People around the world are on the move. They seek jobs, better education, and safety from natural disasters or gang violence. They may also wish to live closer to family members or start businesses. The United States offers a range of ways for migrants to come on either a permanent or temporary basis.
Immigration is an emotional topic that can quickly turn even the most friendly of conversations into a fierce debate. This is partly because it touches on a subject that is so deeply personal to each individual. People’s views on the subject are shaped by their own experiences, the opinions of friends, and even the news programs they watch. Writing about the immigrant experience can therefore be challenging. It requires a deep level of nuance and attention to detail.
While the term “immigrant” encompasses a wide variety of experiences, generally it refers to someone who has moved from one country to another for any reason other than war or natural disaster. This includes those with a green card who have permanently settled in the country, as well as those who are not legally allowed to be here and are living in the shadows. It also covers people who are temporarily in the country, including those whose status has been temporarily protected by programs such as DACA and TPS.
About 3.4 percent of the world’s population, or 258 million people, are international migrants. Most of them are moving from a low-income to a high-income country, although many others are simply following the path of their parents, who were born and raised in another country. Just under half of all international migrants are women, a proportion that has remained fairly stable over the past couple decades.
The largest group of immigrants is from Mexico, which accounts for about 23 percent of the overall immigrant population in the United States. China, India, and Venezuela round out the top five countries of origin. Many migrants leave their home countries for economic reasons, seeking work or education opportunities, or to be near family. Others are forced to leave because of poverty, political unrest or gang violence, natural disasters, or other serious conditions that make them fearful of returning home.
Immigration has been a central feature of the American story since its founding. The most significant wave of immigration, however, occurred in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as millions of Europeans migrated to North America and other countries. This peak immigration period led to new restrictions, such as the 1924 Immigration Act that established a national-origins quota system and highly prioritized applicants from Northern Europe. In the 1965 Immigration and Nationality Act, this restrictive system was replaced with a system that prioritized family reunification and removed the quotas.