In , a group of roughly people later known as the Pilgrims fled religious persecution in Europe and arrived at present-day Plymouth, Massachusetts , where they established a colony. They were soon followed by a larger group seeking religious freedom, the Puritans, who established the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
By some estimates, 20, Puritans migrated to the region between and A larger share of immigrants came to America seeking economic opportunities. However, because the price of passage was steep, an estimated one-half or more of the white Europeans who made the voyage did so by becoming indentured servants. Although some people voluntarily indentured themselves, others were kidnapped in European cities and forced into servitude in America. Additionally, thousands of English convicts were shipped across the Atlantic as indentured servants.
Another group of immigrants who arrived against their will during the colonial period were enslaved people from West Africa. The earliest records of slavery in America include a group of approximately 20 Africans who were forced into indentured servitude in Jamestown, Virginia, in By , there were some 7, Africans in the American colonies, a number that ballooned to , by , according to some estimates.
Congress outlawed the importation of enslaved people to the United States as of , but the practice continued. The U. Civil War resulted in the emancipation of approximately 4 million enslaved people. Although the exact numbers will never be known, it is believed that , to , Africans were brought to America and sold into slavery between the 17th and 19th centuries. Another major wave of immigration occurred from around to The majority of these newcomers hailed from Northern and Western Europe.
Approximately one-third came from Ireland, which experienced a massive famine in the midth century. Typically impoverished, these Irish immigrants settled near their point of arrival in cities along the East Coast. Between and , some 4. Also in the 19th century, the United States received some 5 million German immigrants.
Many of them journeyed to the present-day Midwest to buy farms or congregated in such cities as Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati. In the national census of , more Americans claimed German ancestry than any other group. During the mids, a significant number of Asian immigrants settled in the United States. Lured by news of the California gold rush, some 25, Chinese had migrated there by the early s.
The new arrivals were often seen as unwanted competition for jobs, while many Catholics—especially the Irish—experienced discrimination for their religious beliefs. In the s, the anti-immigrant, anti-Catholic American Party also called the Know-Nothings tried to severely curb immigration, and even ran a candidate, former U.
Following the Civil War, the United States experienced a depression in the s that contributed to a slowdown in immigration. One of the first significant pieces of federal legislation aimed at restricting immigration was the Chinese Exclusion Act of , which banned Chinese laborers from coming to America. Californians had agitated for the new law, blaming the Chinese, who were willing to work for less, for a decline in wages. From to , the unauthorized immigrant population more than tripled in size — from 3.
By , that number had declined by 1. There were The decline in the unauthorized immigrant population is due largely to a fall in the number from Mexico — the single largest group of unauthorized immigrants in the U. Between and , this group decreased by 2 million. Meanwhile, there was a rise in the number from Central America and Asia. Not all lawful permanent residents choose to pursue U.
Those who wish to do so may apply after meeting certain requirements , including having lived in the U. In fiscal year , about , immigrants applied for naturalization. The number of naturalization applications has climbed in recent years, though the annual totals remain below the 1.
Generally, most immigrants eligible for naturalization apply to become citizens. However, Mexican lawful immigrants have the lowest naturalization rate overall. Language and personal barriers, lack of interest and financial barriers are among the top reasons for choosing not to naturalize cited by Mexican-born green card holders, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Mexico is the top origin country of the U. In , roughly More than 1 million immigrants arrive in the U.
In , the top country of origin for new immigrants coming into the U. By race and ethnicity, more Asian immigrants than Hispanic immigrants have arrived in the U. Immigration from Latin America slowed following the Great Recession, particularly for Mexico, which has seen both decreasing flows into the United States and large flows back to Mexico in recent years.
Asians are projected to become the largest immigrant group in the U. New immigrant arrivals have fallen, mainly due to a decrease in the number of unauthorized immigrants coming to the U. The drop in the unauthorized immigrant population can primarily be attributed to more Mexican immigrants leaving the U. In addition to new arrivals, U. In , the percentage of women giving birth in the past year was higher among immigrants 7. While U.
Since the creation of the federal Refugee Resettlement Program in , about 3 million refugees have been resettled in the U. In fiscal , a total of 30, refugees were resettled in the U. Texas, Washington, New York and California resettled more than a quarter of all refugees admitted in fiscal Trade is an important part of the American economy and a key driver of many industries.
Data shines a spotlight on racial inequities in American life. Explore the total number of immigrants to the US over time, the purpose for their visit, and their countries of origin. Each year, millions of people from countries around the world immigrate to the United States, ranging from tourists visiting for a couple of weeks to workers coming for a job to refugees escaping persecution.
The number of people coming to the US, where they come from, and why they come has changed significantly over time. The reasons why people immigrate to the US have changed in recent years. In , , student visas were issued. That figure fell During the same period, the number of work visas — including both skilled and unskilled workers — increased Asylees and refugees, migrants who flee their countries due to danger or persecution, make up a small segment of immigrants. In , there were 61, refugees and asylees who settled in the US, down In , there were That same year the naturalized population overtook the number of immigrants without citizenship for the first time.
Check out the immigration issues page to explore more data on the foreign-born population. Keep up with the latest data and most popular content. Issues Data Reports.
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