10 Facts About The New American Voting Bloc In The United States

Immigrants become US Citizens during a naturalization ceremony at the Los Angeles Convention Center. (Photo by J. Emilio Flores/CORBIS (Photo by J. Emilio Flores/Corbis via Getty Images)

By Felicia J. Persaud

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Fri. May 27, 2016: There is no denying that the electoral power which the Immigrant or New American voting populace wields is growing stronger with the passing of each Presidential election. This was evident in the fact that the number of New American voters in 2012 exceeded the margin by which President Obama either won or lost the race in 12 states four years ago. With November 2016 fast approaching, here are 10 fast facts both parties should pay attention to when it comes to the power of the immigrant vote:

1: New Americans – foreign born blacks, Latinos, and Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) are the fastest growing segments of the electorate. There were 18.1 million New Americans registered to vote in 2012, totaling 11.8 percent of all registered voters according to the American Immigration Council. This amounts to an increase of 10.6 million (or 143.1 percent) since 1996. As of  2012, 13.7 million Latinos accounted for 8.9 percent of all registered voters, while 4.8 million APIs accounted for 3.2 percent. Black voters – including foreign born naturalized black voters – accounted for 17.8 million in 2012.

2: According to the American Immigration Council, between 1996 and 2012 – the last election – the number of New American registered voters rose by 10.6 million – an increase of 143.1 percent. In this election, that number promises to increase.

3: This year, the U.S. electorate will be the country’s most racially and ethnically diverse ever. Nearly one-in-three eligible voters on Election Day (31 percent) will be Hispanic, black, Asian or another racial or ethnic minority, up from 29 percent in 2012.

4: There is increasingly fewer and fewer voters that are native-born white voters. The number of registered voters who identified as Latinos or Asians and Pacific Islanders (APIs) increased by 9.8 million in 2012. Between 1996 and 2012, the number of Latino registered voters increased by 7.1 million (an increase of 108.4 percent). API registered voters increased in number by 2.7 million (an increase of 125.5 percent). Between 1996 and 2012, the Latino share of all registered voters increased by 3.8 percentage points and the API share by 1.5 percentage points. Black immigrants now account for 8.7 percent of the nation’s black population, nearly triple their share in 1980. Black immigrants are somewhat more likely to hold U.S. citizenship than all immigrants—54 percent versus 47 percent. The Census Bureau projects that by 2060, 16.5 percent of U.S. blacks will be immigrants.  In contrast, the non-Latino white share declined by 8.0 percentage points.

5: The Pew Research Center (PRC) recently revealed that the number of legal permanent residents applying for U.S. citizenship in the four months starting last October is at its highest level in four years, and it is up 5 percent from the same period before the 2012 elections.

6: According to the Pew Research Center (PRC), a record 27.3 million Latinos will be eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential elections.

7: Hispanic millennials will account for nearly half (44 percent) of the record 27.3 million Hispanic eligible voters projected for 2016 – a share greater than any other racial or ethnic group of voters, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data.

8: Since 2012, 60 percent of new Asian eligible voters have gained the right to vote by this means. By comparison, 26 percent of new Hispanic eligible voters came from naturalizations during this time.

9: California is home to more New American registered voters (4.7 million) than any other state. This is followed by New York (2.1 million), Florida (1.8 million), and Texas (1.4 million).

10: A breakdown by Latino voters by state according to PRC shows the following:

Alabama – 67,000

Alaska – 29,000

Arizona – 992,000

Arkansas – 60,000

California – 6,919,000

Colorado – 55,000

Connecticut – 280,000

Delaware – 40,000

District of Columbia – 27,000

Florida – 2,557,000

Georgia – 291,000

Hawaii – 85,000

Idaho – 80,000

Illinois – 951,000

Indiana – 167,000

Iowa – 67,000

Kansas – 125,000

Kentucky – 49,000

Louisiana – 99,000

Maine – 12,000

Maryland – 199,000

Massachusetts – 372,000

Michigan – 231,000

Minnesota – 96,000

Mississippi – 31,000

Missouri – 107,000

Montana – 19,000

Nebraska – 69,000

Nevada – 328,000

New Hampshire – 22,000

New Jersey – 831,000

New Mexico – 591,000

New York – 1,882,000

North Carolina – 248,000

North Dakota – 11,000

Ohio – 199,000

Oklahoma – 138,000

Oregon – 187,000

Pennsylvania – 440,000

Rhode Island- 68,000

South Carolina – 88,000

South Dakota – 29,000

Tennessee – 92,000

Texas – 4,818,000

Utah – 147,000

Vermont – 7,000

Virginia – 277,000

Washington – 334,000

West Virginia – 13,000

Wisconsin – 156,000

Wyoming – 28,000

The writer is CMO of Hard Beat Communications, which owns the brands News Americas Now, CaribPR Wire and Invest Caribbean Now.