An official website of the United States government
Here’s how you know
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock (
) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.
During the last 50 years, the foreign-born population of the United States has undergone dramatic changes, shifting from an older, predominantly European population settled in the Northeast and Midwest to a younger, predominantly Latin American and Asian population settled in the West and South. This paper uses data from the 1960 to 2000 decennial censuses and the 2010 American Community Survey to describe changes in the size, origins, and geographic distribution of the foreign-born population. First, the historic growth of the foreign-born population is reviewed. Next, changes in the distribution by place of birth are discussed, focusing on the simultaneous decline of the foreign born from Europe and increase from Latin America and Asia. The geographic distribution among the states and regions within the United States will then be reviewed. The median age and age distribution for the period will also be discussed. This paper will conclude with a brief analysis of how the foreign-born population has contributed to the growth of the total population over the last 50 years.
Share
Related Information
Some content on this site is available in several different electronic formats. Some of the files may require a plug-in or additional software to view.
Top