|
|
________________________________________________________
! State population: 2,538,000 (1998 CB est.) !
! Foreign-born population: 55,000 (1998 CPS) !
! Percent foreign born: 2.2% (1998) !
! Foreign-born stock: 127,000 (1997 CB est.) !
! Illegal alien population: 5,400 (1996 INS est.) !
! New legal immigrants: 9,797 (1991 to 1997) !
! 2050 pop. projection: 3,055,000 (1996 CB proj.) !
!________________________________________________________!
CENSUS DATA ON THE FOREIGN BORN
Arkansas has a low immigrant share compared to elsewhere in the nation, but the number is
growing. The foreign-born number in 1990 was 25,000, which puts that share of the state's
population at 1.1% compared to 7.9% for the country.
The Arkansas county with the greatest concentration of immigrants is Sevier County, where the share is 3.6% immigrant. Second is Sebastian County, with 3.3% foreign born.
The Little Rock-North Little Rock metropolitan area has only a slightly higher immigrant share (1.4%) than the state overall, but the largest number of immigrants (7,100) of any of the state's municipal areas. The Fort Smith municipal area has the state's highest immigrant concentration, with 5.1% of its population foreign born.
The number of foreign born in Arkansas grew by about 3,000 over the number in the 1980 Census. The composition of the state's immigrant population was changing. Arkansas' foreign-born nationality groups that had more than 1,000 in 1990 included three with declining numbers: from Germany (-16%), Canada (-7%) and Vietnam (-23%). Four others had growing populations: from Mexico (+308%), U.K. (+2%), Laos (+348%) and the Philippines (+87%).
1980 Census 1990 Census 1 Germany 3,179 Germany 2,666 2 U.K. 1,935 Mexico 2,507 3 Vietnam 1,623 U.K. 1,971 4 Canada 1,518 Laos 1,667 5 Mexico 615 Canada 1,407 6 Korea 570 Vietnam 1,243 7 Philip. 556 Philip. 1,037 8 Japan 532 Korea 827 9 Iran 508 Japan 715 10 Poland 485 India 698 All Others 10,850 All Others 10,129 Total 22,371 Total 24,867
THE IMMIGRANT STOCK
There are about 127,000 people in Arkansas who may be considered "immgrant stock."
The immigrant stock is a term that refers to first generation immigrants, the "1.5 generation"
(children of immigrants who are born abroad), and the second generation (the native-born Americans whose parents immigrated).
1998 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
1988 data indicate that the state population has increased over the year by about 15,000 and
about the same number of new immigrants arrived. As a result the foreign-born share increased
to 2.2 percent. Since the 1990 Census, the Census Bureau estimates that the state has received a
net increase in population from other states of 105,000 and a net increase of over 9,000 foreign
residents.
1997 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
Over one-fifth of the immigrant increase from 1990 to 1997 occurred in Pulaski County (Little
Rock), the rest was spread out around the state.
The one-third of the immigrant population that had become U.S. citizens by 1997 was only slightly less than the national average (35%).
NET INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
The Census Bureau estimates that Arkansas' population increased by 16,526 over the last
year (ending in July 1997). Compared to that overall increase, net international migration
accounted for an estimated increase of 1,243. Thus immigration accounted for under eight
percent of the state's population increase (that is about three-tenths of the national median share
of population increase due to immigration).
POPULATION CHANGE 1900-2000
It helps to have a clear perspective of the past population change that the state has experienced
when considering the role of immigration in Arkansas' current and future population change.
Over the past 40 years, the population of the state has increased by more than half. More of
recent population growth has come from net inter-state and international migration than from
natural population change, e.g., birth rates, to which immigrants also contribute.
POPULATION PROJECTION
The 1996 Census Bureau population projection has Arkansas' population growing by 23%
between 1995 and 2025 (to 3,055,000). That is the 24th fastest projected rate of growth in the
country.
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 Arkansas, the high projection could mean a population in 2050 of 3,750,000 to 4,200,000. 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
INS DATA ON IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT
Legal immigrant settlement in Arkansas since 1990 has averaged about 1,400 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.
Just among the long-term resident amnesty applicants (excluding the amnestied agricultural workers), the number of applicants from Arkansas was 680.
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. INS DATA BY NATIONALITY: FY'91-FY'97
The 21 nationalities (Hong Kong and Taiwan included with mainland Chinese, and the former
Soviet Union represented by Russia and Ukraine since FY'96) constitute over four-fifths
(80%) of all immigrant settlement and adjustment in Arkansas during this seven-year period.
The major source country is Mexico with about one-third of the total.
Local Office -- INS FORT SMITH
ILLEGAL RESIDENT ALIENS
OTHER
The debate in Rogers, Arkansas between Americans for an Immigration Moratorium and Mayor
John Sampier results from different perceptions. All agree that there has been a very rapid influx
of Spanish-speaking residents -- rising from one percent of the population in 1990 to 12 percent
today. The mayor sees the newcomers -- most of whom are said to be legal residents -- as
needed workers for the poultry industry, peaceable, tax-paying, house-buying, charity-giving
assets. The contrary point of view is that the newcomers are rapidly changing the character of
the community, are contributing to crowding, crime, racial tensions, traffic problems and are a
burden on the local taxpayers. Arrest data suggest that Hispanics are contributing less than their
share to the crime rate (8% of the arrests compared to 12% of the population), but there has also
been an increase in nonviolent gang activity. There is no doubt that there are additional taxpayer
outlays for the English as a Second Language program in the schools, but the local school
officials say the funds "are state allocations the district would not otherwise receive."
Washington Times, March 24, 1998.
LOCAL ORGANIZATION
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
FAIR, 12/99
Immigrant settlement in Arkansas -- 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.
FY LEGAL IMMIGRATION
91 2,559 by nationality
92 1,039 by nationality
93 1,312 by nationality
94 1,031 by nationality
95 934 by nationality
96 1,494 by nationality
97 1,428 by nationality
Total 9,797 by nationality (below)
The INS data below are the totals for the countries with the largest number of immigrants
admitted or adjusted to legal residence since 1990. 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 Arkansas during the seven-year period. For example, data on German immigrants are for five years and
Yugoslavians are included for only three of the seven years. Canada 218
China * 555
Colombia 53
El Salvador 220
Germany + 209
Guatemala 76
India 461
Iran 129
Ireland ++ 86
Jamaica 40
Korea 176
Mexico 3,249
Pakistan 64
Peru 42
Philippines 548
Poland 52
Soviet Union 166
United K. 560
Vietnam 935
Yugoslavia +++ 40
Other 1,918
Total 9,797
* Includes Hong Kong and Taiwan when available
+ 5 yrs. of data available
++ 4 yrs. of data available
+++ 3 yrs. of data available
The INS estimates that as of April 1996 there were about 12,300 legal resident aliens in Arkansas
-- legal immigrants who had not yet become U.S. citizens -- of whom 7,100 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 offices that
handle naturalization cases and fingerprinting are located at:
ROOM T-8011
701 LOYOLA AVENUE
NEW ORLEANS, LA 70113
Tel. (504) 589-6107 - FAX (504) 589-6121
BLDG. D
4991 OLD GREENWOOD BUS PARK
FORT SMITH, AR 72903
The INS estimates the resident illegal alien population of Arkansas at 5,400 in October,
1996. That is an increase by nearly 25% from the earlier estimate of 4,400 in October 1992.
****************************************
* INS -Investigations - W. Arkansas: *
* Ft. Smith (501) 646-4722 *
* INS -Investigations - E. Arkansas: *
* Memphis (901) 544-0256 *
****************************************
A local organization, Americans for an Immigration Moratorium, was the topic of an
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article on June 8, 1997. The group, headed by Dan Morris
of Fayetteville, points to a heavy concentration of Hispanics who have migrated to Northwest
Arkansas since 1990, many of whom are presumably illegal aliens. Local law enforcement
officials complain that federal authorities often refuse to take illegal aliens apprehended by local
officers off their hands.
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, June 8, 1997.
Americans for an Immigration Moratorium is an immigration reform group in Northwest
Arkansas. Interested persons should contact:
Dan Morris at (501) 631-4045 or Scott Leachman at (501) 936-8067.
or write
AIM (Americans for an Immigration Moratorium)
100 N. Dixieland Road, D2 255
Rogers, AR 72756
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 Arkansas Page.
