by D'Vera Cohn, senior writer for the Pew Research Center Special for the 2013 Specialized Reporting Institute on Immigration Reform. http://immigrationreportingworkshop2013.borderzine.com/

1. Immigration Research:
Numbers and Findings
D’Vera Cohn
Demographics, Trends, Attitudes
Senior writer, Pew Research Center
Immigration from the Border to the Heartland
The McCormick Foundation and Borderzine.com
Sept. 27, 2013

2. Sept. 27, 2013 2www.pewresearch.org
Overview of Presentation
• Unauthorized immigration: Trends and attitudes
• U.S. immigrants: Selected research
• Public Opinion: U.S. population overall and
immigrants themselves
• Resources

3. Unauthorized
Immigration

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Unauthorized Population Decline Stalls, May
Have Reversed
Estimates of the U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population, 1990-2012
In millions
3.5
5.7
6.8
7.9
9.4
10.1
11.1
12.2
11.3 11.5
11.7
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012
Notes: Shading surrounding line indicates low and high points of the estimated 90% confidence interval. White data markers indicate the change from the
previous year is statistically significant (for 1995, change is significant from 1990). Data labels are for 1990, odd years from 1995-2011 and 2012.
Source: Table 1, derived from Pew Research Center estimates based on residual methodology applied to March Supplements to the Current Population Survey
for 1995-2004, 2012 and to the American Community Survey for 2005-2011. Estimates for 1990 from Warren and Warren (2013). See Methodology.

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Texas Trend Differs from U.S.: No Decrease
Estimates of the Unauthorized Immigrant Population in Texas, 1990-2012
in millions
0.4
0.7
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.4
1.5 1.5
1.6
1.7
1.7
0
1
2
3
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012
Notes: Shading surrounding line indicates low and high points of the estimated 90% confidence interval. White data markers
indicate the change from the previous year is statistically significant (for 1995, change is significant from 1990). Data labels
are for 1990, odd years from 1995-2011 and 2012.
Source: Table A1, derived from Pew Research Center estimates based on residual methodology applied to March Supplements
to the Current Population Survey for 1995-2004, 2012 and to the American Community Survey for 2005-2011. Estimates for
1990 from Warren and Warren (2013). See Methodology.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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Unauthorized Immigration from Mexico
Falls Sharply
Estimates of the U.S. Unauthorized Immigrant Population from Mexico,
1990-2012
in millions
1.4
2.9
3.5
4.1
5.0
5.6
6.3
6.9
6.4
6.2
6.0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2012
Notes: Shading surrounding line indicates low and high points of the estimated 90% confidence interval. White data markers
indicate the change from the previous year is statistically significant (for 1995, change is significant from 1990). Data labels
are for 1990, odd years from 1995-2011 and 2012.
Source: Table A2, derived from Pew Research Center estimates based on residual methodology applied to March Supplements
to the Current Population Survey for 1995-2004, 2012 and to the American Community Survey for 2005-2011. Estimates for
1990 from Warren and Warren (2013). See Methodology.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER

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1.5
1.0
2.1
4.5
2000 2005 2010
U.S.-born children
Unauthorized immigrant children
Children with at Least One Unauthorized
Immigrant Parent
Source: Pew Research Center
Hispanic Trends Project, 2011

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Should Unauthorized Immigrants Be Allowed
to Stay, or Not?

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% saying…
Obama’s Program for Unauthorized
Immigrant Childhood Arrivals
33
9
13
5
12
63
89
85
93
86
Disapprove Approve
Hispanics by nativity
U.S.
Registered voters
Native born
Foreign born
General population
All Hispanics
Source: 2012 National Survey of Latinos

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% of Latinos saying…
Many Know Someone
Who Has or Will Apply for DACA
31
24
37
28
37
48
26
Nativity
Among the foreign born
All Latinos
Registered voters
Native born
Foreign born
U.S. citizen
Legal resident
Not a U.S. citizen
or a legal resident
2012 National Survey of Latinos

11. U.S. Immigration Trends

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Among New Immigrants,
Asians Overtake Hispanics
(% of immigrants, by year of arrival, 2000-2010)
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of the Decennial Census and American Community Surveys
(ACS) Integrated Public Use Microdata Sample (IPUMS) files

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(in millions)
Mexican-Born Population
in the U.S., 1850-2011
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 20102011
1970
.8
2009
12.6
2011
12.0
Source: Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project

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Hispanic Births Exceed Immigrants from 2000
Among Hispanics, Percent Foreign-Born Has PEAKED
3.1
9.0
11.3
13.9
16.5
19.3
5.6
7.3
10.3
7.0
4.4
8.1 8.4
9.3
7.7
3.1
14%
18%
28%
35%
40%
38%
36%
33%
40% 40%
1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s 2030s 2040s
Hispanic Births (millions)
Hispanic Immigrants (millions)
% Foreign-Born for Hispanics
Source: Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project Estimates and Projections, 2008

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Nativity of U.S. Adults, 2010
Source: 2010 American Community Survey
84
26
68
31
24
22
16
13
16
74
32
69
76
78
84
87
U.S. Population, 18+
U.S. Asians, 18+
Japanese
Filipino
Chinese
Korean
Vietnamese
Indian
Native born Foreign born
U.S. Asian groups, 18 and older
9/27/2013

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Comparing Asian-American
Immigrants and U.S.-Born Adults

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Foreign-born Women Led
Recent Decline in Birth Rates
Births per 1,000 women ages 15-44
112.8
103.0
87.8
66.5 61.5
58.9
71.2
68.6
64.0
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
1990 2000 2010
Foreign born
U.S. born
All women

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%
Primary Language Use among Latinos
38
61
8
1
38
33
53
29
24
6
40
69
All Hispanics
First
Second
Third and higher
Spanish dominant Bilingual English dominant
Hispanics by generation
Source: 2011 National Survey of Latinos

20. Public Opinion on Immigration

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% among adults
Immigrants Today—
Strength or Burden?
52
41
74
38
48
19
Black
White
Hispanic
Strengthen country w/ hard work and talents
Are a burden because they take jobs, housing & health
care
Source: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press national survey, March 13-17, 2013

22. Naturalization Rates
Among Eligible Immigrants
Source: Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project tabulations of augmented March supplements to the CPS
48
52
59 58 60 61
20
31
34
30
35 36
1995 1999 2003 2007 2011
Mexican-born
All immigrants

23. What Is the Main Reason
You Decided To Naturalize?
Source: Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project 2012 National Survey of Latinos
18
16
15
12
6
Civil and Legal Rights
Benefits or Opportunities
Family reasons
U.S. as home
American identity
(% of Latino naturalized citizens who say… )

24. What Is the Main Reason
You Have Not Yet Naturalized?
26
26
18
13
4
Language and other personal barriers
Have not tried yet
or not interested
Financial and administrative barriers
Not eligible yet or
waiting for green card
Currently applying
or will do it soon
Source: Pew Research Center Hispanic Trends Project 2012 National Survey of Latinos
(% of Latino LPRs who say… )

25. U.S. Compared to Ancestors’
Country of Origin in Regard to…
Source: 2011 National Survey of Latinos
(%)
87
72
69
44
33
2
10
7
21
39
Treatment of the poor
The moral values of society
The strength of family ties
The opportunity to get ahead
The conditions for raising children
SameBetter in the U.S.
Better where
you/your parents
10
17
21
32
26

26. Main Reason for Immigrating to the U.S.
Source: 2011 National Survey of Latinos
(% among foreign born/those born in Puerto Rico)
55
24
9
5
7
Economic opportunities
Family reasons
Educational opportunities
Conflict/persecution in
your home country
Other

27. If You Could Do It Again, Would You …
Source: 2011 National Survey of Latinos
(% among foreign born/those born in Puerto Rico)
79
58
80
82
83
15
33
17
9
12
4
3
3
7
2
All Hispanic immigrants
6-10 years
11-20 years
More than 20 years
Come to the United States/Leave Puerto Rico for the United States
Stay in (the country where you were born/Puerto Rico)
Move to a different country
Years in U.S. among Hispanic Immigrants
Less than 1 year
to 5 years

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For Most Asians, U.S. Offers a Better Life
% saying …
2012 Asian-American Survey. Q54a-g. Responses of "Don't know/Refused” not shown.
5
3
9
13
7
28
56
73
69
64
62
52
34
14
Better in country of origin Better in U.S. About the
same
18
23
21
20
38
32
26
Strength of
family ties
Opportunity to
get ahead
Freedom to express
political views
Treatment
of the poor
Conditions for
raising children
Freedom to
practice religion
Moral values
of society

29. Brookings Institution: Data about immigration in metropolitan areas
http://www.brookings.edu/research/topics/immigration
Kids Count (Annie E. Casey Foundation) data on children in immigrant
families: http://datacenter.kidscount.org/data#USA/2/2/3,4,5,6
Migration Policy Institute: Wide range of reports about U.S. (and
international) immigration. U.S. immigration link:
http://www.migrationpolicy.org/research/usimmigration.php
Immigration Data Matters, a 2008 publication from MPI and the Population
Reference Bureau that’s still a useful compilation of data sources on
U.S. and international immigration:
Scroll to bottom of page for a link:
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub/
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Other Resources for Immigration Research

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D’Vera Cohn
Senior writer
dcohn@pewresearch.org
202-419-4303