Asians Now Top Hispanics as Largest Group of New US Immigrants
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iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Asians have trumped Hispanics as the largest group of new immigrants entering the U.S. each year, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center.
“The Rise of Asian Americans,” released Tuesday, found that in 2010, 36 percent of new immigrants in this country were Asian, while 31 percent were Hispanic. The figures mark a significant change from 2000, when 19 percent of new immigrants were Asian and 59 percent were Hispanic.
The shift is partly due to a drop in illegal immigration.
“Hispanic immigration has plunged, chiefly because the number of new immigrants from Mexico has gone down quite a bit. So, Asians are continuing to come here in large numbers, and they’ve now surpassed Latinos as the largest group of new immigrants arriving in this country,” says D’vera Cohen, a senior writer for the Pew Research Center.
Today, Asian Americans comprise 5.8 percent of the country’s population, according to the report, which was based on a new national survey of Asian Americans, as well as in-depth analysis of U.S. Census demographic and economic data.
The report also found that the racial group is better off financially and educationally when compared to all U.S. adults, and they seem to be more content.
“Overall, our survey found that Asian-Americans are more satisfied than the population, overall with the way their lives are going; with their financial situation; with the direction the country is going in,” Cohen says.
“This is a group with many accomplishments, in terms of education and income. It’s also a group where our survey has found that they’ve put more value than the general public does on institutions such as marriage, parenthood, hard-work and career-success,” she adds.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio