Indian Immigrants in the United States

Since the initial arrival of Asian Indian immigrants on the West Coast in the nineteenth century, their number in the U.S. has reached 2.7 million, accounting for approximately six percent of the total foreign-born population in 2021. Using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Department of Homeland Security’s Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, and the World Bank, this Migration Policy Institute article finds that the U.S. is a major destination country for many Indian immigrants -- second only to the United Arab Emirates. Indian immigrants in the U.S. are highly educated; many work in management positions, and have higher incomes than both the total foreign- and U.S.- born populations. Many Indian immigrants use employment-based channels to obtain legal permanent residence, but they are less likely to naturalize compared to other immigrant groups. Data from 2015-2019 show that Indian immigrants settle in major metropolitan areas across the U.S., including New York, Chicago, San Francisco, San Jose and Dallas. They are also highly concentrated in California (20 percent), followed by Texas (11 percent) and New Jersey (10 percent). (The Immigrant Learning Center’s Public Education Institute)

Download now or view online.