The Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program Audrey Singer, Immigration Fellow The New Metropolitan Geography of U.S. Immigration Mayors Institute on City Design Rethinking Neighborhoods for Immigrants February 21-23, 2006
More than 1/3 of U.S. population growth was driven by Immigration in the 1990s Components of population change, 1990-2000 Net Immigration, 34.7% Natural Increase, 65.3% Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Current Immigration Trends Top 10 Countries of Birth Mexico 115,864 India 50,342 Philippines 45,397 China 40,659 El Salvador 28,296 Dominican Republic 26,205 Vietnam 22,133 Colombia 14,777 Guatemala 14,415 Russia 13.951
Foreign Born Legal Status Estimates Source: Passel 2005
Immigration Trends from Census 2000 More immigrants entered the United States in the 1990s than in any previous decade Immigrants are settling in many new places with little history of immigration The challenges of incorporating immigrants is a growing issue in many places in the United States
The share of the U.S. population that is foreign-born is lower at the end of the 20th century than at the start 35 Population Percentage of Population 16% 30 14% Number of foreign-born and share of population, United States, 1900-2000 25 20 15 10 12% 10% 8% 6% 4% 5 2% 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 0% Source: Lindsay and Singer, Changing Faces: Immigrants and Diversity in the Twenty-First Century, June 2003
Few cities maintained their status as gateways throughout the 20th century 1900 2000 Foreign Born Population Share Foreign Born 1 New York 1,270,080 37.0 2 Chicago 587,112 34.6 3 Philadelphia 295,340 22.8 4 Boston 197,129 35.1 5 Cleveland 124,631 32.6 6 San Francisco 116,885 34.1 7 St. Louis 111,356 19.4 8 Buffalo 104,252 29.6 9 Detroit 96,503 33.8 10 Milwaukee 88,991 31.2 Foreign Born Population Share Foreign Born 1 New York 2,871,032 35.9 2 Los Angeles 1,512,720 40.9 3 Chicago 628,903 21.7 4 Houston 516,105 26.4 5 San Jose 329,757 36.8 6 San Diego 314,227 25.7 7 Dallas 290,436 24.4 8 San Francisco 285,541 36.8 9 Phoenix 257,325 19.5 10 Miami 215,739 59.5
Source countries have shifted from primarily European to primarily non-european 1900-1920 1980-2000 86% 4% 50% 3% 13% 10% Europe Asia Latin America Africa 34%
Many states are being transformed by immigration From Northeast and Southwest To Southeast and Mountain West
Metropolitan Washington now ranks 7th in number of foreign-born residents Top Ten Immigrant Populations by Metropolitan Area, 2000 NUMBER PERCENT 1 Los Angeles 3,449,444 36.2 2 New York 3,139,647 33.7 3 Chicago 1,425,978 17.2 4 Miami 1,147,765 50.9 5 Houston 854,669 20.5 6 Orange County 849,899 29.9 7 Washington DC 832,016 16.9 8 Riverside-San Bernardino 612,359 18.8 9 San Diego 606,254 21.5 10 Dallas 591,169 16.8 Source: US Census Bureau
Former gateways are no longer major destinations Percent foreign born 35 30 25 20 15 Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 Former Baltimore Buffalo Cleveland Detroit Milwaukee Philadelphia Pittsburgh St. Louis 10 Former 5 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Continuous gateways have always attracted more than their fair share of immigrants 40 Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 35 30 Continuous Percent foreign born 25 20 15 10 5 Continuous Boston Chicago Jersey City Newark New York Bergen Passaic NJ Middlesex-Somerset NJ Nassau-Suffolk, NY San Francisco 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Post-WWII gateways became destinations during the past 50 years 40 Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 35 Post-WWII 30 Percent foreign born 25 20 15 10 5 0 Post-WWII Fort Lauderdale Houston Los Angeles Orange County Riverside-San Bernardino San Diego Miami 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Emerging gateways experienced very recent and rapid growth in their foreign-born population 40 Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 35 Percent foreign born 30 25 20 15 10 Emerging Atlanta Dallas Fort Worth Las Vegas Orlando Washington, DC West Palm Beach Emerging 5 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Re-Emerging gateways are once again major destinations for immigrants Percent foreign born 40 35 30 25 20 15 Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 Re-Emerging Denver Minneapolis-St. Paul Oakland Phoenix Portland Sacramento San Jose Seattle Tampa 10 Re-Emerging 5 0 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Emerging gateways represent a new context for immigrant integration Percent of Foreign Born in Cities by Gateway Types, 1900-2000 40 35 30 Continuous Post-WWII Percent foreign born 25 20 15 Re-Emerging 10 Emerging 5 0 Former 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Year
Six types of metropolitan immigrant gateways in 2000 Former Baltimore Buffalo Cleveland Detroit Milwaukee Philadelphia Pittsburgh St. Louis Emerging Atlanta Dallas Fort Worth Las Vegas Orlando Washington, DC West Palm Beach Continuous Boston Chicago Jersey City Newark New York Bergen Passaic NJ Middlesex-Somerset NJ Nassau-Suffolk, NY San Francisco Re-Emerging Denver Minneapolis-St. Paul Oakland Phoenix Portland Sacramento San Jose Seattle Tampa Post-WWII Fort Lauderdale Houston Los Angeles Orange County Riverside-San Bernardino San Diego Miami Pre-Emerging Austin Charlotte Greensboro-Winston Salem Raleigh-Durham Salt Lake City
Continuous and Post-WWII Gateways still dominate, but Emerging and Re-Emerging are growing faster 8,000,000 7,000,000 6,000,000 5,000,000 1970 1980 1990 2000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 - Former Continuous Post WWII Emerging Re-emerging
Population growth in Continuous and Post-WWII Gateways depends more on immigration than in Emerging Gateways % Change in Total Population % Change in Population without Foreign-Born 90 80 70 60 Percent 50 40 30 20 10 0 Former Continuous Post WWII Emerging Re-Emerging Pre-Emerging
Population Most of the Change cities would in Selected not have Cities gained with and population without the in foreign-born, the 1990s without 1990-2000 immigrants 40.0 Percent Change in Total Population, 1990-2000 Percent Change without the Foreign born, 1990-2000 30.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 Miami St. Petersburg Chicago Baltimore Boston Dearborn Charlotte -10.0-20.0
Immigrant characteristics vary by gateway type Suburban settlement patterns National origins English language proficiency
The share of overall population that is foreign-born tends to be higher in central cities than in suburbs Percent Foreign Born in Cities and Suburbs, 2000 CITY SUBURBS METRO Chicago 22% 15% 17% Miami 60% 41% 51% Boston 22% 13% 15% Washington 13% 17% 17%
but growth during the 1980s and 1990s was greater in suburban areas, yielding more immigrant residents in absolute terms Foreign Born in Cities and Suburbs, 45 metro areas (in millions) 1980 5.0 4.9 Suburbs Cities 1990 6.9 7.7 2000 9.8 12.9
Immigrants in Emerging Gateways are more likely to live in the suburbs Share of Foreign-Born Population That Live in the Suburbs by Gateway Type, 1970-2000 Emerging 70 Former Percent Post-WWII Re-emerging 50 Pre-emerging Continuous 30 1970 1980 1990 2000
The five largest country of origin groups in the U.S. include Mexico and four Asian countries UNITED STATES Total Foreign Born = 31,107,889 Mexico 30% Remaining Foreign Born 57% Philippines 4% Vietnam 3% China 3% India 3%
But cities have distinct national origin compositions Baltimore Boston Charlotte Trinidad and Tobago 8% Haiti 10% Mexico 28% Chicago Dearborn Miami St. Petersburg Mexico 47% Lebanon 41% Cuba 57% Canada 8%, Vietnam 6%
All gateway types doubled the number of refugees resettled in the 1990s, except for Post-World War II gateways Refugees Resettled in Metropolitan Areas by Gateway Type, 1980s and 1990s 800,000 700,000 600,000 500,000 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 Pre-emerging, 8,088 Former, 28,079 Emerging, 35,550 Re-emerging, 72,647 Continuous, 92,814 Post-WWII, 112,128 Pre-emerging, 16,391 Former, 74,471 Emerging, 76,168 Re-emerging, 157,376 Continuous, 225,680 Post-WWII, 138,831 1983-1989 1990-1999
English language skills are most limited in Post-WWII and Pre-Emerging Gateways 0 25 50 75 100 Former 17.4 82.6 Continuous 26.4 73.6 Post W.W.II 34.7 65.3 Does not speak English well Speaks English "well" Emerging 29.3 70.7 Re-Emerging 27.5 72.5 Pre-Emerging 34.2 65.8
Six Implications for Local Leaders Understand local immigration dynamics Bring cultural and language sensitivity to service delivery Build English language capacity Provide workforce support Create linkages to mainstream institutions Encourage civic engagement
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