CENSUS DATA SHOWS MANY IMMIGRANTS DURING 1990'S UNDER AGE TWENTY

According to recently released Census data analyzed by the Boston Globe, almost 40 percent of immigrants to the US over the past decade were between the ages of 10 and 19.  The approximately 11 million immigrants over age 10 who came to the US during the 1990s represent about one-third of the country’s increase in population during that time.  This is a major demographic trend with important implications for almost every aspect of society.

Perhaps one of the most striking statistics from the Census is that one in eight US residents between 10 and 19 is foreign-born, a total of nearly four million children.  While the Census Bureau has not released data on children under age 10, demographers expect that there will be similar numbers and proportions of foreign-born children in that age group. 

This trend will call for the construction of more schools, and may force schools to change the way in which they provide for the education of non-native English speakers even as efforts to end bi-lingual education programs gather force.  It will likely also prove to be a boon to older US cities where populations have been declining or only holding steady in recent decades. 

The largest group of adult immigrants is also very youthful, between age 25 and 34.  As the native born US population ages, foreign born workers will become more important to the US economy, not just in filling jobs, but in making contributions to the Social Security System that will be necessary to provide benefits.