ABSTRACT
The rate of immigration from Latin America has increased dramatically, when compared to other regions of the world over the past three decades. Figure 5.1 shows the pattern of legal migration from different parts of the world to the United States since 1925.1 North America in this chart includes Mexico and Central America. Mexico has been the largest exporter of immigrants to the United States by far. Before 1970 Europeans were still the most common legal immigrants to the United States, and they dominated the landscape.
