Foreign Born Americans

Critical Analysis

1. According to the data from the graph above, what percent of Americans were foreign born in 2020?

2. Identify one trend from the graph above.

3. Explain one cause of the current trend in the immigrant share of U.S. population.

4. Although the percent of foreign born Americans has not changed dramatically since 1850, since 1970 the total number of foreign born Americans has increased dramatically. How has that increase impacted U.S. politics?

5. How do you think this historically high level of foreign born Americans affected the 2020 election and the MAGA movement?

6. Do you think that all people born in America should automatically get citizenship?

7. Even if the legislature is hesitant to change immigration law, what are some steps the executive branch can take to influence U.S. immigration policy?

8. What are the top home countries of foreign born Americans?*

9. In America and beyond, what are some factors that influence migration?

10. Explain your opinion of the following statement: "The more immigrants to the U.S. the better."

Learning Extension

Go to the Our World In Data website and use their wicked cool interactive tools to watch the rate of change of foreign born populations over the past half century. Pretty nifty, huh?

Action Extension

America has long been a country of immigrants. Contact the White House and let them know whether you think they should build walls or bridges with the rest of the world, encouraging or discouraging more immigration.

Visual Extension*

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Migration Policy Institute