In 1970, the foreign born percentage of the United States dropped below 5% for the first and
only time in American history. Since that date a remarkable revival of mass immigration has
transformed the nation. From a historical nadir of 4.7% in 1970, the percentage foreign born
rose to 12.2% in 2009. Another 11% of all Americans in that year were the children of
immigrants, meaning that nearly a quarter of the US population is presently in its first or
second generation of US residence. Between 2000 and 2009, international migration …