Migration Information Source Offers Instant, Online Access to State-by-State Data on U.S. Foreign-Born Population
Washington, D.C. - An interactive, online map providing instant access to detailed, state-by-state data on the foreign-born population of the United States is now available from the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) at its Migration Information Source website (www.migrationinformation.org).
The new interactive map delivers data on the size, composition, and socio-economic characteristics of the foreign-born population at the state level, comparing data from the 1990 and 2000 censuses. Designed to meet the needs of federal, state, and local policy makers, journalists and non-governmental organizations, the map marks the latest use of cutting-edge internet technology by the Migration Information Source (The Source), an MPI online publication that provides timely and accurate data and analysis on migration and refugee issues.
"The foreign-born population of the U.S. grew by 11.3 million over the last decade, but the impact has been felt to greater or lesser degrees across the country in terms of size, changes, and composition," said Kimberly Hamilton, managing editor of The Source. "This map makes it much easier to grasp these dynamics at the state level, and to focus on key policy issues."
By clicking on a particular state, map users can instantly generate a fact sheet that includes how many foreign-born people live there, how much the population has changed in numeric and percentage terms, and how the state ranks in comparison with others. Many states have experienced enormous growth in their foreign-born population, while others have remained more or less unchanged, spurring policy debates about migration management.
"As debates about immigration grow increasingly polarized, the role of solid, fundamental data has grown even more critical," said Elizabeth Grieco, data manager for The Source. "This map gives journalists the data and information needed to understand migration's varying impact at the state level, and provides policy makers with the necessary facts to craft sound policies."
The Source, a first-of-its-kind resource, gathers data in one easy-to-use online database, and presents the data using clear graphs and charts with concise explanations. Interactive features allow users to instantly create customized graphs of the information they need. Country profiles, issue spotlights, and analyses by experts from around the world place the data in a contemporary policy context. The Source is funded by a major grant from the J.M. Kaplan Fund, and by general support to MPI from the Ford Foundation.
The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) is an independent, non-partisan, and non-profit think tank dedicated to the study of the movement of people worldwide. The institute (www.migrationinformation.org) provides analysis, development, and evaluation of migration and refugee policies at the local, national, and international levels. It aims to meet the rising demand for pragmatic responses to the challenges and opportunities that migration presents in an ever more integrated world.