Know The Facts About USA’s New Generation Of Immigrants

Immigrants are among the most important individuals in the American society. Immigration has consistently helped the country reach economic milestones, and has strengthened the nation’s demographic dynamism throughout the years. Like native-born citizens, immigrants contribute largely to the working force, and are therefore bound to create jobs and become major influencers in the market. They are taxpayers, entrepreneurs, and every bit as important as native-born citizens.

Much has changed though, in the demographics of U.S. immigrants. Here are some of the most important facts anyone who is planning to live or visit the U.S. must be aware of:

1. The foreign-born immigrant population reached a whopping 40.7 million in 2012.

The official breakdown consists of 18.6 naturalized U.S. Citizens and 22.1 million noncitizens in 2012. The noncitizens are composed of legal permanent residents, unauthorized migrants, and those who were on temporary visas.

Between 2000 and 2012, there had been a significant increase in foreign-born population. This period saw an immigrant population growth that peaked at 40.7 million, a 31.2 percent increase in the previous count of 31.1 million people.

While the foreign-born portion of the U.S. population actually doubled since the 1960s, it still hasn’t broken its all-time record. Today’s share of the immigrant population is still below its peak in 1890, when 14.8 percent of the U.S. population became immigrants.

2. Today’s immigrant population is significantly more diverse than they were 50 years ago.

Flashback to 1960, a good 75 percent of the foreign-born population that took residence in the U.S. were all originally from Europe. In 2012, the immigrant population was comprised of various origins. The 11.8 percent of the population that were classified as foreign-born residents came from Mexico, China, India, Philippines, Vitenam, El Salvador, Cuba, and Korea—all with a fair percentage share of the entire foreign-born population.

This phenomenon has allowed immigrants of today to put down roots across the United States, and it is quickly becoming a trend that is in complete contrast to those from 50 years back. The 1960s were known to have had populations in which a meagre 5 percent of individuals were foreign born. In 2012, however, the foreign-born population who lived in the West and the South has seen a massive shift, amounting to 61 percent of residents—a significant change seen from the 70 percent immigrant population that used to live in the Northeast and Midwest.

3. Women now outnumber men in the foreign-born population.

Data collected in 2012 indicates that 51.4 percent of the U.S. immigrant population was female. In the years leading up to 1960, there had been an abundance of immigrant men that far outnumbered immigrant women. Come the 1970s, this all changed. Female immigrants started pouring in, and had quickly surpassed the number of male immigrants.

4. The LGBT community has flourished over the years.

Today, there is an estimated 1 million lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) immigrants in the U.S. Said LGBT adult immigrants are more likely young and male, as compared to the rest of the immigrant population.

5. Immigrants are rich in educational diversity.

There is a good representation of educational diversity among immigrants, as reported in 2012. During said year, 11.6 percent of immigrants held certifications of various degrees: master’s, professional, and doctorate; while their native-born counterpart had a 10.8 percent population of certificate holders. Also in 2012, 69.4 percent of the foreign-born population had attained a high school diploma, as well as GED or higher certifications. The native-born population, on the other hand, was at 89.9 percent.

6. Majority of immigrants are financially stable.

Survey showed that less than one in five immigrants live in poverty, and most of them take advantage of social services, unlike native-born Americans. Still, 2012 was also a year in which 19.1 percent of immigrants lived in poverty, and only 15.4 percent of native-borns did. Among the foreign-born immigrants, the two populations with the most number of people living in poverty were the 3.2 million who came from Mexico and the 1.4 million from either South or East Asia.

7. Majority of the undocumented population occupy six states.

As of 2012, 22 percent of the undocumented population living in the U.S. resides in California. Fifteen percent in Texas, 8 percent in Florida, 7 percent in New York, 4 percent in Illinois, and 4 percent in New Jersey.

8. Foreign-borns are older than native-borns.

On average, the foreign-born population is quite a few years older than the native-born population. 2012 data shows the following: median age for all foreign-born people: 42; median age for all native-born people: 35.

9. Spouses are a crucial factor in immigrant status.

The spouses of one out of five undocumented immigrant adults are U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. 10 million adult undocumented immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2012, and an estimated 767,000 were married to a U.S. citizen, while n estimated 944,000 were married to a lawful permanent resident.

For more information on the U.S. Immigration process, click here.