Pew: New Asian Immigrants Now Outnumber Hispanics

The number of Asians moving to the United States has eclipsed that of Hispanics for the first time, according to a new Pew report out Tuesday.

In 2010, Asians comprised 36 percent of new immigrants while Hispanics accounted for 31 percent. That's a stark reversal from 2000, when Hispanics accounted for nearly 6 in 10 immigrants and Asians made up only 19 percent.

Those somewhat surprising numbers reflect, in the words of the Associated Press, "a slowdown in illegal immigration while American employers increase their demand for high-skilled workers."

Politico notes the shifting immigration demographics could have political implications: While Asian-Americans typically lean Democratic, they don't fall squarely within either major political party. (Asian-Americans now represent about 6 percent of the U.S. population, compared to the 17 percent of Americans who are Hispanic.)

The study, which makes broad generalizations about Asian-Americans as a whole while noting significant differences between major subgroups, also found that, compared to the U.S. population as a whole, Asian-Americans over 25 are more likely to have a college degree (49 percent to 28 percent) and have a higher median household income ($66,000 versus $49,800).

Poverty rates among Asian-Americans differ widely by subgroup, with Indian-Americans leading in income and education by a large margin. Meanwhile, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese and "other U.S. Asian" Americans have a higher poverty rate overall than the general public.

You can check out the full Pew report here.