Abstract
This data brief is the second in a series that profiles children of immigrants using up-to-date Census data and other sources. The first brief highlighted the fast growth of the immigrant population and the increase in children of immigrants, along with important demographic trends. The current publication describes the family circumstances of children of immigrants, including family structure and parental employment.
The text below is an excerpt from the complete document. Read the full report in PDF format.
Introduction
This data brief is the second in a series that profiles children
of immigrants using up-to-date census data and
other sources.1 The first brief highlighted the fast growth
of the immigrant population and the increase in children of
immigrants, along with important demographic trends. The
current publication describes the family circumstances of
children of immigrants, including family structure and
parental employment.
Half of Children of Immigrants Live with Two
Foreign-Born Parents, and a Quarter Live with
a Native-Born and a Foreign-Born Parent
- Twenty-three percent of U.S. children live with at least one
foreign-born parent in the household (figure 1).2 Children
with two foreign-born parents account for 12 percent of
all children, and those living with a single foreign-born
parent compose 6 percent of all U.S. children. Children
living with one foreign- and one native-born parent
represent 5 percent of U.S. children.
- Among children of immigrants, half (52 percent) live with
two foreign-born parents (figure 2). About a quarter
(24 percent) live with a single foreign-born parent, and the
same share live with a foreign- and a native-born parent.
- Children with parents from the Middle East and South
Asia ("Middle East" for short) are the most likely to live
with two foreign-born parents (73 percent) and the least
likely to live with a single parent.3 Children with parents
from Europe, Canada, and Australia ("Europe"), on the
other hand, are the most likely to live with a foreign- and
a native-born parent (51 percent).
- Children of Central American origin are the most likely to
live with a single foreign-born parent (38 percent), followed
by children with parents from Africa and the West Indies
("Africa," 34 percent) and children with parents from
Mexico (28 percent).
(End of excerpt. The full report is available in PDF format.)
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