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! State population: 3,347,000 (1998 CB est.) !
! Foreign-born population: 66,000 (1998 CPS) !
! Percent foreign born: 2.0% (1998) !
! Foreign-born stock: 190,000 (1997 CB est.) !
! Illegal alien population: 21,000 (1996 INS est.) !
! New legal immigrants: 24,680 (1991 to 1997) !
! 2025 pop. projection: 4,057,000 (1996 CB proj.) !
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1990 CENSUS DATA ON THE FOREIGN-BORN
Between 1980 and 1990 Oklahoma's overall population grew by about 3.5 percent while its
foreign-born population grew by over 16 percent. The 65,000 foreign born, who accounted for
about two percent of Oklahoma's population in 1990, accounted for 8.6 percent of the state's
population growth during the previous decade.
A more than doubling of Oklahoma's Mexican-born population accounted for most of the state's immigrant growth during the 1980s. The number of residents born in Germany, which was the largest foreign national group in 1980, declined and moved to third place behind Mexico and Vietnam
1980 Census 1990 Census 1 Germany 6,768 Mexico 13,686 2 Mexico 5,531 Vietnam 5,696 3 Vietnam 3,769 Germany 5,502 4 U.K. 3,476 U.K. 3,300 5 Iran 3,193 Korea 3,099 6 Canada 2,729 Canada 2,576 7 Korea 2,256 India 2,496 8 Japan 1,865 Philip. 1,860 9 India 1,514 Japan 1,582 10 Philip. 1,221 Iran 1,536 All Others 23,972 All Others 24,156 Total 56,294 Total 65,489
THE IMMIGRANT STOCK
There were about 190 thousand people in Oklahoma in 1997 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 CPS DATA ON THE FOREIGN BORN
In the most recent Census Bureau estimate, Oklahoma's overall population increased by about
70,000 over the previous year. The 1998 CPS data, analyzed by the Center for Immigration
Studies, showed the immigrant population dropped by 1,000. (FAIR Comment: It seems
unlikely the foreign-born population dropped unless there was a significant re-migration of
immigrants to other states. It seems more likely that there was some sampling error.) As a result
of these two trends, the share of the state's population comprised of immigrants remained
unchanged at two percent.
The Census Bureau calculates that since the 1990 Census the state's population has increased by
over 26,000 because of immigration, more than half of the amount of increase from net domestic
increase of about 48,000.
1997 CURRENT POPULATION SURVEY (CPS) DATA
Over three-fifths of the state's immigrant increase since 1990 was located in the Oklahoma City
(40%) and Tulsa (21%) metropolitan areas.
Oklahoma's immigrant population is about one-third naturalized U.S. citizens. This is about the national average.
NET INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION
The Census Bureau estimates that Oklahoma's population increased by 21,776 over the last
year (ending in July 1997). Compared to that overall increase, net international migration
accounted for an estimated increase of 3,147. Thus Oklahoma's rising immigrant share
accounted for about 15 percent of its population growth. This amount of immigration-caused
increase is below the national average.
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 Oklahoma's current and future population change.
Over the past 50 years, the population of the state has increased by about one million, nearly half
again. Although most of recent population growth has come natural increase (births minus
deaths), both net international and inter-state migration have played a major role, and immigrants
have also added to the birth rates fuelling natural increase.
POPULATION PROJECTION
The 1997 Census Bureau population projection has Oklahoma's population growing by 24%
between 1995 and 2025 (to 4,057,000). That is the 23rd fastest projected rate of growth in the
country. The rate of increase in the foreign-born population between 1980 and 1990 was
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 Oklahoma, the high projection could mean a population in 2050 of 4,800,000 to 5,250,000. If today's mass 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
CITY DATA -- OKLAHOMA CITY, and TULSA
METROPOLITAN AREA DATA -- OKLAHOMA CITY
INS DATA ON IMMIGRANT SETTLEMENT
Legal immigrant settlement in Oklahoma since 1990 has averaged over 3,500 per year. The data
for fiscal year (FY) 1991 were 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 applying from Oklahoma was 6,517.
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 26 nationalities (Hong Kong and Taiwan included with mainland Chinese, and the former
Soviet Union represented by Russia and Ukraine since FY'96) constitute about seven-eighths
(83%) of all immigrant settlement and adjustment in Oklahoma during this seven-year period.
The major source country is Mexico with over one-third of the total.
In late July and August 1996 the INS and other agencies identified 103 illegal aliens working
in Oklahoma. Nearly all of the aliens were from Mexico (97%) or Central America. The
enforcement effort was conducted in 13 central states, and Oklahoma accounted for the eighth
largest number of the work site apprehensions after Texas, New Mexico, Minnesota, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Wyoming and Illinois.
Juan Adame Sainz, 40, a labor contractor, faces up to 15 months in prison when he is sentenced
Tuesday for smuggling undocumented workers from Mexico to pick corn on the Western Slope.
During the corn harvest, Adames supplied nearly 100 farm workers. Federal immigration
authorities called the sentencing of their biggest case against a Colorado employer for hiring
illegal workers. In the past they had been stumped because they could arrest only smugglers or
motorists transporting illegal workers, but this is one of the first times agents have gone up the
chain. "It's one of our first efforts where we have linked smuggling to an employer," said Troy
Henley, supervisory special agent for the Immigration and Naturalization Service's
anti-smuggling unit in Colorado.
STATE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION VOTING RECORD
FAIR, 12/99.
Immigrant settlement in Oklahoma has risen since
the adoption of the current immigration system in 1965. The recent rate of new immigrants is more than three times the rate of the late 1960s.
FY LEGAL IMMIGRATION
91 6,403 by nationality
92 3,147 by nationality
93 2,942 by nationality
94 2,728 by nationality
95 2,792 by nationality
96 3,511 by nationality
97 3,157 by nationality
Total 24,680 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 Oklahoma during the seven-year period. For example, data on Hondurans,
and Yugoslavians are included for only three of the seven years. Bangladesh + 90
Canada 514
China * 1,407
Colombia 134
Cuba 39
Dominican R. 27
El Salvador 108
Germany 444
Guatemala 227
Haiti 23
Honduras + 82
India 1,532
Iran 671
Jamaica 48
Korea 622
Mexico 8,296
Nigeria 162
Pakistan 294
Peru 252
Philippines 885
Poland 74
Soviet Union 278
United K. 550
Vietnam 3,571
Yugoslavia + 58
Other 4,237
Total 24,680
* Includes Hong Kong and Taiwan when available
+ 3 yrs. of data available
++ 5 yrs. of data available
The INS estimates that in October 1996 the resident illegal alien population in Oklahoma had
reached 21,000 from an estimated 17,000 four years earlier. Thus it is possible that one in every
three immigrants is illegally in the country.
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* INS - Investigations - Oklahoma: *
* Oklahoma City (405) 231-4595 *
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(Source: INS News Release, September 5, 1996)
(Source: Rocky Mountain News, February 22, 1999)
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