First generation Azerbaijani immigrants in the United States: socio-cultural characteristics and identity issues

Abstract

The United States continues to become more ethnically diverse with the increasing number of immigrants and minority residents. About 20 percent of all international migrants reside in the United States, which accounts for less than 5 percent of the world's population (Britz & Batalova, 2013). Between the years 2000 and 2010, over 10 million foreign-born individuals moved to the United States. According to the American Community Survey (ACS), about 40.4 million foreign-born people lived in the United States in 2011 which constitutes 13 percent of the total population1. In other words, immigrants account for one in eight U.S. residents.