Fun Facts About American Immigration:
Over 41 million immigrants live in the United States. The American immigrant population exceeds the total population of 173 countries in the world. If the American immigrant population were a country, it would be vying with Kenya for 32nd place in country population. This figure excludes the United States citizen children born to the immigrants.
The United States has more immigrants than the next four leading countries COMBINED. Russia, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and Canada could add their immigrant populations together and still be smaller than the American immigrant contingent.
46% of immigrants are naturalized US citizens and 54% are lawful permanent residents.
In 2012, Mexicans accounted for the most immigrants with 28%. Indians were second place.
Using a 2012 survey, 79% of immigrants said they speak English exclusively at home. Of the 21% who claimed not to speak English exclusively at home, the most popular languages were Spanish (62%), Mandarin (5%), Cantonese (5%), and Tagalog (3%).
Over ten million immigrants call the Golden State home. If the immigrant community of California were a state, its population would make it the eighth most populous state in the union, between Ohio and Georgia.
The Department of Homeland Security removed 438,121 individuals in 2013, marking increases from 2012 and 2011. The 2013 number indicates an all-time high. 72% of the removed individuals were Mexican nationals.
69,909 refugees were admitted to the US in 2013 and 25,199 individuals were granted asylum. The leading countries of nationality for persons granted asylum were 1) China, 2) Egypt, and 3) Ethiopia. The leading countries of nationality for refugee admissions were 1)Iraq, 2) Burma, 3) Bhutan, and 4) Somalia. California, New York, Florida, Virginia, and Maryland host the most number of 2013 asylees.
The foreign-born share of the population is at 13%, which is the not the highest it has been in recorded American history. 15% prevailed from 1890 – 1920, during a prosperous period of American history known as The Gilded Age.
Median household income is lower for immigrants than for American natives. However, it is substantially higher among South Asian immigrants than for American natives, using 2011 information.