California

Demographics

Arrivals

*Data source: Refugee Processing Center: Arrivals and Admissions, 2016-2020 figures exclude Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) from Afghanistan and Iraq.

^2021: 986 Refugee, 1,654 SIV. Figures do not include 2021 Afghan Humanitarian Parolee arrivals.

**Immigrants comprise 27% total population in California.

SOUTHERN BORDER FACTS: Some 20 million people call the southern border region home, and this population is growing. From San Diego, in California to Brownsville in Texas, the communities that make up the border region are diverse and thriving. Estimates from the Census Bureau show that overall, border residents are more likely to be people of color when compared to the national average (Half of all border residents are Hispanic or Latinx).

Diversity Contributions

*Data source: Refugee Processing Center: Admissions and Arrivals

Top Newcomer Languages

Farsi
Arabic
Ukrainian
French
Spanish

66.7%

% Speak Host Country's Language

*Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in California

Economic Contributions

$80.8B

Total Immigrant Federal Taxes paid

$38.9B

Total Immigrant State & Local Taxes paid

*Data source: New American Economy

**For Refugee-specific data please see New American Economy: Refugees in California

$410.6B

Immigrant Household Income

$920.9B

Total Spending Power

936,795

Total # Immigrant Entrepreneurs

*38% of self-employed businesses in CA are immigrant owned, accounting for $24.5B in business income.

Top 3 Fields of Labor*

Farming, Fishing, & Forestry

77.1%

Building, Grounds, Cleaning, & Maintenance

61.7%

Production

53.3%

*Top % share of the immigrant labor force in California. Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in California.

Socio-Familial Stability

Unaccompanied Children Released to Sponsors by the State

*Data source: Office of Refugee Resettlement

# of Immigrant (refugee & asylee) Family Reunifications

*Data not available.

Community & Educational Contributions

Immigrant Educational Attainment

31.9%
Less than High School
38.5%
High School & Some College
17.9%
Bachelor's Degree
11.7%
Graduate Degree

*Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in California

49.7%

Naturalized Citizens

*Data source: American Immigration Council: Immigrants in California

Local Refugee Heroes

Meymuna Hussein Cattan

Rawah — "When I look at myself, I was a girl who came from another country, another culture, with no English and no experience, no resume. But now I have two or three jobs...I thought I had no future. But after three years, I see my future."

July 24, 2023

What Supporting Refugees’ Mental Health Looks Like

I want to help newcomers because I see myself in them. A young Afghan woman I mentor, we’ll call her Sarah, reminds me of myself 6 years ago. She is the same age I was when I came to the U.S. She is by herself. Sometimes I get emotional thinking about Sarah managing to start a new life all by herself. Cooking for herself, taking care of herself, and doing it without family or community.

More blog posts

Partners

[email protected]

Volunteers

Rawah Al Atemsh

Community Programs Coordinator, Southern California

Rawah Al Atemsh is from Iraq and has lived in California for about 6 years and is currently a student at Irvine Community College. She likes to help people and was eager for the opportunity to work with TSOS. Rawah likes to read books and learn new things that can make her a better person. She loves to go to the beach and watch the sunset. Her new hobby is paddle boarding. She enjoys time with her dog Shadow and Friday evening family time.

David Carroll

Community Liaison

David grew up in Los Angeles. It was there he went to a community college and eventually graduated from UCR in Zoology. He began teaching after graduation in inner-city Los Angeles. It is said that you learn by teaching and that was certainly the case with him. His love of learning was heightened while teaching. Watching young students get the glimmer in their eyes when they got it was a real joy.

He earned a Masters's Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. He enjoyed the new field of work, but because he was busy teaching in China and India he didn't pursue it.

He loves working with people to enrich and empower their lives and tries not to miss an opportunity to do it.

Jean Carroll

Community Liaison

Jean is a native of southern California. She always wanted to be a teacher. Her teaching began as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines for two years. She graduated from UCLA in Sociology and completed her teaching degree. For the next 28 years she taught K-5 in the inner city schools of Los Angeles. This led to teaching ESL to students from Mexico, Cuba, and Central America. She earned a Masters's Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling with her husband.

After she and her husband retired they began a volunteer career of teaching adults, senior high and university students in China and India. Her interests are learning about other people, their cultures, and reading.