The fastest growing immigrant population in the U.S. hails from Asia. In 2011, 36% of naturalizations were from Asia. Most of these people are coming to the U.S. with bachelor’s degrees or more. Not only are they generally more highly educated than average in their native countries, they are more highly educated than Americans as a whole.

While 27% of adults ages 25 to 64 in South Korea and 25% in Japan have a bachelor’s degree or more, nearly 70% of comparably aged recent immigrants from these two countries have at least a bachelor’s degree, according to a PEW study. The average in the U.S. is 28%, and the average among Asian Americans in the U.S. is 49%.

Clearly, these legal immigrants are an asset to this country. They place a high value on education and hard work, and they often do better than American born citizens. Only 16% of Asian American newborns have an unmarried mother compared to 41% of the total U.S. population.

This picture of a highly educated, successful immigrant stands in stark contrast to the stereotype. Before addressing immigration issues it is important to realize the benefits that immigration offers.

Additional Resources

Pew Study Asian Americans: http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/files/2012/06/The-Rise-of-Asian-Americans-Full-Report.pdf