Immigration
Almost all of the Center's research, regardless of topic, includes separate tabulations of data for U.S.-born and foreign-born Hispanics. The documents listed here focus specifically on trends in migration flows, the characteristics of the foreign-born population and attitudes towards immigration policy issues.
Related Publications
4.29.2010
Hispanics and Arizona’s New Immigration Law
More Americans believe that Hispanics are the targets of a lot of discrimination in American society than say the same about any other major racial or ethnic group, according to a Pew Research Center survey taken prior to the recent enactment of an immigration enforcement law by the state of Arizona. These findings from the Pew Research Center’s November 2009 survey are included in a new Pew Hispanic Center fact sheet that covers a range of issues, attitudes and trends related to the new Arizona measure and its potential impact on the Latino community and on the enforcement of the nation’s immigration laws.
4.1.2010
Latinos and the 2010 Census: The Foreign Born Are More Positive
1.21.2010
Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2008
1.21.2010
Statistical Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States, 2008
12.11.2009
Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America
7.22.2009
Mexican Immigrants: How Many Come? How Many Leave?
The flow of immigrants from Mexico to the United States has declined sharply since mid-decade, but there is no evidence of an increase in Mexican-born migrants returning home from the U.S.
Survey data from the U.S. and Mexico reveal a large flow of migrants back to Mexico, but the size of the return flow appears to be stable since 2006. As for immigration to the U.S. from Mexico, surveys from both countries attest to recent substantial decreases in the number of new arrivals, reinforced by U.S. Border Patrol data showing markedly reduced apprehensions of Mexicans trying to cross into the United States illegally.
4.15.2009
Mexican Immigrants in the United States, 2008
4.14.2009
A Portrait of Unauthorized Immigrants in the United States
The nation's 11.9 million unauthorized immigrants are more geographically dispersed than in the past, according to a new Pew Hispanic Center demographic and geographic analysis of this group that includes population and labor force estimates for each state. Undocumented immigrants also are more likely than either U.S. born residents or legal immigrants to live in a household with children, a growing share of whom--73%--are U.S. born citizens. The new report also finds that the recent rapid growth in the undocumented immigrant labor force has come to a halt, and estimates that the nation's 8.3 million unauthorized immigrant workers in March 2008 made up 5.4% of the labor force.
See Also: Mexican Immigrants in the United States, 2008
3.5.2009
Statistical Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States, 2007
3.5.2009
Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2007
2.18.2009
A Rising Share: Hispanics and Federal Crime
Sharp growth in illegal immigration and increased enforcement of immigration laws have altered the ethnic composition of offenders sentenced in federal courts. Latinos, who are 13% of the U.S. adult population, accounted for 40% of all sentenced federal offenders in 2007—up from 24% in 1991. Immigration offenses now represent about one-quarter of all federal convictions, compared with 7% in 1991. Most Latinos with federal sentences are not U.S. citizens. Hispanics are more likely to receive a prison term but it is generally shorter than prison terms for whites and blacks.
10.2.2008
Trends in Unauthorized Immigration: Undocumented Inflow Now Trails Legal Inflow
There were 11.9 million unauthorized immigrants living in the United States in March 2008, according to new Pew Hispanic Center estimates. The unauthorized immigrant population grew more slowly in the period from 2005 to 2008 than it did earlier in the decade. The inflow of immigrants who are undocumented has now fallen below that of immigrants who are legal permanent residents, reversing a trend that began a decade ago.
9.18.2008
2008 National Survey of Latinos: Hispanics See Their Situation in U.S. Deteriorating; Oppose Key Immigration Enforcement Measures
Half (50%) of all Latinos say that the situation of Latinos in this country is worse now than it was a year ago, according to a new nationwide survey of 2,015 Hispanic adults conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center. On the question of immigration enforcement, Latinos disapprove of all five enforcement measures asked about in this survey--and generally do so by lopsided margins.
1.23.2008
Statistical Portrait of Hispanics in the United States, 2006
1.23.2008
Statistical Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population in the United States, 2006
1.23.2008
Arizona: Population and Labor Force Characteristics, 2000-2006
12.13.2007
2007 National Survey of Latinos: As Illegal Immigration Issue Heats Up, Hispanics Feel a Chill
The 2007 National Survey of Latinos finds Hispanics are feeling a range of negative effects from the increased public attention to immigration and stepped up enforcement measures.
12.6.2007
Hispanics and the 2008 Election: A Swing Vote?
This report analyzes Census data and voting trends on a state-by-state basis to explore the potential of Latinos to be a "swing vote" in the 2008 presidential election.
11.29.2007
English Usage Among Hispanics in the United States
Nearly all adult children of Latino immigrants, but only a small minority of immigrants, describe themselves as fluent in English. English is spoken more commonly at work than at home by all generations. Hispanic immigrants report greater fluency in English if they are highly educated, arrived in the United States as children or have spent many years here. Those born in Puerto Rico and South America are the most likely to say they are proficient in English; Mexican-born are the least likely.
10.25.2007
Between Here and There: How Attached Are Latino Immigrants to Their Native Country?
Most Latino immigrants maintain some connection to their native country by sending remittances, traveling back or telephoning relatives, but just one-in-ten engages in all three activities on a regular basis and nearly three-in-ten engage in none. The attachment of Latino immigrants to their native country is related to where they came from, their age at arrival, and their years in the U.S, and their attitudes toward the U.S.
5.30.2007
Indicators of Recent Migration Flows from Mexico
3.28.2007
Growing Share of Immigrants Choosing Naturalization
The proportion of all legal foreign-born residents who have become naturalized U.S. citizens rose to 52% in 2005, the highest level in a quarter of a century and a 14 percentage point increase since 1990, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center. Mexicans still have a comparatively lower tendency to become U.S. citizens, but the number of naturalized citizens from Mexico rose by 144% from 1995 to 2005--the sharpest increase among immigrants from any major sending country.
10.10.2006
From 200 Million to 300 Million: The Numbers behind Population Growth
8.29.2006
A Statistical Portrait of Hispanics at Mid-Decade
8.29.2006
A Statistical Portrait of the Foreign-Born Population at Mid-Decade
8.25.2006
Cubans in the United States
7.13.2006
2006 National Survey of Latinos: The Immigration Debate
The first major survey of Latinos in the wake of the pro-immigration marches and the debate in Congress reveals how the battle over immigration reform has affected Hispanic public opinion. More than half of Latinos believe the debate has increased discrimination. Almost two-thirds think the pro-immigrant marches signal the beginning of a new and lasting social movement. And in marked contrast to prior surveys, a majority now believes Hispanics are working together to achieve common goals.
7.5.2006
Gender and Migration
This report examines the gender composition of migration to the U.S. The report shows that while females have been an increasing share of migrants worldwide in recent decades, the U.S. has defied the trend. Legal migration to the U.S. is in fact more female as it is elsewhere, but the effects of a growing and largely male unauthorized migration has meant that women are slightly smaller share of the foreign born population than 25 years ago. The report also shows that the profile of the female immigrant to the U.S. has changed considerably over the past quarter century. In 2004, recently arrived female migrants were better educated, older and less likely to have children than their counterparts in 1980.
6.7.2006
Hispanic Attitudes Toward Learning English
5.22.2006
Modes of Entry for the Unauthorized Migrant Population
5.17.2006
The State of American Public Opinion on Immigration in Spring 2006: A Review of Major Surveys
4.26.2006
Estimates of the Unauthorized Migrant Population for States based on the March 2005 CPS
4.5.2006
Recently Arrived Migrants and the Congressional Debate on Immigration
3.30.2006
America's Immigration Quandary: No Consensus on Immigration Problem or Proposed Fixes
Americans are increasingly concerned about immigration. A growing number believe that immigrants are a burden to the country, taking jobs and housing and creating strains on the health care system. Yet the public remains largely divided in its views of the overall effect of immigration. Roughly as many believe that newcomers to the U.S. strengthen American society as say they threaten traditional American values, and over the longer term, positive views of Latin American immigrants, in particular, have improved dramatically. Reflecting this ambivalence, the public is split over many of the policy proposals aimed at dealing with the estimated 11.5 million-12 million unauthorized migrants in the U.S. The poll is based on a survey conducted nationally and in five cities in conjunction with the Pew Research Center for People and the Press.
3.7.2006
Size and Characteristics of the Unauthorized Migrant Population in the U.S.: Estimates Based on the March 2005 Current Population Survey
Analysis of the March 2005 Current Population Survey shows that there were 11.1 million unauthorized migrants in the United States a year ago. Based on analysis of other data sources that offer indications of the pace of growth in the foreign-born population, the Center developed an estimate of 11.5 to 12 million for the unauthorized population as of March 2006.
2.22.2006
Pew Hispanic Center Survey of Mexicans Living in the U.S. on Absentee Voting in Mexican Elections
Strict requirements, insufficient information about registration procedures and lack of public interest hobbled Mexico's first effort to conduct absentee voting among its more than ten million adult citizens living in the United States, according to a Pew Hispanic Center survey. About one-half of one percent of Mexicans in the U.S. sought absentee ballots for the presidential election in July during a registration period which ended last month. Full toplines are available under "Other Resources."
12.6.2005
Survey of Mexican Migrants, Part Three: The Economic Transition to America
This study analyzes the employment experience of migrants before they left Mexico, their transition into the U.S. labor market, and their economic status in their new jobs. It uses the Pew Hispanic Center's Survey of Mexican Migrants, which interviewed 4,836 migrants, mostly believed to be undocumented, as they were applying for identity cards issued by Mexican consulates. The vast majority were gainfully employed before they left for the U.S. Failure to find work at home does not seem to be the primary reason that the estimated 6.3 million undocumented migrants from Mexico have come to the U.S.
9.27.2005
Rise, Peak and Decline: Trends in U.S. Immigration 1992 – 2004
A new report by the Pew Hispanic Center, "Rise, Peak and Decline: Trends in U.S. Immigration 1992 – 2004," provides the first detailed analysis of recent year-to-year immigration flows to the United States. Using newly developed statistical methods, Jeffrey S. Passel, one of the nation's most respected demographers in the field of immigration and a senior research associate at the Center, breaks down the overall increases in the foreign-born population that the United States has experienced since the early 1990s into estimates of annual flows and charts key changes in its major components, including countries of origin and legal status. With co-author and Center director Roberto Suro, Passel offers new insights into the pace and content of migration. The report is based on multiple data sources compiled by the US Census Bureau.
8.16.2005
Attitudes toward Immigrants and Immigration Policy: Surveys among Latinos in the U.S. and in Mexico
The Pew Hispanic Center released findings from major new surveys conducted in the U.S. and Mexico on attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy options. A survey of U.S. Latinos shows that views are not unanimous on unauthorized migrants and U.S. policy toward them. A separate survey in Mexico reveals the size of the Mexican population that is considering migration to the United States, including those inclined to come without legal status.
7.26.2005
The New Latino South: The Context and Consequences of Rapid Population Growth
The Pew Hispanic Center released a new report that examines the rapid growth of the Hispanic population in the South. The study details the distinctive characteristics of the Latinos moving to new settlement areas, the very successful economic development models that prompted the Hispanic influx and the consequences for local policymakers. The report provides detailed demographic and economic data on six states: Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
6.14.2005
Unauthorized Migrants: Numbers and Characteristics
Contrary to the stereotype of undocumented migrants as single males with very little education who perform manual labor in agriculture or construction, a new Pew Hispanic Center report shows that most of the unauthorized population lives in families, a quarter has at least some college education and that illegal workers can be found in many sectors of the US economy. The report builds on previous work that estimated the size and geographic dispersal of the undocumented population and offers a portrait of that population in unprecedented detail by examining family composition, educational attainment, income and employment.
3.21.2005
Estimates of the Size and Characteristics of the Undocumented Population
The undocumented population of the United States now numbers nearly 11 million people, including more than 6 million Mexicans according to new estimates by the Pew Hispanic Center, based on the most recent official data available. State-level data shows that Arizona and North Carolina now rank among the states with the largest populations of unauthorized migrants. The estimates were developed by Jeffrey S. Passel, a senior research associate at the Center and a veteran demographer who specializes in the foreign-born population.
3.14.2005
Survey of Mexican Migrants, Part Two: Attitudes about Voting in Mexican Elections and Ties to Mexico
As the Mexican Congress debates a proposal that would grant Mexican citizens living in the United States the right to vote in Mexican presidential elections for the first time, the Pew Hispanic Center releases another in its series of reports on an unprecedented survey of Mexican migrants in the United States. The survey findings reveal whether the migrants would vote if they could and which segments of the migrant population are likely to meet key eligibility requirements. The report also explores other ties between the Mexican migrant population in the United States and their home country.
3.2.2005
Survey of Mexican Migrants, Part One: Attitudes about Immigration and Major Demographic Characteristics
As the debate over immigration reform intensifies, the Pew Hispanic Center has conducted an unprecedented survey of Mexican migrants in the United States, including thousands who say they have no U.S.-issued identity documents. The survey explores their willingness to participate in a temporary worker program of the sort proposed by President Bush as well as a permanent legalization program. The survey also provides detailed information on demographic characteristics, living arrangements and work experiences. The survey sample is comprised of 4,836 Mexican adults interviewed as they applied for identity cards at Mexican consulates in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Dallas, Atlanta, Raleigh and Fresno.
6.7.2004
The Remittance Marketplace: Prices, Policy and Financial Institutions
Research by the Pew Hispanic Center points to difficulties in achieving further price reductions; limited penetration of the market by financial institutions. On the eve of the annual summit meeting of the world's leading industrialized nations, the Pew Hispanic Center released a detailed evaluation of how much it costs for immigrants to send money back home to their families in Latin America.
3.19.2004
Assimilation and Language
This survey brief explores the concept of assimilation and the role of language in explaining this process.
3.19.2004
Generational Differences
This survey brief explores the differences in demographics, attitudes and experiences of first, second and third generation or higher Latinos. It also looks at "generation one and a half," those Latinos who arrived in the United States before age 10.
3.19.2004
Health Care Experiences
This survey brief examines Latinos' experiences with health care in the United States. Topics discussed include coverage, accessing health care services, and communicating with health care providers.
1.7.2004
Immigration Data Excerpts: From the 2002 National Survey of Latinos and 2002 Pew Hispanic Center Report on Undocumented Workers
In light of President George W. Bush's January 7, 2004 announcement of a new immigration initiative, the Pew Hispanic Center provided information about attitudes towards immigrant and immigration policy, and estimates of the size of the undocumented population in the United States. Sources for the data are the National Survey of Latinos, conducted in 2002 jointly by the Pew Hispanic Center and the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Center's March 2002 report entitled "How Many Undocumented: The Numbers Behind the U.S.-Mexico Migration Talk."
11.24.2003
Remittance Senders And Receivers: Tracking The Transnational Channels
10.14.2003
The Rise Of The Second Generation: Changing Patterns In Hispanic Population Growth
12.4.2002
The Improving Educational Profile Of Latino Immigrants
11.22.2002
Billions In Motion: Latino Immigrants, Remittances And Banking
7.30.2002
Latino Growth In Metropolitan America: Changing Patterns, New Locations
3.21.2002
How Many Undocumented: The Numbers Behind The U.S.-Mexico Migration Talks
3.21.2002
Guest Workers: New Solution, New Problem?
1.24.2002
The Socioeconomic Status of Hispanic New Yorkers: Current Trends and Future Prospects