According to the Center for American Progress, there are approximately 43.3 million foreign-born people living in the United States in 2017.

The foreign-born population comprises 20.7 million naturalized U.S. citizens and 22.6 million non-citizens. Of those, around 13.1 million are lawful permanent residents and 11.1 million are unauthorized migrants.

Immigrants come from all over the world. It is estimated that 26.9 percent of the foreign-born population living in the U.S. today is from Mexico. The rest come from China, India, the Philippines, Colombia, El Salvador, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Cuba, to name only a few.

U.S. Immigrants are diverse and their stories are different, but they all have something in common: they dream of a better life and most of them want to contribute to America.

The stories in this on-going project titled “Faces of Immigration” attempt to reflect this diversity. These immigrants shared their stories and their dreams. They want to have a voice in the current debate on immigration because, after all, the majority of them truly love this country.

To read and listen to their stories, click on the thumbnails below:

Green card makes all the difference

The United States has always been considered a melting pot.  People from all different races, ...
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Immigration ‘ball and chain’

Growing up in Chaparral, New Mexico, was much like any other child’s upbringing for Carlos ...
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Happy in America

Manuel Marquez first came to the United States in 1974 alongside his cousin and his ...
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Citizenship a life-long journey

Most immigrants come to the United States seeking new and better opportunities for themselves and ...
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Amnesty changes life and future

Omar Xicotencatl Ocon was raised in El Paso, Texas, and graduated from Cathedral High School ...
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U.S. citizen speaks out

Arik Ruiz came to the U.S. when he was 14 years old.  He was born ...
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Afraid, but not ashamed

Before applying for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), Brandon, a 20-year-old NMSU ...
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