You can imagine that immigration has always been very important in the United States. Other than those born to Native American groups, everyone in the U.S. is either an immigrant or the descendant of an immigrant. This country was founded on it, and that continues to this day.
When you look at the statistics in recent years, you can see that immigration is just as important as ever – and perhaps even more important. Here are a few key stats to consider.
Immigrants make up 14% of the population
At any given time, roughly 14% of the American population consists of immigrants. This means that one out of every seven individuals who qualify as a US resident has an immigrant background. And that is only counting those who are all the way through the process and properly registered.
Even native-born citizens have many immigrant ties
Even those who are native-born, meaning they were born in the United States, commonly have ties to immigrants. About one out of every eight individuals in the country have at least one parent who was an immigrant.
The majority of immigrants are women and children
Out of all the immigrants in the United States, roughly 24.5 million of them are women or children. The other 20.4 million are men. This helps to underscore the importance of family immigration.
You need to know your rights
Becoming an immigrant to the United States can be exciting, but it can also be confusing and sometimes stressful. You absolutely need to know what rights you have and what steps to take.