Millions of people come to the United States in their search for better prospects, and some American cities are more attractive to immigrants than others. Honolulu, HI, is one of the places showing a decrease in the number of new residents by over 9% (Baugh, 2017). Nevertheless, thousands of lawful permanent residents still live in this part of the country. Those who obtain a green card obtain the status of a lawful permanent resident. Such individuals are mainly employed by American companies or entrepreneurs or get the status due to marriage with an American citizen. The largest ethnic group among this population is constituted by Asian people (approximately 39%) (Baugh, 2017). These people come from such countries as the Philippines, China, Vietnam, South Korea, to name a few (see Table 1).
Table 1. Lawful Permanent Residents in Honolulu, Hawaii
Lawful permanent residents have a right to apply to naturalization and can become citizens of the USA. People who are married to an American citizen should live for three years in the country to be eligible for naturalization (Baugh, 2017). In other cases, lawful permanent residents should live in the USA for five years. People engaged in the military sector can apply to be naturalized three or four years after their arrival. The number of naturalized lawful permanent residents coming from Asia reaches up to 90 % (“Honolulu, Hawaii Population 2019,” 2019). This trend results in an increase in the Asian population in the United States.
References
Baugh, R. (2017). U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents: 2016.
Honolulu, Hawaii Population 2019. (2019).