Growing Share of Immigrants Choosing Naturalization

Author: 
Passel, Jeffrey S.
Year: 
2007
Month: 
March
Date: 
03/28/2007
Publisher: 
Pew Hispanic Center
Description: 

The proportion of all legal foreign-born residents who have become naturalized U.S. citizens rose to 52% in 2005, the highest level in a quarter of a century and a 14 percentage point increase since 1990, according to an analysis by the Pew Hispanic Center. This report examines the trends of naturalization in the United States by country and region of origin and length of time spent in the country, among other factors. It finds that legal immigrants are becoming citizens in shorter periods of time than previous groups of immigrants, and the proportion of those who naturalize may rise higher than past levels.

e-newsletter sign-up