California is experiencing a shift in its immigrant demographic as more immigrants from Asia arrive in the state, surpassing those coming from Latin America.
Why It Matters
The rise of high-skilled immigrants, through the H-1B visa program, marks a major change in the workforce landscape. The trend reflects a broader national pattern in which skilled labor is increasingly coming from Asia, while fewer lower-skilled workers are migrating from Latin America.
Experts suggest that if President Donald Trump’s immigration policies are fully implemented, they could accelerate California’s trend nationwide by further restricting immigration from the southern border while companies increasingly rely on H1-B visas to bring in skilled workers from abroad.
People arriving at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office. People arriving at the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Miami Field Office. Wilfredo Lee/AP
What To Know
California’s immigrant demographics are shifting, with more high-skilled workers arriving from Asia than from Latin America. Immigrants from countries such as India and China are increasingly filling key roles in the state’s workforce, particularly through the H-1B visa program.
In 2023, 73 percent of H-1B visas went to Indian nationals and 12 percent to Chinese nationals, according to the Pew Research Center.
This trend is reshaping California’s labor market. While demand for skilled professionals continues to grow—especially in tech and other knowledge-based industries—some sectors are experiencing labor shortages due to a decline in lower-skilled immigration.
The demographic shift has been building over decades. In 1990, 56 percent of California’s immigrants were from Latin America, and 32 percent were from Asia. By 2022, those figures had almost reversed: 46 percent were from Asia, while 38 percent were from Latin America. The share of European immigrants also rose from 5.5 percent to 10 percent in the same period, according to census data analyzed by the Public Policy Institute of California.
In 2024, the H-1B program brought almost 79,000 workers to California, most of whom were sponsored by tech giants such as Google, Meta and Apple—which employ more than 14,000 of these visa holders.
California remains home to the largest immigrant population in the U.S., with 10.6 million foreign-born residents—22 percent of the national total. As of 2023, 27 percent of California residents were born outside the U.S., more than double the national average of 12 percent, the Public Policy Institute of California reported.
Immigrants are central to the state’s workforce and communities. About 45 percent of California’s children have at least one immigrant parent. Among adults aged 25 to 54—the prime working years—one-third are foreign-born, and half of all foreign-born Californians fall within this age range.
What People Are Saying
Hans Johnson, a demographer at the Public Policy Institute of California, told the Los Angeles Times: “Most Californians have a kind of daily reality of living in a diverse state with people from a lot of different backgrounds. These changes are slow.”
Connie Chung Joe, the chief executive of Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, told the outlet: “The fastest-growing racial groups in Los Angeles, California and this country are Asian Americans.”
What Happens Next
As California continues to see these demographic changes, the state’s labor market will likely continue to reflect an increased demand for high-skilled workers.
The state’s economy may evolve, with a more pronounced focus on tech, health care and other knowledge-driven industries. However, the future of immigration policy may play a key role in determining whether the trend accelerates or stabilizes, with potential effects on the state’s workforce, economy and social fabric.
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