of Mexican immigrants in the U.S. workforce.

Reports
March 2004

Hispanic Challenge? What We Know About Latino Immigration

The genesis of this particular conference on Latino immigration is Samuel P. Huntington’s recently published “The Hispanic Challenge,” which suggests that Latino immigrants are likely to destroy the United States as we know it. The essays that follow indicate that Professor Huntington’s thesis is easily rebutted.

Articles
February 1, 2004

The Foreign Born from Vietnam in the United States in 2000

MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco provides an overview of the fifth-largest immigrant group in the United States.

Articles
January 1, 2004

The Foreign Born from China in the United States in 2000

MPI Data Manager Elizabeth Grieco provides an overview of the fourth-largest immigrant group in the United States.

Pages