The number of U.S. residents born in other countries rose to an estimated 33 million in 2002, a 5 percent increase from 2001,. It accounted for nearly half of the nation's population growth, according to a U.S. Census Bureau survey released on September 3. Among states, California ranked first foreign-born with 26.9 percent foreign born, while Mississippi had the lowest percentage at 1.1 percent. The Census Bureau said that about 52 percent of the U.S. foreign-born population is from Latin America, 27 percent from Asia and 15 percent from Europe.(Source: Reuters, Sept. 3, 2003).