Immigrant Population in U.S. Has Nearly Tripled Since 1970

A new study of census data shows that the number of immigrants living in the United States has almost tripled since 1970, rising from 9.6 million to 26.3 million, far outpacing the growth of the native-born population.

The new figures dramatically affirm that the country is going through a remarkable transformation in just a generation, one that will reshape its demographics and social landscape for years to come. As a percentage of the population, immigrants now account for nearly 1 in 10 residents, the highest in seven decades.

The influx of newcomers has transformed communities, whether it is the Bosnians settling in St. Louis, the Russians in northeast Philadelphia, the Dominicans in New York City or the Salvadorans in Silver Spring, Md. Even in places where immigrants have long found a home, the critical mass attained by some groups has made what was once foreign intimately familiar.

Half of all immigrants are also Spanish-speaking--27% coming from Mexico alone. California, New York and Florida have all seen enormous increases.

The new figures are included in a study conducted by the Center for Immigration Studies here and based on the Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey for March 1998.

The study concludes that immigrants accounted for 9.8% of the population, double the 4.8% registered in 1970. Though still considerably lower than the 14.7% attained in 1910, the study concludes that the tide of immigrants entering the country is having a profound, historic effect.

The center, a nonprofit organization that advocates immigration controls, concludes that the overall characteristics of this immigrant pool--poorer, less educated, more inclined to receive welfare--present an “enormous challenge.”

Immigration advocates and civil rights groups did not question the numbers but did react to the center’s conclusions with skepticism and even concern.

“Sounding the alarm about how many of us there are, are they?” said Cecilia Munoz, vice president for policy at the National Council of La Raza, a Latino civil rights organization. “But it’s alarming only if you assume immigrants coming in are harmful to Americans, which they are not.”