What percent of Congress is Foreign-Born?
Critical Analysis
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above, any links below, your big brain, and your knowledge of American government and politics:
According to the data from the visual above, what portion of 118th Congress is foreign-born?
According to the data from the visual above, what year had the highest portion congress members who were foreign-born?
According to the data from the visual above, since the 90th Congress in 1960, describe the trend in the portion of Congress that is foreign-born.
What do you believe best explains that trend?
There are currently 18 foreign-born voting members of Congress, including 17 in the House of Representatives and one in the Senate – Democrat Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, who was born in Japan. Together, they represent 3% of all voting members across both legislative chambers. According to the data from the visual below* approximately 13.6% of Americans were foreign-born in 2021. What best explains the difference in the percentage of foreign-born Congress members compared to the percentage of foreign-born Americans?
At least 63 additional lawmakers – 47 representatives and 16 senators – have one or more immigrant parent. Overall, these children of immigrants make up 12% of the House and Senate. Immigrants and children of immigrants account for at least 15% of the 118th Congress, a share that has steadily grown over the past three Congresses. At least 81 voting members of Congress are foreign born or have at least one parent who was born in another country. Considering the increasing rate of foreign-born Americans (as shown in the visual below*), predict what will happen to the percent of immigrants in Congress in the future.
Looking at all 81 immigrants and children of immigrants in the current Congress, Democrats make up a much larger portion of the group than Republicans. Among the 17 senators who are foreign born or have an immigrant parent, 12 are Democrats, four are Republicans (Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida, Jim Risch of Idaho, John Thune of South Dakota and Ted Cruz of Texas) and one is an independent – Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, whose father emigrated from Poland. In the House, 48 of the 64 lawmakers who are immigrants or children of immigrants are Democrats, while 16 are Republicans. Why do you think that the majority of immigrant and children of immigrant lawmakers are Democrats instead of Republicans?
Members of Congress can be foreign born. What does Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution say about the eligibility of a foreign-born person to be the President of the United States?
According to the data from the visual below*, what region of the world do most foreign-born members of congress come from?
Nearly half of all immigrants, children of immigrants in the 118th Congress represent Western states. Why do you think that is?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Contact your state delegation to the U.S. Congress: Your two senator and one member of the House of Representatives. Ask them to share their birth status (foreign or native born) and share their response with your classmates.
Get Creative
If the U.S. Congress were a sports team, what team would they be?
Learn More
Check out this list of all the U.S. Senators ever to be born outside of the United States. Then read the Pew Research Center Report on the percentage of congress that is foreign born (caution: naughty language, not appropriate for children).