Simultaneously with the increase in the flow of immigrants, the vector of immigration also radically changed – the influx of immigrants from the American continents increased – laborers from Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico (Puerto Ricans are not officially considered immigrants), from where entry was not restricted by the 1924 law. In the 1970s, 640 thousand people arrived from Mexico, in the 1980s – already 1.7 million, and in the 1990s – 2.3 million. Migration from the Caribbean countries has also increased dramatically in the last three decades of the last century – 741 thousand, 873 thousand and 979 thousand, respectively, and our former republics – 463 thousand and China – took the third and fourth places in the 1990s. – 419 thousand people 17.
An immigration law, passed in 1965, gave preferential entry to scientists, skilled workers in rare trades, and relatives of American citizens. He established immigration quotas for different groups of countries, which undoubtedly influenced the composition of legal immigration. Naturally, not all immigrants have taken root in the United States: over the past century, 2.2 million foreigners who came here left the country, and the average share of “returnees” is now about 30%.