THE NUMBERS

September 25, 2007

ANNUAL LEGAL ENTRIFS OP IMMIGRANTS TO With the single exception of Italy, all of the countries sending the United States increased from 1965 on, reaching more than 100,00(1 i mmigrants each year were either in the 373,000 in 1970. 531.000 in 1980. 602.000 in 1986, and over Caribbean Basin or Asia. Other important sources of immi- one million in 1q90. As recently as 1960, more than two- grants outside these regions were the Umted Kingdom. West thrrds ot all immigrants entering the United States came Germany and Can ada, sending about 90,000 each during the from Europe. By 1985, Europe's share of annual entries t970s. By 1987. 43%of the 600.000 entries were from Asia, had shrunk to one-ninth, with the actual numbers of Euro- 35% from Latin America and the Caribbean Basin, and only pean immigrants declining froni alniost 140,000 in 1960to 10% from Europe. 63,000 in 1985. The top ten immigrant sending countries During the 1970s and early I 980s, women made up 60% today are all in l..atin America, the Caribbean Basin or Asia. ot alhmmigrants from the Philippines, 6l9v of South Korean Latin Americans, including the native born and citizens, immigrants, 53% of Chinese. 52% of Dominicans. 52% of fonii the single largest foreign-language population in the Colombians. 53% of Haitians, and 52% of immigrants from United States, and probably the largest population of un- HongKoug. Es-e nm the well-estab)ished.traditionally male- documented immigrants as well. But Asians are the titstest dominated migration flow from Mexico women now make growing group of legally admitted inuntp.tants. with annual up aLmost hail of all legal immigrants. While a majority of entries rising to 236,000 in 1980 and to 264700 in 1985. fcmalcimmigrantsstillcnterasdependentsofvarionskinds. While these figures include Southeast Asian refugees admit- a small hut growing number now enterclassifled as workers. ted intheaftermath of the Vietnam War. refugcesaccount tot this would appear to indicate that an increasing number of only a small proportion of the overall rise in Asian imntigra- women are migrating independently, in sonic eases leasing non. The Asian countries from which the greatest number of their husbands and children behind. immigrants come are the Philippines. South Korea and In the early 1900s immigrants clustered in Ness' York, Taiwan. not the refugee-sending countries of Vietnam and Pennsylvania and Illinois. Today, multiple ports of entry. Cambodia. In the l980s migration flows began from South- improved transportation and far-flung job distribution seem east Asian nations which had not previously experienced to facilitate the geographical scattering of immigrants. Yet emigration to the United States, such as Singapore. Malaysia California and Ness' York receive almost half of all new and Indonesia. immigrants, while another quarter go to New Jersey, Illinois, Total entries of South and Central Americans, excluding florida and Tesas. Mexicans, reached ahont I 70,000 for the period 1965-1969, Moreover, new immigrants tend to cluster in the largest androseto445..000for 198(1-1985- Entries of Asians reached metropolitan areas: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, 258.000 for l65- 1969, and rose further to 1,612.000 for Chicago. Housto n and Miami. The 1980 census found that 1980-1985. Entries of West Indians reached 351.000 for about one fifth of all foreign-horn residents lived in Nesv 1965-h 969, and rose to 445,000 for 1980-1985. York and Los Angeles. White immigrants constitute at most Between 1972 and 1979, Mexico, with more than half a tO% of the U.S. pop ulation, in 1987 they made up 30% of the million entries annually, was by far the largest source of population of New York City and 15% of the expulations of legally adtnitted immigrants. followed by the Philippines Los Angeles an d Chicago.

Tags: US immigration, immigration statistics


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