Immigrants are a vital part of America’s society and economy. The United States is home to more international migrants than any other country—more than Germany, Saudi Arabia, and the United Kingdom combined. In many cases, those who come to the United States do so seeking a better life and future for themselves and their families than the conditions they faced in their countries of origin. For many, this dream is being realized despite ongoing challenges, including high levels of workplace and other discrimination, difficulty making ends meet, and confusion about U.S. immigration laws and policies. The report examines these and other issues through the lens of the experiences of immigrants from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives.
The word “immigrant” is broadly defined under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to mean anyone who is not a U.S. citizen at birth, including naturalized citizens, people who hold green cards (lawful permanent residents), refugees and asylees, and those with certain temporary visas. According to 2021 federal data, about 16% of U.S. adults are immigrants, with the largest shares living in California, Texas, and Florida. The top six countries of origin among adult immigrants are Mexico (24%), India (18%), China (10%), the Philippines (5%), and El Salvador (3%), with significant numbers coming from other nations as well.
For most of their time in the United States, most immigrants have had jobs, ranging from unskilled to highly skilled. Nearly two-thirds of working immigrants are employed in jobs such as agriculture, construction, sales, health care, and services. Many other immigrants have been self-employed or owners of businesses. Still others have been unemployed or have been students, homemakers, or retirees.
In focus groups, most immigrants say that both push and pull factors were major reasons for their immigration to the United States. Some cite the desire for economic and job opportunities (75% say this is a major reason), while larger shares say they came to pursue the American Dream or to offer their children a better future, especially those from Central America. Some also say they came to escape unsafe or dangerous conditions in their home countries.
Regardless of the reasons they came, most immigrants say that they would choose to move to the United States again if given the chance, and this holds true across a range of demographic characteristics: age, education attainment, income, immigration status, and race and ethnicity.
However, the report highlights several ways that these aspirations may be curtailed by the current immigration system. In addition to limiting the number of individuals who can gain lawful status annually, current policies restrict many immigrant groups from having access to the kinds of employment-based visas they might need to secure good jobs. As a result, first- and even second-generation immigrants often have to forgo their dreams in favor of finding work that offers decent wages and benefits, or that pays enough to support themselves and their families. The “1.5” generation of American-born children might be able to branch out and pursue their passions later in life once they are more settled, but for now most find themselves working hard toward the American dream by pursuing safe and livable jobs.