How the 1965 Immigration Act Shaped America's Population

Fifty years ago, President Lyndon Johnson signed a piece of legislation that overhauled the country’s immigration system, setting in motion demographic shifts that have made America much more diverse.

A new Pew Research Center report finds that the 1965 Immigration Act was largely responsible for bringing 59 million immigrants into the American population between then and 2015 (below, left). These new arrivals, their kids, and their grandkids make up over half of the total U.S. population growth during this period. Looking ahead to 2065, immigrants that came to America as a result of this law, plus their families, will account for almost 90 percent of the nation’s population increase (below, right) from now to then: