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! State population: 614,000 (1998 CB est.) !
! Foreign-born population: 36,000 (1998 CPS) !
! Percent foreign born: 5.9% (1998) !
! Foreign-born stock: 17,000 (1997 CB est.) !
! Illegal alien population: 3,700 (1996 INS est.) !
! New legal immigrants: 8,494 (1991 to 1997) !
! 2025 pop. projection: 885,000 (1996 CB proj.) !
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1990 CENSUS DATA ON THE FOREIGN BORN
Alaska had an immigrant population of about 25,000 in the 1990 Census. This number is more than half again the level in the 1980 Census. The increase is the 9th highest rate of increase in the country. The immigrant population in Alaska in 1990 constituted about 4.5 of the overall population.
Of the seven national groups that had over 1,000 immigrants in Alaska in 1990, all of them had grown since 1980 except for those born in Germany (-6%). The others were Philippines (+455%), Korea (+137%), Canada (+7%), Mexico (+243%), U.K. (+29%) and Japan (+14%).
1980 Census 1990 Census 1 Canada 2,372 Philip. 5,119 2 Philip. 2,007 Korea 3,061 3 Germany 1,659 Canada 2,538 4 Korea 1,269 Germany 1,553 5 U.K. 966 Mexico 1,457 6 Japan 921 U.K. 1,246 7 Mexico 425 Japan 1,053 8 Norway 377 Yugo. 373 9 Vietnam 276 China 358 10 France 225 Vietnam 299 All Others 5,719 All Others 7,757 Total 16,216 Total 24,814
INS data indicate that the average number of new immigrants since 1990 who indicated Alaska as their intended residence has been over 1,200 per year through FY'96. This number of new immigrants ranks Alaska ahead of 7 other states and, on a per capita basis, ahead of 28 other states in terms of immigrant newcomers.
THE IMMIGRANT STOCK
1998 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
The 1998 CPS data, analyzed by the Center for Immigration Studies, indicates a recent jump in immigrant settlement, with the increase larger than the overall increase in the state's population. As a result the share of the population that is foreign born increased to 5.6 percent.
The Census Bureau estimates that, since the 1990 Census, the immigrant population has increased by a net amount of over 8,000 while it had a net lost of over 21,000 residents to other states.
1997 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
Over half of the state's increasing immigrant population was in the Anchorage Borough. Anchorage also had an exodus from net domestic migration that exceeded the influx of immigrants.
In 1997 the share of Alaska's immigrants that were naturalized as U.S. citizens was nearly 60 percent, one of the highest rates in the country. This typifies a more settled immigrant community.
NET INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
The Census Bureau estimates that Alaska's population increased by 4,345 over the last year (ending in July 1997). Compared to that overall increase, net international migration accounted for an estimated increase of 943. Thus immigration accounted for about 22 percent of the state's population increase (that is just slightly lower that the national median share of population increase due to immigration).
INS DATA ON IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT
Immigrant settlement in Alaska -- as in states that are heavily impacted by immigration --
has been characterized by a steady rise since the adoption of the current immigration system in 1965.
Legal immigrant settlement in Alaska since 1990 has averaged over 1,200 per year. The number for fiscal year (FY) 1991 was artificially raised by the inclusion of some of the former illegal aliens who were amnestied in 1986. The data for FY'95 and FY'97 were artificially low because the INS was not able to issue green cards to all the applicants for adjustment of status who were already in the United States. In those two years, new immigration could have registered as much as 30 percent higher, if the INS had issued more visas.
FY LEGAL IMMIGRATION 91 1,525 by nationality 92 1,165 by nationality 93 1,286 by nationality 94 1,129 by nationality 95 1,049 by nationality 96 1,280 by nationality 97 1,060 Total 8,494 by nationality below
INS DATA BY NATIONALITY: FY'91 - FY'97
The INS data below are furnished for nationals of the countries with the largest number of
immigrants admitted or adjusted to legal residence each year since 1990. The absence of data
means that the total number of admissions to the United States by nationals of that country were
not enough to merit detailed reporting in that year.
The nationalities may change each year, so the totals in some cases will not reflect all the immigrants of that nationality who have become legal immigrants in Alaska during the seven-year period. The 23 nationalities (Hong Kong and Taiwan included with mainland Chinese, and Russia and Ukraine included with Soviet Union) represent nearly two-thirds (65%) of all immigrant settlement and adjustment in Alaska during this period.
Canada 417 China * 359 Colombia 100 Cuba 12 Dominican R. 199 El Salvador 62 Germany 110 Guatemala 43 India 113 Iran 36 Ireland 30 Jamaica 27 Japan 42 Korea 695 Mexico 763 Pakistan 25 Peru 108 Philippines 2,523 Poland 222 Soviet Union 483 United K. 177 Vietnam 263 Yugoslavia 73 Other 552 Total 8,494Note that legal immigrant settlement data during this period was influenced by adjustment of status of immigrants who had been in illegal status until the amnesty that was adopted in the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). This IRCA adjustment data -- which was still at the surge level in FY-91 affected adjustments in Alaska, principally with about 250 Mexicans adjusting to legal status in FY-91.
POPULATION CHANGE 1900-2000
When considering the role of immigration in Alaska's current and future population change, it is helpful to have a clear perspective of the past population change that the state has experienced. Over the past 50 years, the population of the state has more than doubled. Most of recent population growth has come from natural birth rates, but the arrival of immigrants has also been a major factor in the recent increase. At the same time there is a net outflow of Alaskans elsewhere.
POPULATION PROJECTION
The 1996 Census Bureau population projection has Alaska's population growing by 47% between 1995 and 2025 (to 885,000). That is the 8th fastest projected rate of growth in the country. The rate of increase in the foreign-born population between 1980 and 1990 was an even higher than the projected rate, and it is clear that the projection contemplates continued high-volume immigrant settlement in the state.
The Census Bureau population projection noted above is the "middle" projection, and it assumes immigration at a net annual increase of 820,000. There are other projections based on different assumptions. In the Census Bureau's "high" immigration projection, assuming annual net immigration of 1,370,000, the population in 2025 is more than six percent higher than in the middle projection, and it is over 11 percent higher by 2050. For Alaska, the high projection could mean a population in 2050 of 1,100,000 to 1,200,000. If immigration were significantly scaled back, the population increase attributable to immigration and the population spill-over effects from other states could be significantly reduced over time. See Immigration and Population Growth
METROPOLITAN AREA DATA - ANCHORAGE
SOCIAL PROBLEMS
An Alaskan who resides on an island related to us in late May, 1997 the problem caused in the community of about 10,000 when a pulp mill closed and many people lost their jobs. The difficulty in finding alternative employment was aggravated by a recent surge of people who spoke little or no English [presumably legal or illegal immigrants] who were willing to work for the minimum wage in jobs that had previously been paying higher salaries. The writer said that these newcomers could undercut the local residents because they lived several families in the same housing compared to the native population which had single family dwellings and mortgage payments to meet.
INS ESTIMATE OF ALIENS ELIGIBLE FOR CITIZENSHIP
The INS estimates that as of April 1996 there were about 10,900 legal resident aliens in Alaska -- legal immigrants who had not yet become U.S. citizens -- of whom 4,800 had met the residency requirement to apply for citizenship. Included in this number could be aliens who had already applied for naturalization and were in the processing waiting list. The INS office that handles naturalization cases is located at:
INS ANCHORAGE
SUITE 102
620 E. 10TH AVENUE
ANCHORAGE, AK 99501
ILLEGAL RESIDENT ALIENS
Alaska has the distinction of having the highest rate of increase in the nation of its resident illegal alien population according to estimates of the INS.
The INS estimate of the resident illegal alien population of Alaska in October 1996 was 3,700, which was a 1,300 (54%) increase over its estimate of 2,400 in October 1992.
**************************************** * INS - Investigations - Alaska: * * Fairbanks (907) 474-1025 * ****************************************
On May 22, the INS rounded up some 160 illegal alien workers in Anchorage. The sweep followed INS investigations into the employment records of restaurant and hotel industry enterprises. The employers were informed in advance that many of the impending sweep and the fact that it appeared that they had employees who were illegal.
(Source: MSNBC, KTUU-TV, channel 2, Anchorage, May 22, 1998)
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
You can now access the voting record of your representatives in Congress regarding immigration issues with our scorecard page or go to numbersusa.com for their legislative scorecards. Just hit the back button to return to the FAIR Alaska Page.
FAIR, 11/99.
