With reports indicating that China and India are responsible for sending more legal immigrants to the United States than Mexico, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released new data revealing that the largest bloc of naturalized Americans across nine states ‒ primarily in the eastern US ‒ comprises Asian Indians.
The western and central areas of the United States are still dominated by Mexican-Americans, with Mexicans remaining the biggest single foreign group to gain US citizenship in the years 2003 to 2013 ‒ the decade to which the annualized data released by the Department of Homeland Security pertains to. By state, however, Mexicans are only the largest group in 24, with ten other nationalities in the lead in the remaining 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Indians are the largest group of naturalized citizens in nine states, with people from the Dominican Republic the biggest group in five states and topping Chinese immigrants nationwide for the first time in ten years, according to the DHS. Every year around 800,000 to 1,000,000 immigrants opt to naturalize and gain US citizenship, with the largest groups after Mexico being India, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic and then China.
Indians opting to become US citizens are growing in number, from around 30,000 per annum in 2003 to over 60,000 per annum in 2013. Although more Mexicans are taking up US citizenship in California, the Sunshine State continues to be the primary destination for Indian immigrants.