SPECIAL EDITION: WORLD on the MOVE : NEW AMERICANS: WHERE THEY COME FROM
A REGIONAL TALLY
Here is a tally of the immigrants legally admitted to the United States in the past decade, by region, in selected years. The jump in immigration at the end of the decade is largely due to a U.S. law granting amnesty to qualified illegal aliens.
Decade Total
North South Year Africa Asia Europe America Oceania America (in thousands) 192 2,817 706 3,125 42 456 percentage 2.6% 38.4% 9.6% 42.6% 0.6% 6.2%
Total number of Year immigrants (in thousands) 7,338 percentage
Total North South number of Year Africa Asia Europe America Oceania America immigrants 1981 2.5% 44.3% 11.2% 35.2% 0.7% 6.0% 597,000 1985 3.0% 46.5% 11.1% 31.9% 0.7% 6.8% 570,000 1989 2.3% 28.6% 7.6% 55.7% 0.4% 5.4% 1.091 million 1990 2.3% 22.1% 7.3% 62.3% 0.4% 5.6% 1.536 million
Top 15 Countries
Most immigrants who entered the United States between 1981 and 1990 came from these countries: Mexico: 1,653,250 Philippines: 495,271 Vietnam: 401,419 China and Taiwan: 388,686 S. Korea: 338,872 India: 261,841 Dominican Republic: 251,803 El Salvador: 214,574 Jamaica: 213,805 Iran: 154,857 Cuba: 148,449 Laos: 145,714 Britain: 142,123 Haiti: 140,163 Colombia: 124,436
THE NUMBERS THROUGH THE YEARS
A look at the United States’ history as a haven for the world’s immigrants:
Where the most immigrants came from: 1821-1850: Ireland 1851-1890: Germany 1891-1920: Italy 1921-1930: Canada 1931-1960: Germany 1961-1990: Mexico
Total immigrants (in thousands per decade): 1821-’30: 143.4 1901-’10: 8,795.4 1931-’40: 528.4 1981-’90: 7,338.1
SOURCE: U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service
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