BRIEFING: "Immigration Slowdown," by Alex Altman et. al, Time, 27 September 2008.

Interesting map showing from which continents the current flow of immigrants into the United States originates. The slowdown associated with our now fairly long-running financial crisis is substantial: 1.8 million in 06 but less than a third of that flow today.

What I found interesting: the bulk come from Latin America plus Asia, equating to 80 percent of the total. If you don't do the usual Atlantic Ocean-in-the-middle projection, those numbers give a decidedly Pacific pitch, with Europe and Africa combining for a mere 17 percent.