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Breelyn Johnson
Kati Lewis
English 2010
October 13, 2016
Immigration
An immigrant is defined as a person who migrates to another country for permanent
residence (Immigrants). According to the Pew Research Center, immigration growth is so
huge in the U.S. that between 2015 and 2065, immigrants are going to make up 88% of the
population growth if current demographic trends continue (Modern Immigration). This shows
how huge immigration has become in the U.S. and how we will soon rely on immigrants to boost
our population growth.
In 2014, immigration into the U.S. increased by 11% from 11.2 million in 2013 to 11.3
million foreign-born individuals. Of these 11.3 million about 51% of these immigrants were
female and the median age of these immigrants is 49. 46% of these immigrants reported to being
from Hispanic origins (Zong).
In addition to the population boost, immigration has also shaped the ethnic makeup of
America. Pew Research Center looked at the ethnic makeup of America in 1965 and compared
it to 2015. They then predicted what 2015 America would look like if there wasnt a huge
immigration boom (See Figure 1). While the white population takes the majority, there is a huge
difference in the minority races from 1965 to 2015 and what 2015 would look like without
immigration (Modern Immigration).

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Ethnic Population in U.S.

90
80

Percentage (%)

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1965

2015 With Immigration

White

Hispanic

Black

2015 Without Immigration

Asian

Figure 1

If you compare each ethnicity between the three categories, you'll notice the trends
between ethnicity, as well as year. The white population outnumbers the other populations. The
interesting thing is that the black population stays about the same, and would be higher without
immigration than with and is the only one with this trend.
Immigration has benefited America by making it a more diverse country. There are so
many different backgrounds and cultures everywhere, even in the same neighborhood. Granger
High School in West Valley City, Utah is an example of this by representing people from 40
different countries. All in one high school! What a diverse school filled with so many different
cultural learning opportunities.
The big question among Americans is: How many immigrants does the U.S. legally
admit? Greg Walden claimed, We allow more people into America legally than all other countries
on the planet combined. Politifact Oregon did a follow up report on this claim to see if it was

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true. We sent the representatives office a note asking if they could provide us with a source for
the claim. The primary source was a fact sheet from the U.S. State Department, which notes the
United States accepts more legal immigrants as permanent residents than the rest of the world
combined. (Kullgren). This indicates that America is more accepting of immigrants becoming
citizens as compared to all other countries.
This years presidential candidates have also put in their two cents about immigration.
Looking at the statistics, 75% of Democratic candidates agree that immigrants should have a
path to citizenship, while only 44% of Republican candidates agree. Among those are Clinton,
Sanders, Graham, and OMalley. When it comes to just granting a path to stay or amnesty, only
9% of Democrats and 15% of Republicans agree, those being Bush, Rubio, and Christie, among
more. 12% of Democrats and 37% of Republicans would rather see immigrants deported. The
most open person on that stance being President Elect Donald Trump (See Figure 2) (Andrews).

Figure 2 (Andrews)

There have also been trends revolving immigration in the past 20 years. Immigration has
been shown to worry Americans more as time goes on. According to a scholarly journal
published by the Oxford University Press, American concern over immigration reveals equal if
not increased levels of concern as compared with the earlier decade (SEGOVIA, 378).
Americans have become more concerned with immigrants coming into the country than they did

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before. Segovia also says that, It is apparently illegal, not legal, immigration that concerns
Americans. As such, Americans report that illegal immigration is a bigger problem (60 percent)
for the United States as compared to legal (4 percent) immigration (379). Illegal immigration is
concerning Americans more than legal immigration because they believe immigrants to be
causing problems instead of contributing. Americans also believe most immigrants to be here
illegally, even if they are not. This can cause issues with ignorance and racism. However,
Americans believe that immigration is beneficial for the country, despite their worries (379-380).
In conclusion, immigrants make up most of the population growth in the United States.
Without the big immigration boom in 1965, the ethnic makeup of 2015 America would look
vastly different than it does today. The United States lets in more immigrants than any other
country and provides more citizenship opportunities. 2016 presidential candidates have also
declared their stance on immigration, choosing either a path for citizenship, a path to stay, or
deportation. Lastly, Americans have grown more worried about illegal immigrants over the
years because they believe illegal immigrants cause problems instead of contributing to society.
Immigration is nothing to fear or worry about. Most immigrants are in America looking for
better opportunities that they cannot find in their homeland.

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Works Cited
Andrews, Wilson, and Kaplan Thomas. "Presidential Candidates on Immigration." The New York
Times. The New York Times, 15 Dec. 2015. Web. 27 Oct. 2016.
"Immigrants." American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. 2011.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company 26 Oct. 2016
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Immigrants
Kullgren, Ian K. "Does the U.S. Admit More Legal Immigrants than the Rest of the World
Combined?" Politifact Oregon. N.p., 24 May 2013. Web. 01 Nov. 2016.
Modern Immigration Wave Brings 59 Million to U.S., Driving Population Growth and Change
Through 2065. Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends Project RSS, 2015,
http://www.pewhispanic.org/2015/09/28/modern-immigration-wave-brings-59-millionto-u-s-driving-population-growth-and-change-through-2065/.
SEGOVIA, FRANCINE, and RENATTA DEFEVER. TRENDS AMERICAN PUBLIC
OPINION ON IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRATION POLICY. The Public Opinion
Quarterly, vol. 74, no. 2, 2010, pp. 375394. www.jstor.org/stable/40660649.
Zong, Jie, and Jeanne Batalova. "Frequently Requested Statistics on Immigrants and
Immigration in the United States." Migrationpolicy.org. N.p., 2016. Web. 03 Nov. 2016.