Study Shows Asian Immigrant Arrivals Now Surpass Those of Hispanics

The study by the Pew Research Center, an American think tank details what it describes as “the rise of Asian-Americans”, a highly diverse and fast-growing group that makes up nearly 6 percent of the US population. In 2010, about 430,000 Asian immigrants arrived representing 36 percent of all new immigrants to the US compared to about 370,000 Hispanics about 31 percent of new immigrants to the US.

The Pew analysis believes that the increase in Asian immigrants likely began in 2009 as illegal immigrants crossing the border from Mexico sharply declined due to increased immigration enforcement and a decrease in job opportunities in the US due to the bad economy.

The study also found that roughly 6 in 10 international students studying at US colleges immigrate from Asian countries.