According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the population of the land of the free and the home of the brave officially hit 300 million at 7:46 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, October 16, 2006.
The Census Bureau, which uses administrative records and surveys to estimate monthly averages for the births, deaths, and net immigration that occur between its decennial surveys, has a "population clock" that estimates a birth every 7 seconds, a death every 13 seconds, and a new immigrant every 31 seconds, for a total of one new American every 11 seconds.
The growth rate of the United States is less than one percent, with the population increasing by about 2.8 million people per year. Around 40 percent of our growth comes from immigration — the Census Bureau includes illegal immigrants in its official population estimates — while the rest comes from births outnumbering deaths.
America's population reached 100 million in 1915, and 200 million in 1967. During the last 39 years in which the U.S. population increased by 100 million souls, the entire world population grew from 3.5 billion to 6.5 billion.
In its population growth, the U.S.A. stands alone among industrialized nations, having grown by 13% during the 1990s, which is five times the average of other developed countries.
We are the world's third most populous nation, behind the burgeoning economic superpowers of China (1.31 billion) and India (1.09 billion).
According to Census Bureau estimates, the U.S. population is expected to reach 400 million by 2043.
Celebration
When America's population reached 100 million in 1915, the milestone was celebrated as a sign of the nation's economic and geopolitical might in the world.
When our population surpassed 200 million in 1967, cheers rang through the lobby of the Commerce Department, and President Lyndon B. Johnson's celebratory speech was interrupted by many bursts of enthusiastic applause. Life magazine found a baby boy born in Atlanta at the exact moment, and dispatched photographers and reporters to anoint him as the 200 millionth American.
Now that we've reached the 300 million mark, Census Bureau employees observed the occasion with cake and punch.
Today's population growth is driven by immigration almost as much as by births and many are speculating that the 300 millionth American did not arrive in a maternity ward, but from across the Mexican border.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Sgtmajorbrad
Here is another example of someone touting a biased version in favor of open borders and amnesty to the invasion across our borders without any empiricle data to substantiate her claims. In reality all of the available data contradicts her position as illegal immigration is a menace to our society. What is also conviently absent is any statistical data from our government. Why? because there is none or it is sanitized so as not to offend a minority. Use criminal statistics as an example. THe hispanic population is lumped in with the caucasian or white race to prevent objections by certain individuals. These are not my words they are of the FBI. With great effort and using the census statistics you can extrapulate that this country's hispanic crime is much higher than that of white criminals. What is also conveniently missing are any statistics concerning the need for immigrant labor. The government has many programs to use immigrant labor but publishes no statistical information on their use. It is much more profitable and easier to hire an illegal alien then go through the red tape of a government program. You would think that the immigration proponents and employers would be touting this statistical government data as the information to prove the need for immigrant labor when in fact I know of no government program that realistically forcasts the need for immigrant labor. All through the senate debates no one provided actual figures of requests for immigrant labor let alone the usage of the existing programs. Amnesty advocates preach their sermon that that action is the humane way to resolve the 11-12 million illegal residents. What is humane about burdening our health care system into insolvency. This country would be better served by enforcing our existing immigration laws. That means dragging the sanctuary lady out of the church by her hair and strapping her butt in a one way bus seat to her country along with the other freeloaders hidden in plain view. Cut off all federal funding for sanctuary cities and make the employers liable for all court and transportation costs to deport the illegal alien in addition to substantial penalties to make them think twice of hiring another illegal alien. My advice to the illegal alien is leave, get in line and get legal.
2 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Sgtmajorbrad, when I write news articles, I make an effort to be fair and balanced. However, when I write editorials, I editorialize. In other words, this is an opinion piece, it's supposed to be biased.
I don't believe in the pseudoscientific concept of "race." We're all humans here, and we come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. Cultural differences, which are often mistaken for manifestations of the archaic notion called "race," are based upon geography, not genetics.
Resolving our immigration situation is not just a matter of compassion, it is a matter of economics, and our economy is not served by the reduction of our numbers, nor by the denial of the existence of 11-12 million people working 11-12 million jobs.
3 - Arch Conservative
Can you please explain to me how or economy is served by millions of illegals recieving healthcare they don't pay for Margaret?
How is our economy served by millions of illegals sending billions of American dollars to central and south America every year?
How is our economy served by illegals recieving social welfare services for which they pay no taxes?
4 - ASSIMULATE NOW
If we don't do something now we will all have to learn various languages. There should be one language spoken in America and that is ENGLISH. There should also be one culture and that is American. I can't believe we cater to all this bull#$!@ and the fact that we have to pay for it blows.
5 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Arch Conservative, our economy is ill-served when we fail to recognize that those millions of people are filling millions of jobs and that our immigration quotas ought to reflect that as green is the only color with which economics is concerned.
Now, if you are concerned about these people being a drain upon our resources, you should support amnesty for illegal immigrants so that they may become legal, get health insurance, and pay taxes.
That way, they pay their fair share toward social services, and they will pay taxes on the money they send to their families in Central and South America.
But the practical, economic solution is very unpopular with folks like ASSIMULATE NOW and Sgtmajorbrad, who appear to be more concerned about state our demographics than they are about the state of our economy.
6 - Zedd
Toigo:
Well written piece. It is concise. Great explaination of what could be tricky demographic basics. It took my professor in University a third of a semester to explain what you stated in just a few lines. Bravo
I enjoy your balanced aproach and the logic. We miss logic.
I will have to perculate over the suggestions that you propose, punch a few holes in them here and there to see if they stand up before I decide to grab on to your solution as my very own :o)
7 - Zedd
Toigo:
I do however have to say that there is a responsibility that comes with being a citizen within this fragile experiment that we exist in.
I am concerned about the affects of the low education emphasis within the Mexican pupulation (Mexican immigration in my neck of the woods). The children start off really well in elementary school. In the large near coastal metropolis that I live in, the parents are EXTREMELY involved in careing for their children. They walk them to the door step and eat lunch with them (putting the most dotting soccer moms to shame). Once the children hit Middle School, ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE. The kids go wild. I've had teachers tell me that the kids turn in tests with grades of 13 and 10, consistantly. I didn't know that was possible. Driving by the school I'd see several kids under portables hiding during school, waiting for their chance to run, DAILY. I'm talking about TWELVE YEAR OLDS. On choir nights the girls (babys) are dressed extremely SEXY like the people on those tv shows that we drop our mouths at when we switch channels. The same girls who were little angels a year before. Its as if they are given complete atonomy. I went to pick up my child on the first day of Middle school and it was like a war zone. The same SWEET kids she went to elementary with had LOST THIER MINDS and turned into gangster-wanna-be's.
I hate the suburbs but I moved within 6months.
The crime rate in this near coastal metropolis is insane. New types of crime. Gang initiations are causing havoc.
While the immigrants themselves are SALT of THE EARTH hard working people, thier children are hellions.
We will not have the type of economy that we had in the 40's to employ the large numbers of unskilled 7th grade drop outs in the very near future. They will not be satisfied with their parents wages. What will happen? I am scared. People are scared.
Also, you and I know that in a lot of economically challanged countries the law is often not present in day to day life so people gerririg everything Building codes, car permits, etc, forget it. You just do what you have to do. This mentality has creeped in with the new immigration.
Have the pro amnesty groups come up with solutions for undoing the issues which will make this population even more dreaded and iagainst AND cause an enormous destablization to the American culture.
People are seriously afraid and have very valid reasons to be.
8 - gonzo marx
as always Margaret, an excellent Read...
one Variable to add to an already dizzying Equation...
i contend that there is an artificial downward pressure on domestic hourly wages directly resultant from blackmarket illegal labor
this has caused a drastic skewing of the primary market forces when it comes to the cost of labor, and thus the prices paid for said labor artificially decline in relationship with actual purchasing power
just a Thought
Excelsior?
9 - Zedd
Margaret:
I would also add that the biggest mistake that the immigrant proponants would make is to focus on discrimination. While it is there and is abhorant, it will be a waiste of energy. African Americans made it a priority moreso than focusing on picking themselves up and they are still paying the price for it. Unfortunately, for AA's it was necessary for them to make the demands that they did in the manner that they did because we have the democratic world that we do now (world over) because of their sacrifices. But were they able to pursue their goals in todays climate, the focus would have to be different in order to attain the best result for themselves.
While its only natural, we all want to be accepted, you really cant force people to do so, thusly, a lot of lost effort will be expanded and you will create more enemies because no one likes to admit they are wrong and no one wants to be told what to do (especially to change).
In the same way that the homosexuals are having difficulty progressing with their concerns because the underlying desire really is to be accepted by people, hispanics will have to learn to not make that their primary goal. They will have to push beyond that (as difficult as it is) and focus on THIER success despite....
10 - Zedd
Arch Conservative:
To help you understand.... Simply stated. Margaret is saying that we should make them citizens. That is the point of her article.
I don't know if conservatives are proud of your touting yourself as their representative.
I'd just change your name to Arch and put myself in learning mode. But that is just me.
11 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Thanks, gonzo.
Economists have some fancy arithmetic that effectively demonstrates how underground labor deflates the hourly wages of above-ground labor, which is why business interests would rather keep the status quo with regard to immigration -- and the federal minimum wage, too.
Immigration is an economic issue that has been politicized into a social issue.
Looking strictly at the numbers, the solution to the illegal immigration problem is quite simple: if there are 11-12 million workers filling 11-12 million jobs there is not surplus of labor and our immigration policy ought to be adjusted to accommodate those workers.
Sure, there is that moral question about the fairness of letting 11-12 million people get away with a crime when so many others came here legally, but is it fair that our immigration policies reflect the politics of prejudice rather than the pragmatism of economics?
Zedd, it's called puberty, and it happens to all sweet young children, right about the time when they enter middle school.
Your empirical data does not support the case that there will someday be large numbers of unskilled 7th grade drop-outs who will not be satisfied with their parents’ wages.
Gangsterism is the direct result of the drug war and has nothing to do with immigration.
I understand that people are afraid of lots of things and that they almost always believe their fears are valid, but that does not make them rational.
I don't focus upon discrimination, which is a social issue. However, those whose economic interests are well-served by the status quo have no trouble finding politicians who are willing to stoke fear and bigotry as a social means to that economic end.
12 - gonzo marx
Margaret...
thanks, and i knew that some econimists see the same things i notice...
as for the *answer* being to just make these folks citizens...
firstly..the 11-12 million number is accurate as we can get...
BUT...we have no way of stating that they occupy 11-12 million jobs, which is part of your thesis' axiom
the numbers coudl be less(saying some are astay at home folks, chronically unemployed, criminals, or children/older folks)
all that considered, i DO find it VERY objectionable to reward folks who violated out Laws and Borders to enter the country illegally by pushing them in front of th eline past all those who have followed the Rules and have been waiting to enter our Nation legally
it's not abotu "prejudice" , it's about the Law..and fairness to those who desire to becomes a Citizen that they have waited and followed the Rules versus those who deliberately break them
just my one sixth billionths of the world's Opinion...
your mileage may vary
Excelsior?
13 - Nancy
Zedd hits the nail on the head, and that is regarding the quality of the immigrants in question. Most of the illegals, especially, may be hard working, but they are also illiterate, prone to ignore most laws pertaining to basic health & safety standards in favor of continuing to live on the pigsty levels they're used to, violent - at least, most police actions seem to involve them & their various fracases & tendencies to do whatever they please, regardless of public interest - and riddled with diseases long eradicated in the US but now making a comeback thanks to them.
They breed like the human vermin they are, spawning hordes of offspring just as ignorant, violent, and disease-riddled as they; they monopolize public facilities for housing, health care, and schools; huge percentages of publically-funded monies for education, hospitals, police, social work, and every other aspect of public facility must now be devoted to them, to the exclusion and deprivation of the LEGAL citizens who pay the tax & must support this infestation, yet cannot avail themselves of their own services because the illegals have used them up.
You say this is an opinion piece. Fine. My opinion is that the bulk of illegals should be shipped back to where they came from before they ever get any kind of chance to apply to re-enter. Those who employ them should be heavily fined, and/or jailed. Those who support or succor them should be likewise fined and/or jailed, as co-conspiritors to violating the laws. No excuses, no exceptions. Compassion? We can't afford compassion - not for this level of quality, or lack thereof. Nor are we obligated to provide it. Compassion is the responsibility of the governments of the countries these vermin come from, & which are in fact actively shoving their failures & dregs over our borders, for us to support, while apologists like you wring your hands at the "plight" and hard-luck stories of these scum & whine about compassion & making room for them. Bullshit. Go be compassionate to these lowlifes on your own time and your own dime, not mine. This country and the facilities provided by the legal, taxpaying citizens thereof, either native or legally immigrant, should be for the benefit of themselves ONLY, not for the support of every hard-luck maggot who sneaks in.
14 - Margaret Romao Toigo
gonzo, I have been struggling with the fairness question for quite some time.
I also find the notion of rewarding those who broke the law objectionable, but as an advocate of free enterprise, I also have to consider the practicality of that principle and whether the moral lines that have been crossed by these people are as clear and bright as the Mexican border.
I am currently trying to resolve my cognitive dissonance between justice and prudence by taking into consideration the history and circumstances that lead to the current situation with regard to immigration.
The troubles we have now have been a long time in coming, and I cannot help but think that if we had implemented realistic immigration reform back in the 1980s, we would not be in this mess and those 11-12 million workers would not have had a law to break.
That 11-12 million, is of course, an estimate, and it is likely that some of those approximately 11-12 million people are not actually occupying 11-12 million jobs because, realistically speaking, there are children and seniors and those who stay at home to care for them.
The trouble with black markets is that they operate under the radar, leaving us with no way to accurately account for their true effects upon our economy.
15 - Margaret Romao Toigo
Nancy, you are, of course, entitled to your opinions, while others are entitled to theirs, and since your point of view is so far away from mine, I think it would be best if we could just agree to disagree on this issue.
But I am curious about one thing, and whether I think "shipping them back" would be the right or wrong thing to do is irrelevant to the logistics.
I am wondering how, if such a policy was implemented, we would go about finding and rounding up 11-12 million illegal immigrants in order to ship them back from where they came.
I just want to know how, not why it should or should not be done.
16 - gonzo marx
how?...simplicity itself, Margaret...
the Military Commisions Act...they woudl be "enemy combatants" and illegal ones at that!
but i digress...
Excelsior?
17 - Margaret Romao Toigo
The Military Commissions Act applies to enemy combatants who have been captured.
I was curious about how 11-12 million people could be captured in the first place.
Is there any practical way to round them all up at once? Because if the rounding up is done sporadically as people are found her and there, more people will be coming in the meantime, and it never ends -- just like outlaw drugs that keep coming into America, regardless of how many multi-ton busts are made by the DEA.
18 - gonzo marx
:::hands Margaret back the leg that came off while he was pulling it:::
now now..i'm well Aware of the logistical nightmare
but, just because the Right thing is hard, doesn't lessen the Fact that it IS the "right thing", in fact..it makes it all the more needed to be done correctly
as i've statedpreviously, the only Way i can see any progress getting made is to start "supply side"...
enforce the Law against hiring illegals, remove these jobs that have gone to the black Market, and the market itself will dry up... no "demand" , no "supply"
it's not until you do this, and secure the borders properly, thatyou can even begin to address the rest of the problem
that's the systemic diagnosis on it all, as far as i am able to Reason it out...
your mileage may vary
Excelsior?
19 - Zedd
Margaret:
That is exactly what I was afraid of. I agree with your premise and your original post.
But when you say that the distructive behavior of the children that I know is simply puberty, it scares the dickens out of me. Perhaps you are not aware of "the hood". Which when it comes to hispanic immigrants in my city, it is spread all over. Next to EVERY neighborhood is a hispanic neighbor-"hood".
Dont make the mistake of fighting for the CAUSE at the expense of the people and the nation. Its great to be right or to win but at what expense. What I am speaking of is not just puberty. THese kids are not finishing middle school. They are dropping off in the 7th grade. That doesn't work HERE in the United Sates. While the parents of these children may look at that 7th grade education as a lot more than they have, it is ridiculously deficiant for functioning in the U.S.
In today's world we are concerned about kids who dont go to collage not kids who dont go to high school. What do we do with these people. Offcourse they will turn to crime. Offcourse they will rely on public services (citizens or not)
Focus on these very real and practical issues and people wont be so relucted to invite you to get amnesty.
How many African and Asian immigrants kids are dropping out of school? African kids are blending in. Look at your NFL (meaning they went to collage). African and Asians are in your Engineering and Science departments. They are from developing countries.
Its not puberty. Its irresponsibility on the part of the parents and people like yourself who are so focused on one issue and turn a blind eye to a larger issue.
I don't agree with Nancy's comments about calling them vermin. I however KNOW why she feels that way.
20 - Zedd
Nancy:
I am shocked that any woman would refer to another woman's child as vermin. That is chilling. Hard luck maggot??? Wow. I actually shivered when I read that.
Words like that obviously come from shear terror on your part but your attitude is part of the problem. Viewing them as non humans will force them to behave further like non-humans. You will get exactly what you are asking for. Whites are in the majority and the most powerful sector BY FAR. How you veiw ANYTHING shapes it.
We need to put pressure on hour politicians. We make all sorts of trade alliences with boardering countries. We need to start holding these countries accountable for mantaining civility and installing a stablized governance.
You need make sure that OUR wealthy are not influencing wars and distablization in these countries to benefit them.
We are not cartoons and this is not a movie. There are no good guys vs bad guys. You want something in your world, you need to role up your sleeves and make it happen.
You cant kick out 12mil people. YOU CANT. So work on a real solution.
When the pilgrams took this nation from the Native Americans, they didn't figure that being the only Whites in the region may cause a challange at some point? Well it has. What did we expect???
21 - Zedd
I very rarely agree with Pat Buchanan but his suggestion for two walls with an area and a road between seems logical.... it seems that it would be easier patrolable.
I don't agree with a lot of the other stuff in his latest book off course but that solution seems to.
22 - gonzo marx
for both Margaret and Zedd...
pondering the issues of the millions already here, and the ethical conundrum that arises from facing that actuality...
i've got a tentative possibility forfurther examination and exploration...
as i said previously, dry up the black market jobs.., seal the borders as best as american know how can do so...
as this is put into place, and you are certain that no new influx of illegals can swarm in , you make the announcement that all current illegals can avoid deprtation and criminal charges(ONLY those stemming from arriving illegally) by coming out into the light of day and registering, getting their green card (or new equivalent made just for this temporary purpose)...
set a deadline for this, beginning and end...those who take advantage are forgiven for the crime of entering the country illegally and go to the back ofthe line for legal immigration...but now they can work legally...covered by the labor laws on the books(including minimum wage requirements, w2's ..all of it)
this woudl allow those that want to become citizens, and or do the right thing to do so...
once the end datehas passed, after you have been cracking down on employers with criminal charges and fines...
THEN you can go zero tolerance on unregistered illegals...
thoughts?
23 - Zedd
Margaret:
I have often wondered if there are public service announcements that can instruct people on proper driving methods or general courtesies. In grocery store isles, the ninos running all over the place opening things, people parking their carts and blocking the way, gathered and just talking. You say excuse me until you just go to the next isle. I WILL NOT GO TO WAL-MART. I will NOT!!!! It becomes a collosal, mortal test of patience. Driving, you just have to take a lot of deep breaths. People have come to say, "don't even look, you know its a Mexican". When there is a case of bizzare driving. 99.9% of the time they are right. What is odd is that you look over and the driver is having a good time in his car, totally oblivious that the entire highway is infuriated. He and his very red faced, winking and cat calling (from an obvious recent time of "merriment", beer cans still in hand) passangers, are clueless as to just how horrible they are driving.
HELP US ALL. Goodness gracious!!! What is it????
There are a variety of ways to win the fight for amnesty. Its not just pointing at the government or Americans and saying do XYor Z for us. Its also pointing at the illegalies and saying, do XYZ. There is a price you have to pay if you want to stay here, this is how to be a good neighbor.
Push for public service announcements. Lets not romanticize this issue and deal with the cold hard realities of it.
That is logical.
24 - Zedd
Gonzo. I agree with you.
I think however that the citizenship process should be in steps. I also belive that the children born to those that are in the process of becoming citizens should not become citizens until their parents have completed the process.
I believe that if the parents do not educate their children, they should be deported and their consideration for citizenship should cease with no oportunity to return for the children and the parents. If the children are in the juvelnille system, they and their parents should be deported.
Do you know that American citizens in my state can not get public housing if their children don't go to school and if they get incarsarated? They get booted out!! It makes sense. Why should we pay for that foolishness.
Its ungrateful to bring your horrible brood to a country and expect it to suffer through crime and economic drain just because you are a bad parent.
25 - JR
Margaret Romao Toigo Stagnant populations, such as those of Japan and some European countries, will face severe retirement crises in the future. Sub-replacement fertility rates are leading to a situation in which there will not be enough young workers to support retirees.
Talk about pessimism!
You must realize that the population cannot grow forever. There is only so much physical space on the planet. At some point, be it in 100 years or 100,000 years, we will reach some inexorable limit to growth. Is it inevitable that we will then face a crisis in stagnant or declining population?
I think not. I think the problems of declining population, and I agree there will be some, can be mitigated or eliminated. And now is as good a time as any to address the issue. There will also be some wonderful benefits to smaller populations, at least for some of us.
Population growth already threatens my quality of life, and not in some abstract, intangible way like the Dow Jones average or GDP. Every year more wilderness is devoured by development, and I lose hiking/biking trails and I have to travel farther and longer to escape air/noise/light pollution. No it's not catastrophic, but by no means are things getting better for me.
Our population is going to continue to grow for several years yet; that's a given. But it will also inevitably max out and begin to decline, probably in this century. Along with mitigating the effects of growth, we should start thinking about how we are going to face the subsequent decline, rather than using economic fear-mongering to spin unlimited population growth as a Good Thing.