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Who Dat? Immigrants in the Gulf South
Immigration by Numbers
By Anna Alicia Chavez, JSRI Immigration Specialist, and Christi Schott
Between 2000 and 2008, the immigrant population in the United States grew from an estimated 31 million to 37.9 million. Much of this growth has been in the Gulf South. In fact, the Gulf South is home to one fifth of the nation’s immigrants. Recent updates from the Migration Policy Institute show that between 2000 and 2008, Mississippi ranked fifth and Alabama sixth in the nation for the largest percentage growth in immigrant populations. Texas ranked second and Florida third for the largest numeric growth in immigrant populations, and Texas ranked third and Florida fourth for the largest immigrant populations. Today, as is in past generations, immigrants contribute to our society in significant ways. In this summer’s issue of JustSouth Quarterly, we feature statistics and characteristics of immigrants in the Gulf South.