Immigrants and the children of immigrants account for a pocket-sized only growing share of lawmakers on Capitol Colina. At least 76 (14%) of the voting members of the 117th Congress are foreign born or accept at to the lowest degree ane parent born in some other land, a slight uptick from the prior two Congresses.

Overall, there are 18 foreign-born members of the 117th Congress – 17 representatives and ane senator, Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, who was born in Japan. At to the lowest degree 58 other members, including 42 in the House and xvi in the Senate, were born in the United States or its territories to at least one immigrant parent, according to a Pew Research Center assay of biographical information from the Congressional Research Service, news stories and members' official websites and genealogical records through Feb. 8.

This analysis examines congressional lawmakers' birthplaces and parentage through news stories, obituaries, candidate statements, and congressional and genealogical records, as well as past contacting congressional staff. Our count does not include members of Congress who were born outside the U.Southward. to American parents and gained U.S. citizenship later on meeting legal requirements. Our tally also does non include members who were born (or whose parents were born) in U.Due south. territories, such as Puerto Rico, nor on U.S. military bases out of the country.

Our analysis reflects the 532 voting members of Congress seated equally of Feb. viii, 2021. In the House, one Texas seat is vacant after a congressman died on Feb. viii, and one Louisiana seat is empty because the congressman-elect died earlier beingness sworn in. The last House race to be decided (New York's 22nd Congressional District) is included here. We did not include former Louisiana Rep. Cedric Richmond, who resigned in January to bring together the Biden administration. Nonvoting delegates and commissioners are excluded. Independent members of Congress are counted with the party they conclave with. Biden administration nominees who were not all the same confirmed at the time of writing are included in our count.

If you know of an additional legislator not included on our list, email info@pewresearch.org.

The xviii immigrant lawmakers in the current Congress correspond simply 3% of all voting members, a lower share than the strange-built-in share of Congresses many decades ago. For example, about ten% of members in the first and much smaller Congress of 1789-91 were foreign built-in. About a century after, in the 50th Congress of 1887-89, 8% of members were born abroad, according to a previous analysis.

The current share of strange-born lawmakers in Congress is too far below the strange-built-in share of the U.Southward. as a whole, which was 13.7% as of 2018.

Democrats far outnumber Republicans amongst both immigrants and children of immigrants in Congress. Fourteen of the 18 foreign-built-in members are Democrats, as are 44 of the 58 members who are children of immigrants. That includes Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an contained who caucuses with Democrats: His father came to the U.S. from Poland.

Foreign-born share of Congress remains below historical highs
Largest number of immigrants, children of immigrants represent Western states

Immigrants and children of immigrants represent 27 states. Far more than of these lawmakers come from Western states (35) than from whatever other of three other major U.Due south. regions: the South (16), Northeast (14) and Midwest (11). California has by far the most: 22 of the state's 55 members of Congress are immigrants or children of immigrants. New York, Florida and Illinois all take five members of their delegations who are immigrants or children of immigrants, tied for the second-highest total.

Europe is the most common origin region for immigrant lawmakers or those who are children of immigrants. About i-third (32%) take roots in countries at that place. Latin America (xx%) and the Caribbean region (eighteen%) each account for roughly one-in-5 immigrants and children of immigrants, and most of these lawmakers have roots in United mexican states (15) or Republic of cuba (11). Asia has a similar share, 18%. Collectively, 70% of immigrants and children of immigrants in Congress have origins in countries in Europe, Latin America or the Caribbean.

Much smaller shares claim heritage in countries in the Middle East, N America and sub-Saharan Africa – each at or below 5%. (Some lawmakers in this analysis are tallied under more than 1 country and region. For example, Rep. Anthony Brown, D-Md., has a Caribbean area father and a European female parent.)

Most immigrants or children of immigrants in Congress come from Europe, Latin America

Some lawmakers in the current Congress have achieved notable firsts. For example, Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Launder., wore a hanbok, a traditional Korean garment, at her swearing-in ceremony in honor of her mother and heritage. She became one of the first 3 Korean American women elected to Congress last year, alongside Michelle Steel and Young Kim, both California Republicans.

Under the U.S. Constitution, an immigrant taking role in the House must be a U.Due south. citizen for vii years or more than, age 25 or older and living in the land where they are elected. Ix years of citizenship are required to serve in the Senate, and the person must exist 30 or older and live in the represented land when elected.

Immigrants, children of immigrants in the 117th U.Southward. Congress

Proper name Immigrant or child of an immigrant Parent'southward or member'southward state of origin Party Office Country
Barragán, Nanette Child Both parents: United mexican states Democrat Representative CA
Bennet, Michael Child Mother: Poland Democrat Senator CO
Bera, Ami Child Both parents: India Democrat Representative CA
Bice, Stephanie Child Father: Iran Republican Representative OK
Blumenthal, Richard Child Father: Federal republic of germany Democrat Senator CT
Boyle, Brendan Child Father: Ireland Democrat Representative PA
Chocolate-brown, Anthony Child Mother: Switzerland; Father: Cuba Democrat Representative MD
Burgess, Michael Child Father: Canada Republican Representative TX
Butterfield, G.K. Child Father: Bermuda Democrat Representative NC
Carbajal, Salud Immigrant United mexican states Democrat Representative CA
Cárdenas, Tony Child Both parents: United mexican states Democrat Representative CA
Chu, Judy Child Mother: China Democrat Representative CA
Clarke, Yvette Child Both parents: Jamaica Democrat Representative NY
Correa, Lou Child Both parents: Mexico Democrat Representative CA
Cruz, Ted Child Male parent: Cuba Republican Senator TX
Cuellar, Henry Child Father: Mexico Democrat Reprsaesentative TX
DeLauro, Rosa Kid Male parent: Italian republic Democrat Representative CT
Diaz-Balart, Mario Child Both parents: Cuba Republican Representative FL
Duckworth, Tammy Child Mother: Thailand Democrat Senator IL
Durbin, Dick Kid Mother: Lithuania Democrat Senator IL
Eshoo, Anna Child Mother: Armenia; Male parent: Iran Democrat Representative CA
Espaillat, Adriano Immigrant Dominican Republic Democrat Representative NY
Gallego, Ruben Kid Female parent: Colombia; Begetter: Mexico Democrat Representative AZ
García, Jesús Immigrant Mexico Democrat Representative IL
Garcia, Mike Child Both parents: Mexico Republican Representative CA
Gimenez, Carlos Immigrant Cuba Republican Representative FL
Gomez, Jimmy Child Both parents: United mexican states Democrat Representative CA
Gonzalez, Anthony Child Begetter: Cuba Republican Representative OH
Grijalva, Raúl Kid Father: United mexican states Democrat Representative AZ
Harris, Andy Child Female parent: Ukraine; Male parent: Hungary Republican Representative MD
Heinrich, Martin Child Male parent: Deutschland Democrat Senator NM
Hirono, Mazie Immigrant Japan Democrat Senator How-do-you-do
Horsford, Steven Child Mother: Trinidad Democrat Representative NV
Houlahan, Chrissy Child Begetter: Poland Democrat Representative PA
Hoyer, Steny Child Father: Denmark Democrat Representative MD
Jayapal, Pramila Immigrant India Democrat Representative WA
Khanna, Ro Child Both parents: India Democrat Representative CA
Kilmer, Derek Child Mother: Federal republic of germany Democrat Representative WA
Kim, Andy Child Both parents: South korea Democrat Representative NJ
Kim, Young Immigrant South Korea Republican Representative CA
Krishnamoorthi, Raja Immigrant India Democrat Representative IL
Lieu, Ted Immigrant Taiwan Democrat Representative CA
Lowenthal, Alan Child Mother: Russia Democrat Representative CA
Malinowski, Tom Immigrant Poland Democrat Representative NJ
Malliotakis, Nicole Child Mother: Cuba; Father: Hellenic republic Republican Representative NY
Menendez, Robert Kid Both parents: Cuba Democrat Senator NJ
Meng, Grace Child Both parents: China/Taiwan Democrat Representative NY
Mooney, Alexander Child Female parent: Cuba Republican Representative WV
Murphy, Stephanie Immigrant Vietnam Democrat Representative FL
Napolitano, Grace Child Mother: Mexico Democrat Representative CA
Neguse, Joe Child Both parents: Eritrea Democrat Representative CO
Omar, Ilhan Immigrant Somalia Democrat Representative MN
Ossoff, Jon Kid Mother: Australia Democrat Senator GA
Padilla, Alex Child Both parents: Mexico Democrat Senator CA
Peters, Gary Child Mother: France Democrat Senator MI
Risch, James Child Begetter: Deutschland Republican Senator ID
Rubio, Marco Child Both parents: Republic of cuba Republican Senator FL
Ruiz, Raul Immigrant Mexico Democrat Representative CA
Salazar, Maria Elvira Child Both parents: Cuba Republican Representative FL
Sánchez, Linda Child Both parents: Mexico Democrat Representative CA
Sanders, Bernie Kid Father: Poland Contained Senator VT
Sarbanes, John Child Mother: U.k. Democrat Representative MD
Schakowsky, Janice Child Female parent: Russia; Father: Lithuania Democrat Representative IL
Schatz, Brian Child Father: Canada Democrat Senator HI
Sires, Albio Immigrant Republic of cuba Democrat Representative NJ
Spartz, Victoria Immigrant Ukraine Republican Representative IN
Speier, Jackie Child Father: Germany Democrat Representative CA
Steel, Michelle Immigrant Republic of korea Republican Representative CA
Strickland, Marilyn Immigrant South korea Democrat Representative WA
Suozzi, Thomas Child Father: Italy Democrat Representative NY
Thune, John Kid Female parent: Canada Republican Senator SD
Tlaib, Rashida Child Both parents: Palestinian territories Democrat Representative MI
Torres, Norma Immigrant Guatemala Democrat Representative CA
Valadao, David Kid Both parents: Portugal Republican Representative CA
Vargas, Juan Child Both parents: Mexico Democrat Representative CA
Wyden, Ron Child Both parents: Germany Democrat Senator OR

Note: As of Feb. 8, 2021. Though included in this analysis, the Palestinian territories are not recognized as an independent state past the U.South. Land Department.
Source: Pew Research Center analysis of data from the Biographical Directory of the The states Congress, news reports, genealogical records and members' published comments, websites and staff.

Sara Atske is an associate digital producer at Pew Inquiry Center.