Copyright Education Week 2014;xNLx;;xNLx;Writer: Denisa Superville;xNLx;Assistance provided by Holly Peele and Rachel James;xNLx;;xNLx;Sources: The Migration Policy Institute, U.S. Department of Citizenship and Immigration Services; The Department of State; The Library of Congress; U. S. Department of Homeland Security; Office of Refugee Resettlement; Pew Research Center; International Migration Review; Education Week;xNLx;
Known as the Hart-Cellar Act, this law abolishes the national-origins quota dating to the 1920s that heavily favored immigrants from Western Europe. It prioritizes immigrants' skills and family reunification, a departure that dramatically changes the racial and ethnic makeup of future immigrants. In 1960, for example, 74.5 percent of the U.S. immigrant population came from Europe; 19.1 percent from the Americas; and 5 percent from Asia. By 2012, Europeans make up only 11.8 percent of the immigrant population, while the numbers from the Americas skyrocket to more than half—54.2 percent or 22.1 million people. By then, 29 percent of the immigrant population is of Asian origin and 4.2 percent African. Major regions impacted: Latin America, Asia, and Africa.
This legislation—passed when huge numbers of Cubans were seeking to flee that country—changes the definition of "refugee" to include any person living outside of his or her country who is unable or unwilling to return because of fear of persecution based on race, religion, nationality, beliefs, or membership to a certain group. It establishes asylum provisions in US law for the first time. The law increases the number of regular refugee admissions to 50,000 from 17,400 each fiscal year (the number is set annually), and establishes asylum provisions in U.S. immigration law. Major regions impacted: Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia, and Latin America.
In addition to increasing border staffing, the law permits immigrants residing in the country illegally since 1982 to apply for permanent-residency status. The provisions also apply to some agricultural sector workers who have been employed for at least 90 days. The Migration Policy Institute estimates that 2.7 million individuals become legal permanent residents through this piece of legislation. Major region impacted: Latin America.
In May 1986, Education Week publishes a special report to explore the changing face of the American population. The nation's K-12 students are more racially and ethnically diverse than ever before. By September, about 15 percent are expected to come from families that speak a language other than English at home; one-fourth are expected to be poor; and as many as two-fifths are expected to live in a broken home before the age of 18. The demographic transformation is fueled in part by some of the same forces in play today as the nation undergoes a continuing metamorphosis, including immigration and a lower birthrate among white mothers when compared with minorities.
This law increases immigration quotas and expands high-skilled labor migration. The legislation also creates the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. Run by the U.S. State Department, the program provides up to 50,000 annual immigrant visas—through a lottery—to individuals from countries with historically low immigration rates to the United States. The region that has benefitted most from the high-skilled labor expansion is Asia. Major region impacted by the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program: Africa
The U.S. Census Bureau announces that, for the first time, the number of Hispanic children has surpassed black children, making Hispanics the largest minority group under the age of 18. As of July 1 that year, an estimated 10.5 million Hispanics under 18 reside in the United States, outnumbering blacks in the same age group by 35,000.
Using 2009 enrollment data, the Southern Education Foundation reports in 2010 that for the first time, the majority of students in the South's public schools are minorities—and low income. While whites constitute the largest ethnic group, minority groups—African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, American Indian, and multiracial children—made up 51 percent of students enrolled in the 15 Southern states. The increase in the minority student population is the result of the immigration of Latinos and African-Americans returning to the South starting in 1978, along with higher birth rates among Latino and African-Americans. Low-income students became the majority in the South in the 2005-2006 school year, when 53 percent of the student population became eligible to receive free and reduced lunch.
States such as Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina, and Utah pass laws cracking down on illegal immigration, leading to a small exodus of Latino families from communities and classrooms in those states.
A review of Census data finds that 15.5 percent of new marriages are between people of different races or ethnic groups. In 2010, intermarriages account for 8.4 percent of all marriages, up from 3.2 percent in 1980.
The U.S. Census Bureau projects that the United States will become a majority-minority nation for the first time in 2043, with non-Hispanic whites making up the single largest ethnic group, followed by Hispanics.
