Description

YRSUSA1 reports how long a person who was born in a foreign country or U.S. outlying area had been living in the United States.

Other immigration variables are available; see the following table:

YRSUSA1 is a 2-digit numeric code reporting how long a person who was born in a foreign country or U.S. outlying area had been living in the United States. YRSUSA1 specific variable codes for missing, edited, or unidentified observations, observations not applicable (N/A), observations not in universe (NIU), top and bottom value coding, etc. are provided below if applicable by Census year (and data sample if specified).

YRSUSA1 Specific Variable Codes
00 = N/A or less than one year.
1910 100% and 1930 100% Samples: 98 = Illegible, 99 = Missing

User Caution: Since the YRSUSA1 code 00 encompasses two meanings (N/A or less than one year), users who want to distinguish between the two need to interpret this code in conjunction with BPL as follows. For those with BPL less than 100 (born in the U.S.), YRSUSA1 = 00 means "N/A." For those with BPL code 100 or greater (born outside the U.S.), YRSUSA1 = 00 means "less than 1 year."

Comparability

In 1900, the census asked for both the year of immigration (see YRIMMIG) and the number of complete years elapsed since the person's arrival (reported in YRSUSA1). These variables are occasionally inconsistent, and the IPUMS preserves this original detail. Inconsistencies may indicate that persons spent time living outside the United States after their original arrival, for instance. The form gave no explicit directions for such cases, so enumerators and/or respondents may have interpreted them inconsistently.

For the 1910, 1920, 1930, and 2000 censuses and the ACS, YRSUSA1 is constructed from the information available in YRIMMIG, since there was no separate question about years in the United States. The 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses asked for the year of the person's first arrival in the U.S. The 2000 census and the ACS asked when the person came to live in the United States.

Information on years in the United States in intervalled form is available for 1900-1930, 1970-2000, and the ACS in YRSUSA2. Equivalent information for years in Puerto Rico is available for 1910, 1920, and the PRCS in YRSPR.

Universe

Availability

• 2022: All samples
• 2021: All samples
• 2020: All samples
• 2019: All samples
• 2018: All samples
• 2017: All samples
• 2016: All samples
• 2015: All samples
• 2014: All samples
• 2013: All samples
• 2012: All samples
• 2011: All samples
• 2010: ACS; ACS 3yr; ACS 5yr
• 2009: All samples
• 2008: All samples
• 2007: All samples
• 2006: All samples
• 2005: All samples
• 2004: All samples
• 2003: All samples
• 2002: All samples
• 2001: All samples
• 2000: All samples
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1960: --
• 1950: --
• 1940: --
• 1930: All samples
• 1920: All samples
• 1910: All samples
• 1900: All samples
• 1880: --
• 1870: --
• 1860: --
• 1850: --

• 2022: All samples
• 2021: PRCS 5yr
• 2020: --
• 2019: --
• 2018: --
• 2017: --
• 2016: --
• 2015: --
• 2014: --
• 2013: --
• 2012: --
• 2011: --
• 2010: --
• 2009: --
• 2008: --
• 2007: --
• 2006: --
• 2005: --
• 2000: --
• 1990: --
• 1980: --
• 1970: --
• 1930: --
• 1920: --
• 1910: --

Flags

Editing Procedure

There is no editing procedure available for this variable.