As an immigrant to the U.S., I am always interested in immigration topics, especially as it relates to Filipinos.
If you have ever wondered about the country of birth of new American citizens, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) publishes this data through the Office of Immigration Statistics.
The Top 5 Country of Birth for New Americans (for fiscal year 2011 to 2013):
- Mexico (99.385)
- India (49,897)
- Philippines (43,489)
- Dominican Republic (39.590)
- China (35,387)
And here is the chart of the Top 20 Country of Birth for New Americans:
Note: Filipinos dropped to #3 after India, from the #2 spot after Mexico in the data compiled for the previous report.
With Mexico being a neighboring country, it is no surprise that most new Americans were born in Mexico.
But what about the other countries? Does this country of birth data surprise you? For example, that India is #2 and that Iran (a country we often hear about in terms of U.S. foreign affairs) is in the Top 20 countries?
The chart below lists the top states where new Americans resided, at the time they became naturalized.
The number of new Americans residing in these 10 states represent 75% of those who naturalized. The data pretty much matches the states with the most population, and so there were no surprises for me on this chart. How about you?
Do you know what it takes to become a U.S. citizen? From the Department of Homeland Security:
An applicant for naturalization must fulfill certain requirements set forth in the INA concerning age, lawful admission and residence in the United States. These general naturalization provisions specify that a foreign national must be at least 18 years of age; be a U.S. lawful permanent resident (LPR); and have resided in the country continuously for at least five years. Additional requirements include the ability to speak, read, and write the English language; knowledge of the U.S. government and history; and good moral character.
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Up until the 1970s, most people who become American citizens were born in European countries.
It shifted from Europe to Asia because of increased legal immigration from Asian countries, and the arrival of refugees from countries like Vietnam in the 1970s. Since 1976, countries in the Asian region has led as the origin of birth for new American citizens.