Number of immigrants hits record 37.5m as US moves to tighten immigration
Thursday, 13 September 2007
WASHINGTON, Sep 12 (AP): Nearly one in five people living in the United States speaks a language at home other than English, according to new Census data that illustrate the wide-ranging effects of immigration.
The number of immigrants nationwide reached an all-time high of 37.5 million in 2006, affecting incomes and education levels in many cities across the country. But the effects have not been uniform.
In most states, immigrants have added to the number of those lacking a high-school diploma, with almost half of those from Latin America falling into that category.
However, at the other end of the education spectrum, Asian immigrants are raising average education levels in many states, with nearly half of them holding at least a bachelor's degree.
The data come from the American Community Survey, an annual survey of 3 million households that has replaced the Census Bureau's long-form questionnaire from the once-a-decade census. It does not distinguish between illegal immigrants and those who are in the US legally.
Mather analysed the differences in education levels among immigrants from Asia and those from Latin America. Together, the groups account for about 80 per cent of all immigrants.
About 48 per cent of Asian immigrants held at least a bachelor's degree, compared with about 11 per cent of immigrants from Latin America. Among people born in the US, about 27 per cent were college graduates.
At the other end of the spectrum, 47 per cent of adult immigrants from Latin America lacked a high school diploma, compared with 16 per cent of Asian immigrants and 13 per cent of people born in the US
Meanwhle, the United States is moving to tighten immigration and customs controls, which it says are vital to keep terrorists at bay six years after the September 11 attacks.
Under plans that have been announced, foreign travelers will need to provide 10 digital fingerprints on arrival instead of two currently, and their personal data will be transmitted to the United States before their plane takes off.
By the end of the year, virtually every container that comes into the country by sea will be screened amid concerns over possible smuggling of nuclear weapons, security officials said.
In November, the United States will begin implementing the plan requiring travelers to give 10 digital fingerprints on arrival.
Ten US airports will initially have the capability to collect the 10 prints before all ports of entry are covered by the plan by the end of 2008, Chertoff told a Congressional hearing this week that reassessed US ability to ward off terror threats.
The number of immigrants nationwide reached an all-time high of 37.5 million in 2006, affecting incomes and education levels in many cities across the country. But the effects have not been uniform.
In most states, immigrants have added to the number of those lacking a high-school diploma, with almost half of those from Latin America falling into that category.
However, at the other end of the education spectrum, Asian immigrants are raising average education levels in many states, with nearly half of them holding at least a bachelor's degree.
The data come from the American Community Survey, an annual survey of 3 million households that has replaced the Census Bureau's long-form questionnaire from the once-a-decade census. It does not distinguish between illegal immigrants and those who are in the US legally.
Mather analysed the differences in education levels among immigrants from Asia and those from Latin America. Together, the groups account for about 80 per cent of all immigrants.
About 48 per cent of Asian immigrants held at least a bachelor's degree, compared with about 11 per cent of immigrants from Latin America. Among people born in the US, about 27 per cent were college graduates.
At the other end of the spectrum, 47 per cent of adult immigrants from Latin America lacked a high school diploma, compared with 16 per cent of Asian immigrants and 13 per cent of people born in the US
Meanwhle, the United States is moving to tighten immigration and customs controls, which it says are vital to keep terrorists at bay six years after the September 11 attacks.
Under plans that have been announced, foreign travelers will need to provide 10 digital fingerprints on arrival instead of two currently, and their personal data will be transmitted to the United States before their plane takes off.
By the end of the year, virtually every container that comes into the country by sea will be screened amid concerns over possible smuggling of nuclear weapons, security officials said.
In November, the United States will begin implementing the plan requiring travelers to give 10 digital fingerprints on arrival.
Ten US airports will initially have the capability to collect the 10 prints before all ports of entry are covered by the plan by the end of 2008, Chertoff told a Congressional hearing this week that reassessed US ability to ward off terror threats.