Country of Origin Comparison
Grade Levels: 8 - 12
Objectives
- Students will learn facts about U.S. demographics.
- Students will interpret statistics.
- Students will develop hypotheses and build supporting arguments.
- Students will grow in their understanding of the driving forces behind immigration.
Materials
- Reference materials
Procedures
- Prepare two graphs titled, "Percent of U.S. Foreign Born" using the following data:
| Region of birth reported | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Total 1 | Europe | Asia | Africa | Oceania | Latin America | North America |
| 2004 | 34,244,000 | 4,661,000 | 8,685,000 | n.a | n.a | 18,314,000 | n.a. |
| 1990 | 19,767,316 | 4,350,403 | 4,979,037 | 363,819 | 104,145 | 8,407,837 | 753,917 |
| 1980 | 14,079,906 | 5,149,572 | 2,539,777 | 199,723 | 77,577 | 4,372,487 | 853,427 |
| 1970 | 9,619,302 | 5,740,891 | 824,887 | 80,143 | 41,258 | 1,803,970 | 812,421 |
| 1960 | 9,738,091 | 7,256,311 | 490,996 | 35,355 | 34,730 | 908,309 | 952,500 |
| 1930 | 14,204,149 | 11,784,010 | 275,665 | 18,326 | 17,343 | 791,840 | 1,310,369 |
| 1920 | 13,920,692 | 11,916,048 | 237,950 | 16,126 | 14,626 | 588,843 | 1,138,174 |
| 1910 | 13,515,886 | 11,810,115 | 191,484 | 3,992 | 11,450 | 279,514 | 1,209,717 |
| 1900 | 10,341,276 | 8,881,548 | 120,248 | 2,538 | 8,820 | 137,458 | 1,179,922 |
| 1890 | 9,249,547 | 8,030,347 | 113,383 | 2,207 | 9,353 | 107,307 | 980,938 |
| 1880 | 6,679,943 | 5,751,823 | 107,630 | 2,204 | 6,859 | 90,073 | 717,286 |
| 1870 | 5,567,229 | 4,941,049 | 64,565 | 2,657 | 4,028 | 57,871 | 493,467 |
| 1860 | 4,138,697 | 3,807,062 | 36,796 | 526 | 2,140 | 38,315 | 249,970 |
| 1850 | 2,244,602 | 2,031,867 | 1,135 | 551 | 588 | 20,773 | 147,711 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, February 22nd, 2005.
- Ask students to hypothesize the causes of the shifting ratios of national origins of immigrants. Hypotheses should consider driving forces including: world politics and economies, human rights issues, population density, technology (especially transportation and communications), American attitudes toward foreigners, U.S. law.
- Assign students to build supporting arguments for their hypotheses based on researched facts.
- Additional discussion topics may include:
How would the experience of immigrants in 1900 differ from the experience of immigrants today? (mode of travel and time to complete journey, finding work, education of children in U.S., living conditions in U.S.) - How would expectations of immigrants differ today from the expectations of immigrants in 1900? How would expectations be similar?
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