When Surveys Fail: An Alternative for Data Collection

Abstract

Immigration to the United States has grown steadily since the 1960s and is now one of the most important demographic factors affecting U.S. society. Between 1980 and 1990, immigration accounted for more than one third of net U.S. population growth, and over the next 50 years, two thirds of net growth will stem from the arrival of immigrants or the birth of their children. By far, the most important source country is Mexico. During the 1980s, 3 million Mexicans entered the United States legally and another 800,000 arrived without documents; and in the first half of the 1990s, 2.2 million Mexicans entered legally and 900,000 arrived illegally (Passel, 1995; U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1992).