Glendale immigration attorney, Franklin Nelson of Nelson Immigration Law is here today sharing some interesting facts on the immigrant population in California based on information published by the Public Policy Institute of California. As a Glendale immigration attorney, attorney Nelson strongly believes in the importance of educating everyone about the true immigration demographics of the state, particularly in the strained political climate we live in today.
Glendale Immigration Attorney: California Immigrant Population Facts and Misconceptions
California has more immigrants than any other state in the U.S.
California currently has close to 11 million immigrants. To put that into perspective, that’s close to 1/4 of the foreign-born population in the entire nation. 27% of the Californian population is foreign-born which is just one of the reasons why California is such an outspoken state when it comes to providing for immigrant populations and protecting immigrant rights. The five Californian counties with the largest immigrant population are Santa Clara (39%), San Francisco (36%), San Mateo (35%), Los Angeles (34%), and Alameda (33%).
In addition to having such a large first generation immigrant population, more than half of the children living in California have at least one parent who is an immigrant.
The Majority of California Immigrants Are LEGAL Residents
There is a common misconception that all immigrants living in California are living in the state illegally. This is simply not true. 86% of Californian immigrants are currently living in the state legally either as naturalized U.S. citizens (52% of immigrants in the state) or with another legal immigration status such as a visa or green card (34% of immigrants in the state).
So, how many illegal immigrants are living in the state at this time? According to the Center for Migration Studies, the illegal immigrant population (undocumented immigrants) is just 14% of the immigrant population in the state.
The Majority of Immigrants Coming to California State Are NOT From Mexico
There is another common misconception that the majority of immigrants coming to California are coming to the state from Mexico. This is perhaps a result of the political focus on the U.S.-Mexico border, but current trends show that since 2007, the leading source of recent immigrants to the U.S. is Asia and not Latin America.
The mention of this statistic is not to shift persecution from one group of immigrants to another, rather point out the gross misconceptions our country has about the immigrant population and the misinformation that is being spread by individuals in positions of influence.
Most Immigrants in the State of California Speak English
Many of those who have concerns over the immigrant population in California have concerns based on the misconception that the immigrant population is not proficient in English. While the language we speak should certainly never be a reason to persecute any population of people, it’s also worth noting that according to recent surveys, 69% of California’s immigrant population speak English proficiently where just 10% speak no English at all!
California Is Very Welcoming of Immigrant Populations on the Whole
One of the things that makes California such an incredible place to live as a U.S. immigrant is the warmth that the state shows to immigrants. In a recent survey, close to 72% of Californians said that they believe that immigrants are a benefit to the state both due to their job skills and their work ethic. A much lower 23% believe that immigrants are not of benefit to the state and unfortunately, that percentage of people are often those who get the most press and give California state a bad name.
Additionally, a large percentage of Californians (84%) believe that there should be a program in place that allows undocumented immigrants to stay in the country legally. How should this be achieved? 58% of the state’s population believe that state and local governments both should create their own laws to support immigrants living in their territory. California, in fact, has already begun making a series of state-supported changes that are designed to provide immigrant populations with better care and support. It is California’s hope that their forging the way ahead will prompt other states to make similar changes and comparable support plans to provide a healthier climate for immigrant populations. Unfortunately, this seems unlikely to happen in the current political climate, but at least for those immigrants living in and around California, the state continues to push for immigrant rights such as the provision of healthcare to immigrant populations and has made considerable strides already.
In Need of a Glendale Immigration Attorney?
If you live in or around Glendale and are in need of a Glendale immigration attorney to help you with your current immigration case or to answer any immigration legal questions that you might have, Nelson Immigration Law can help. Just pick up the phone and give us a call today at 626-683-3451 and we’ll get you set up with an appointment right away!
