For much of American history, Europe was the gateway to the country’s immigrant story. Today, that picture looks very different. Asia has emerged as one of the biggest sources of immigrants to the United States. This is in fact one of the most significant demographic shifts in the country’s 250-year history, according to a new analysis by the US Census Bureau.
Released after the US celebrated its 250th anniversary, the report traces how the country’s foreign-born population has evolved from the first collection of birthplace data in the 1850 Census through 2024. The Census Bureau defines the foreign-born population as people who were not US citizens at birth, including naturalised citizens, lawful permanent residents, temporary migrants, refugees, asylees and unauthorised migrants.
The turning point that changed everything
As reported by NewsWeek, the biggest shift began after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, better known as the Hart-Celler Act, ended the decades-old national-origins quota system. In its place came a new immigration framework that prioritised family reunification, employment-based migration and refugee admissions.
The change reshaped where newcomers came from. Immigration from Latin America grew rapidly through the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s, while arrivals from Asia surged as refugees resettled after the Vietnam War and US demand for skilled workers increased.
The numbers tell the story. Asians made up just 8.9% of the foreign-born population in 1970. A decade later, that figure had more than doubled to 19.3%. By 1990, Asia had overtaken Europe as the leading birthplace of America’s foreign-born residents.
Today, nearly one in three foreign-born people living in the US, 30.8%, were born in Asian countries, while 51.4% come from Latin America, according to Census Bureau data. Newsweek reported that the figures show how immigration to the US has steadily shifted beyond Europe over the past several decades.
When Europe dominated America’s immigrant story
In 1850, more than 92% of the country’s foreign-born population had been born in Europe. Millions crossed the Atlantic in search of economic opportunities, while others escaped the Irish famine and persecution in Eastern Europe.
Asian migration also began during that period. Chinese labourers arrived between the 1840s and the 1880s to work in western goldfields and build the transcontinental railroad. But their numbers remained limited after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 became the first major federal law to restrict immigration based on nationality.
For decades that followed, immigration patterns changed little. Federal quota systems introduced in the early 20th century largely favoured European countries, ensuring Europe remained the dominant source of immigrants, the Census Bureau said. Newsweek noted that these policies slowed immigration from Asia and other regions until reforms arrived in 1965.
A record population with a very different makeup
America’s foreign-born population has grown dramatically over time. When birthplace data was first collected in 1850, the country had about 2.2 million foreign-born residents, accounting for 9.7% of the population.
That share climbed to 14.8% by 1890 before falling steadily through much of the 20th century. By 1970, foreign-born residents made up just 4.7% of the U.S. population.
The trend has since reversed. By 2024, the US was home to a record 50.2 million foreign-born residents, equal to 14.8% of the country’s population. While the percentage matches the previous peak reached more than a century ago, the people behind those numbers now come from a far more diverse mix of countries, with Asia playing a central role in reshaping America’s immigration story.