The New Bostonians: How Immigrants Have Transformed the Metro Area since the 1960s

The Immigration Act of 1965 opened the nation's doors to large-scale immigration from Africa, Asia, and Latin America. A half century later, the impact of the "new immigration" is evident in the transformation of the country's demographics, economy, politics, and culture, particularly in urban America. The confluence of recent immigration and urban transformation in greater Boston has been a part of the region rebounding from a dramatic decline after World War II to an astounding renaissance. From 1970 to 2010, the percentage of foreign-born residents of the city more than doubled, representing far more diversity than earlier waves of immigration. Like the older immigrant groups, these newer migrants have been crucial in re-building the population, labor force, and metropolitan landscape of the New Boston.