Which current members of the U.S. House of Representatives are naturalized citizens and what countries were they born in?

1. A snapshot: how many and where from

Pew’s analysis states there are 18 foreign‑born voting members of Congress — 17 in the House and one in the Senate — representing roughly 3% of voting members ^[1]. A contemporaneous, official House clerk document enumerates the foreign‑born House members in the 119th Congress and lists each member’s place of birth, naming figures such as Becca Balint (Germany) and Don Beyer (Free Territory of Trieste), indicating the clerk’s roster provides granular birthplace data ^[2].

2. Who is counted as “foreign‑born” and what that does — and doesn’t — tell you

“Foreign‑born” in these accounts means born outside the present‑day United States and its territories; it includes both naturalized citizens and those born abroad to U.S. citizen parents who acquired citizenship at birth, a distinction noted by Statista and Pew ^{[3] [1]}. Available sources do not give a single, explicit list in prose separating naturalized House members from those born abroad to U.S. parents; instead, the Clerk’s roster lists birthplaces while Pew and Statista explain classification nuances ^{[2] [3] [1]}.

3. Naturalized vs. foreign‑born at birth: why the difference matters legally and politically

The Constitution requires House members to be U.S. citizens for seven years; naturalized status is legally acceptable for the House, while the presidency requires “natural‑born” status ^[3]. Reporting from Statista and Pew underscores that some members were born abroad to American parents and thus were U.S. citizens at birth, while others immigrated and naturalized before taking office — a distinction that shapes political narratives but not constitutional eligibility for the House ^{[3] [1]}.

4. Primary sources and their limits

The most direct source for an itemized birthplace list is the Clerk’s PDF titled “Foreign‑Born in the UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,” which lists current House members and their places of birth ^[2]. Pew’s research provides summary counts and contextual analysis — for example, noting 17 foreign‑born House members — but does not enumerate each member and birthplace in the text excerpt provided here ^[1]. Available sources do not mention a consolidated, publicly provided list that explicitly flags which of those foreign‑born House members are naturalized citizens versus citizens at birth; for that split, one must examine individual biographies or official filings (not found in current reporting).

5. Examples that illustrate variety

The clerk’s roster explicitly lists diverse birthplaces: Becca Balint (Germany) and Don Beyer (Free Territory of Trieste) appear on the 119th Congress roster, demonstrating the geographic range of birth origins among House members ^[2]. Statista and Pew highlight other commonly cited examples across Congress — e.g., members born in Mexico and India, and Senator Mazie Hirono born in Japan — to show that foreign birth spans many regions ^{[3] [1]}.

6. How to get the precise “naturalized” roster

To produce a verified list of which current House members are naturalized (as opposed to U.S. citizens at birth), reporters must cross‑check the Clerk’s birthplace roster against official member biographies, sworn statements, or reputable profiles that explicitly state naturalization status; the Clerk’s birthplaces alone do not establish naturalization ^{[2] [1]}. Available sources do not provide a ready‑made, fully vetted list labeling each foreign‑born House member as naturalized or citizen‑at‑birth ^{[2] [1]}.

7. Context and competing perspectives

Analysts emphasize that immigrant representation in Congress is small in proportion to the U.S. foreign‑born population but symbolically significant — Pew situates the 17 House members among broader trends in immigrant and children‑of‑immigrants representation ^[1]. Different framings exist: advocacy groups stress representation, while some policy discussions focus on rules for citizenship and debates over denaturalization and naturalization policy changes — areas covered in CRS and other policy reporting ^{[4] [1]}.

Limitations: this briefing relies on the Clerk of the House roster and Pew/Statista summaries provided in the available sources; those files list birthplaces and counts but do not supply, in these excerpts, a complete, labeled list that separates naturalized citizens from those born abroad to U.S. parents — obtaining that precise breakdown requires consulting individual member records and biographies beyond these documents ^{[2] [1]}.