2065年亚裔移民或取代拉美裔成美国最大移民团体

Asian Immigrants² to Overtake³ Hispanics 2065年亚裔移民或取代拉美裔成美国最大移民团体

Asians are likely to be the largest group of immigrants in the United States by 2065.

That is what a new study by the Pew Research Center found last week. They say that by 2065, Asians will overtake Hispanics as the biggest immigrant¹ group.

If trends continue, immigrants and their children will add 103 million people to the U.S. population by 2065. Pew says the U.S. population could grow to 441 million in 50 years. That means, 88 percent of the growth in U.S. population will be from immigration.

Mark Choe was born in Seoul, South Korea. He came to the U.S. 30 years ago when he was 22, in search of a better life. Why did he move to America?

“Independence from my family. And more, ah, looking for opportunities.”

He found that opportunity in the small business world.

Now he owns a popular restaurant in Takoma Park, Maryland, where we met with him. He said it is easier for second-generation Americans, because they grow up in the country and the culture.

People from all over the world want to come here. Why?

“They really want to move to United States for everything. Education, and to live, and like dreaming, you know?”

Like many Asian immigrants, he came to the U.S. in search of a better life, and he found it, he says.

Changes in US immigration law

It was 50 years ago that the U.S. government passed a law that changed American immigration policy when Mark was 2 years old. Officials stopped using a quota⁴ system -- how many people could come from each country. Instead, the focus was on family reunification and skilled⁵ immigrants.

Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, it was mostly Europeans who made up the waves of immigration to U.S. shores. Once the quota system that favored European countries was changed, the national origin of people coming to the U.S. changed, too.

Since 1965, when the immigration law was changed, half of the immigrants have come from Latin⁶ America. One quarter are from Asian countries.       

As the immigrant groups change, so does the face of America. From 1965 to this year, the Hispanic share of the population went from four percent to 18 percent.  Asians rose from one percent to six percent.

The Pew study predicts that the nation’s immigrant population will keep changing. It says that the percent of foreign-born Hispanics will fall from 47 percent now, to only 31 percent by 2065.

The study also says the number of Asian immigrants is moving up, instead of down. Pew says Asians will be the largest immigrant group by 2055. They will make up more than a third of the foreign-born population by 2065. Non-Hispanic whites will be less than half of the U.S. population forty years from now.

And that means no racial or ethnic⁷ group will have a majority in the U.S.

Hispanics immigration dropping

What is causing the drop in Hispanic immigration? We asked James Witte, who is a professor, and the Director of the Institute for Immigration Research at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

“Part of it is the tightening⁸ of the border with Mexico, which then also tightens⁹ up the borders, the border for people coming from Central America, so that’s had one impact¹⁰.”

Mr. Witte also says the economy has gotten better in Mexico and Central America, and fewer people are emigrating¹¹ in search of jobs in the U.S.

He says, Asian immigrants come from countries like China, Korea, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Mr. Witte says many of them tend to be more skilled,

 “… and better educated immigrants, and that’s where a lot of the Asian immigrants have been working their way into the U.S.”

Immigration reform?

Immigration reform is a hot topic on the presidential campaign trail this year. Mr. Witte says there is a lot of talk about changing what the immigration preferences will be. He says there will probably be a need for both high skill and low skill workers.

For high skill, it will be for people with math and science skills that Americans don’t have. Employers¹² are looking to fill high skilled jobs quickly. Americans’ abilities in math and science are less than some in other countries. Mr. Witte says reform should come in both fields:

“So I think that the questions of immigration and our education system need to be handled at the same time.”

As for low skill, less-educated immigrants will take jobs that require little knowledge or experience. Those are typically also low paying.

President Barack Obama announced a “pivot towards Asia” foreign policy. It will happen, too, with immigration. As the Internet also pulls people together, Mr. Witte says, the growing immigrant population in America will create closer ties to those in their home countries.

“These connections and ties that are built can be a real source of stability¹³, and I think that’s the positive way to look at it. Is here is the opportunity through new Americans to build stronger relationships with the rest of the world.”

And that, he says, is a good thing,.

Words in This Story

trend (s) –n; to extend¹⁴ in a general direction (or intransitive verb?)

quota –n; an official limit on the number or amount of people allowed

emigrating -v; leaving one country for another

hot topic – phrase; something many people are talking about

preference (s) –n;  an advantage given to some people or things over others

stability –n; something that is not easily changed

opportunity –n; something that is not easily changed or likely to change

1 immigrant   

adj.(从国外)移来的，移民的；n.移民，侨民

参考例句：

• Life in the USA was very hard for almost every new immigrant.美国的生活几乎对每一个新移民都很艰难。
• I'd like to obtain some information about applying for an immigrant visa.我想取一些申请移民签证的资料。

2 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 overtake   

v.追上，赶过，超过；袭击，压倒

参考例句：

• I had to walk very fast to overtake you.我不得不快走才能赶过你。
• No one could overtake him.没有人能超过他。

4 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

5 skilled   

adj.(in)熟练的，有技能的；需要技能的

参考例句：

• Unskilled workers usually earn less money than skilled workers.无技能的工人通常比有技能的工人挣钱少。
• She was skilled enough in French to translate a novel.她法语娴熟，足以翻译小说。

6 Latin   

adj.拉丁的，拉丁语的，拉丁人的；n.拉丁语

参考例句：

• She learned Latin without a master.她无师自通学会了拉丁语。
• Please use only Latin characters.请仅使用拉丁文字符。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 tightens   

收紧( tighten的第三人称单数 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• One set of provisions tightens emission standards. 一套使排放标准更加严格的规定。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Requires no special tools or fittings; hand tightens to relief valve outlet. 不需要专用工具或管件；用手将其紧固到安全阀上即可。

10 impact   

n.冲击，碰撞；影响；vt.装紧，压紧

参考例句：

• The computer had made a great impact on modern life.计算机对现代生活产生了巨大的影响.
• How will the war impact on such a poet?战争对这样一个诗人会产生什么影响？

11 emigrating   

移居国外( emigrate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Elinor is thinking about emigrating to the United States. 埃莉诺正在考虑移居美国。
• Many British doctors are emigrating to the United States. 许多英国医生移居美国。

12 employers   

雇主( employer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Employers must consider all candidates impartially and without bias. 雇主必须公平而毫无成见地考虑所有求职者。
• The onus is on employers to follow health and safety laws. 雇主有义务遵行健康安全法。

13 stability   

n.稳定，稳固

参考例句：

• The situation is tending towards stability.局势趋于稳定。
• She lacks emotional stability.她的情绪不稳定。

14 extend   

v.伸开；展开，伸展；扩大；加大

参考例句：

• Can you extend your visit for a few days more?你能把你的访问再延长几天吗？
• The examinations extend over two weeks.考试持续两个星期。