Skip to Content

New Americans in the Land of Enchantment

The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in New Mexico.

Immigrants and their children are growing shares of New Mexico’s population and electorate.

  • The foreign-born share of New Mexico’s population rose from 5.3% in 1990, to 8.2% in 2000, to 9.6% in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  New Mexico was home to 191,025 immigrants in 2008, which is nearly the total population of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  • 28.8% of immigrants (or 55,108 people) in New Mexico were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2008—meaning that they are eligible to vote.
  • 3.8% (or 36,122) of registered voters in New Mexico were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2006 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

Nearly half of all New Mexicans are Latino or Asian.

  • The Latino share of New Mexico’s population grew from 38.2% in 1990, to 42.1% in 2000, to 44.9% (or 890,976 people) in 2008.  The Asian share of the population grew from 0.9% in 1990, to 1.1% in 2000, to 1.4% (or 27,781 people) in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Latinos accounted for 34.2% (or 289,000) of New Mexico voters in the 2008 elections, and Asians 1.4% (14,000), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The number of Latino and Asian voters was more than double the margin of victory (125,590 votes) by which Barack Obama defeated John McCain in New Mexico.
  • In New Mexico, more than four-in-five (or 84% of) children in immigrant families were U.S. citizens in 2007, according to the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis at the University of Albany.

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add tens of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs to New Mexico’s economy.

  • The 2009 purchasing power of Latinos in New Mexico totaled $17.9 billion—an increase of 260.5% since 1990.  Asian buying power totaled $1.1 billion—an increase of 492.3% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
  • New Mexico’s 29,708 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $4.7 billion and employed 44,896 people in 2002, the last year for which data is available.  The state’s 2,364 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $631.3 million and employed 7,508 people in 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.

Immigrants are integral to New Mexico’s economy as workers and taxpayers.

  • Immigrants comprised 11.9% of the state’s workforce in 2008 (or 115,193 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Unauthorized immigrants in New Mexico contributed $64.7 million in sales, income, and property taxes to the state economy in 2004, according to a study by New Mexico Fiscal Policy Project.
  • Unauthorized immigrants comprised roughly 4.5% of the state’s workforce (or 40,000 workers) in 2008, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
  • If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from New Mexico, the state would lose $1.8 billion in economic activity, $809.1 million in gross state product, and approximately 12,239 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

Immigrants are integral to New Mexico’s economy as students.

Naturalized citizens excel educationally.

  • In New Mexico, 21.9% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2008 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 11.2% of noncitizens.  At the same time, only 32.7% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 60.4% of noncitizens.
  • The number of immigrants in New Mexico with a college degree increased by 42.0% between 2000 and 2008, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.
  • In New Mexico, 81.0% of all children between the ages of 5 and 17 in families that spoke a language other than English at home also spoke English “very well” as of 2008.

UPDATED: JULY 2010

Published On: Wed, Apr 07, 2010 | Download File

  • Printer-friendly version
  • PDF version