More legal immigrants seek citizenship
More legal immigrants seek citizenship
By Ray Quintanilla
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published March 29, 2007
The proportion of legal immigrants in the country who have become U.S. citizens has reached its highest mark in 25 years, according to a study released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.
The population of naturalized U.S. citizens reached 12.8 million in 2005, the latest year available, the center's researchers found.
"Today's immigrants are naturalizing and do want to become U.S. citizens," said Jeffrey Passel, a demographer and a senior research associate with the organization. The findings reflect a rise in the number of legal immigrants and an increasing number of eligible residents who pursue citizenship, he said.
The research also showed the number of Mexican immigrants naturalized in 2005 hit 1.6 million. That year there were 2 million naturalized citizens who traced their origins to nations in Europe, the report found. The numbers of immigrants from China who became naturalized citizens in 2005 reached 956,000, up from 421,000 a decade earlier.
Illinois, California, New York, Texas, Florida and New Jersey were listed as the "Big Six" for naturalizations. California led the way with 3.47 million naturalized citizens in 2005. New York was second with 2 million. Illinois was sixth, posting 512,000 naturalizations, up from 378,000 in 1995.
Immigrants who are better educated, speak English fluently and own their homes tend to be more likely to become naturalized citizens, researchers concluded.
The report found that across the nation, Mexican immigrants were least likely to pursue U.S. citizenship.
The numbers show 20 percent of eligible U.S. permanent residents from Mexico became naturalized citizens in 1995. In 2005, that rose to 35 percent.
Karla Avila, a spokeswoman with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said some Mexican immigrants harbor a dream to "one day go back to Mexico."
"Some feel like taking that step will jeopardize their Mexican status in some way," Avila said.
Among immigrants eligible to become citizens, 77 percent of those from the Middle East had done so by 2005, compared with 71 percent from Asia, 69 percent from Europe and Canada, and 46 percent from across Latin America, the research showed.
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rquintanilla@tribune.com
By Ray Quintanilla
Copyright © 2007, Chicago Tribune
Published March 29, 2007
The proportion of legal immigrants in the country who have become U.S. citizens has reached its highest mark in 25 years, according to a study released Wednesday by the Pew Hispanic Center in Washington.
The population of naturalized U.S. citizens reached 12.8 million in 2005, the latest year available, the center's researchers found.
"Today's immigrants are naturalizing and do want to become U.S. citizens," said Jeffrey Passel, a demographer and a senior research associate with the organization. The findings reflect a rise in the number of legal immigrants and an increasing number of eligible residents who pursue citizenship, he said.
The research also showed the number of Mexican immigrants naturalized in 2005 hit 1.6 million. That year there were 2 million naturalized citizens who traced their origins to nations in Europe, the report found. The numbers of immigrants from China who became naturalized citizens in 2005 reached 956,000, up from 421,000 a decade earlier.
Illinois, California, New York, Texas, Florida and New Jersey were listed as the "Big Six" for naturalizations. California led the way with 3.47 million naturalized citizens in 2005. New York was second with 2 million. Illinois was sixth, posting 512,000 naturalizations, up from 378,000 in 1995.
Immigrants who are better educated, speak English fluently and own their homes tend to be more likely to become naturalized citizens, researchers concluded.
The report found that across the nation, Mexican immigrants were least likely to pursue U.S. citizenship.
The numbers show 20 percent of eligible U.S. permanent residents from Mexico became naturalized citizens in 1995. In 2005, that rose to 35 percent.
Karla Avila, a spokeswoman with the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, said some Mexican immigrants harbor a dream to "one day go back to Mexico."
"Some feel like taking that step will jeopardize their Mexican status in some way," Avila said.
Among immigrants eligible to become citizens, 77 percent of those from the Middle East had done so by 2005, compared with 71 percent from Asia, 69 percent from Europe and Canada, and 46 percent from across Latin America, the research showed.
----------
rquintanilla@tribune.com
posted by Carlos T Mock @ 7:49 AM
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