The ethnic and racial make up of the U.S. may start experiencing another change soon as immigration from Asia, particularly China, starts outpacing Mexican and Latin American immigration.

A recent report from the U.S. Census Bureau revealed migration to the U.S. is shifting from Latin America to Asia. The majority of incoming immigrants that arrived in 2013 came from China, downgrading Mexico as the top immigrant-sending nation.

Citing information from the 2013 American Community Survey, that year saw 1.201 million immigrants arrive on American soil, of which 147,000 traveled from China. Mexico did not make it to second place on the list. India took the spot with 129,000 immigrants. Mexicans made up 125,000 of incoming immigrants in 2013.

Eric Jensen, the statistician with the Census Bureau who authored the report, explains the shift was not unexpected but rather part of a trend. Immigration from Latin America has been declining in recent years despite reaching a peak at the turn of the century. In 2012, data from the same survey showed Mexico and China came in first and second, respectively, as top immigrant-sending nations.

A report by FiveThirtyEight from 2014 explained how immigration has begun to shift in the nation. Though Latin Americans -- Mexicans in particular -- comprised the largest numbers of incoming immigrants, peaking by the early 2000s, the numbers started falling after economic improvements in Mexico as well as stronger border control. Then, the recession saw the steepest decline.

As the economy improves, immigration from Latin America could surge again but not at the levels of a decade or two ago.

Jensen writes this trend has happened before in American history, since the beginning of mass immigration in the mid-19th century.

"Whether these recent trends signal a new and distinct wave of immigration is yet to be seen," he said.

Latinos continue to be the largest minority in the U.S., but a diminishing number of immigrants means Latinos will play a lesser role in population growth as Asian immigration increases.

Speaking with NPR, William Frey of the Brookings Institution explained the recent shift in Asian migration could be attributed to the growth of the tech industry as well.

"We have continued employment opportunities in the United States for people in Asian countries, some in high-tech and engineering," he explained. "Many come here to study in graduate schools and wind up staying here."

Jensen's report also found South Korea, the Philippines and Japan topped the list too among immigrant-sending countries.