Fact or Fiction The Truth About U.S. Immigration

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Fact or Fiction The Truth About U.S. Immigration True or False? 1.

The composition of the immigrant population has T F changed over the last 25 years. 2. Immigrants are flooding into the United States.

T F 3. The percentage of the U.S. population that is T F foreign born is over 10 %.

4. Most of the immigrants entering the U.S. today are T F settling all over the United States.

5. Most of the immigrants coming to the U.S. are T F legal, documented aliens who come for the same reasons our ancestors did: Work and freedom.

6. Immigrants are more likely to have a college degree T F than the native-born population. 7.

The U.S. is being overrun by illegal immigrants. T F 8.

Immigrants take unfair advantage of the welfare T F system. 9. Immigrants take jobs away from Americans.

T F 10. The net effect of all immigration - both legal and T F illegal is to add wealth to the country. 11.

Immigrants cause problems in cities. T F Do You Know The Facts On U.S. Immigration?

- Answer Key 1. The composition of the immigrant population has T F changed over the last 25 years. True .

Historically, Europe was the source of most ... more. less.

of the immigration to the U.S. Today, new arrivals are coming mostly from Latin America, the Caribbean and Asia. 2. Immigrants are flooding into the United States. T F False . Of the 100 million migrants worldwide, less then 1 % come to the United States each year. (About 1 million) 3. The percentage of the U.S. population that is T F foreign-born is over 10 %. False . Although the number of immigrants today is about equal to the peak period at the turn of the century, only 8-9% of the total population is foreign-born as compared to 15 % throughout the peak immigration period from 1870 to 1920. 4. Most of the immigrants entering the U.S. today are T F settling all over the United States. False. 75% of the immigrants entering the U.S. settle in six states: California, Texas, Florida, New York, New Jersey and Illinois. 5. Most of the immigrants coming to the U.S. are T F legal, documented aliens who come for the same reasons our ancestors did: Work and freedom. True. Two-thirds of the immigrants entering the country in 1993 came to be reunited with family members; 15 % came as refugees; and another 15% came at the invitation of U.S. companies to fill highly skilled jobs. 6. Immigrants are more likely to have a college degree T F than the native-born population. True. 33% of the immigrants aged 25 older have college degrees compared with 20 percent of the native born population. Immigrants who arrived before 1980 have an average income which exceeds that of natives. 7. The U.S. is being overrun by illegal immigrants. T F False. Annual entry of illegal aliens amounts to 1/10th of 1% of the total U.S. population. 8. Immigrants take unfair advantage of the welfare T F system. False. Only 9 % of the immigrant households received welfare payments according to the 1990 census. 9. Immigrants take jobs away from Americans. T F False. A recent study showed that ten states with the lowest annual unemployment rates had a greater proportion of immigrants in their total population. The consensus is that immigrants are not taking jobs from natives but are filling jobs native-born Americans do not want. 10. The net effect of all immigration - both legal and T F illegal is to add wealth to the country. True. An estimated 11 million immigrants are working and earning $240 billion a year and paying 90 billion in taxes. Skilled immigrants fill high tech jobs and help keep America internationally competitive in the technology field. 11. Immigrants cause problems in cities. T F False. Immigrant communities are revitalizing dying neighborhoods in the cities and older suburbs. In the 1980s, population in the nations 9s 10 largest cities grew by 4.7%; without new immigrants it would have shrunk by 6.8%.

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