Posts Tagged: U.S.-born
Number of babies born to unauthorized immigrants in U.S. continues to decline
Births to unauthorized immigrants accounted for about one-in-three births (32%) to foreign-born mothers in the U.S. in 2014, according to the estimates.
The decrease in births to unauthorized immigrants from 2009 to 2014 contrasts with the trend for the U.S. unauthorized immigrant population overall, which has stabilized. The number of births and the total population both generally rose through the 1990s and 2000s, peaked in 2006 (births) or 2007 (population), and then declined as the recession of 2007-2009 lingered.
About 11.1 million unauthorized immigrants lived in the U.S. in 2014, according to a Pew Research Center estimate. They made up 3.5% of the nation's total population, but accounted for a higher share of births because the immigrant population overall (lawful and unauthorized) includes a higher share of women in their childbearing years and has higher birthrates than the overall U.S. population.
These estimates are based mainly on data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Current Population Survey and its American Community Survey, using the widely accepted residual methodology employed by Pew Research Center for many years. These new estimates update and revise previous estimates for 2012 (310,000 previously; now 305,000) and 2013 (295,000 previously; now 290,000) based on more detailed data sources.
A separate Pew Research Center report released earlier, which examines trends in births to all foreign-born women, finds that these births are driving growth in U.S. births overall. The report also looks at characteristics of immigrant mothers, and finds that a rising share of births to immigrant mothers are to those who are married.
However, views differ by political party, and the gap between supporters of the two parties on this question has widened. By 75% to 23% in the 2015 survey, Democrats opposed changing the Constitution to ban birthright citizenship. Republicans were more split: About half (53%) favor amending the Constitution, while 44% are opposed.
In 2014, there were 4.7 million U.S.-born children younger than 18 living with unauthorized-immigrant parents. There also were 725,000 children younger than 18 who were unauthorized immigrants themselves and lived with unauthorized-immigrant parents. These totals do not count U.S.-born children of unauthorized immigrants who do not live with their parents.
The share of children of unauthorized immigrants who are U.S. born has been increasing over the past two decades. This likely is related to the fact that long-term residents constitute a rising share of unauthorized immigrants. In 2014, two-thirds of adult unauthorized immigrants had lived in the U.S. for a decade or more, compared with 41% in 2005.
Source: Published originally on PewResearchCenter, Number of babies born to unauthorized immigrants in U.S. continues to decline, by Jeffrey S. Passel and D'Vera Cohn, October 20, 2016.
The nation’s Latino population is defined by its youth
Hispanics are the youngest major racial or ethnic group in the United States. About one-third, or 17.9 million, of the nation's Hispanic population is younger than 18, and about a quarter, or 14.6 million, of all Hispanics are Millennials (ages 18 to 33 in 2014), according to a Pew Research Center analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data. Altogether, nearly six-in-ten Hispanics are Millennials or younger.
By comparison, half of the black population and 46% of the U.S. Asian population are Millennials or younger. Among whites, the nation's oldest racial group, only about four-in-ten are Millennials or younger (39%).
The nation's Latino population has long been one of its youngest. In 2014, the most recent year for which data are available, the median age of Hispanics – 28 years – was well below that of the major racial groups and has been so since at least the 1980s. But as with the nation's population overall, the Hispanic population's median age has steadily risen since the 1980s, from 22 then to 28 in 2014, a significant change though still the smallest increase in median age among any major racial or ethnic group during that time period. For example, the median age among whites was 43 in 2014, up 12 years since 1980. Among Asians, the median age in 2014 was 36, up eight years since 1980. And for blacks, the median age has risen nine years since 1980 to 33 in 2014.
Looked at another way, the share of the Hispanic population under the age of 18 has decreased somewhat since 1980. Back in 1980, 40% of the nation's 14.8 million Latinos were under age 18, while among white non-Hispanics, that share was 26%. In 1990, 35% of the then 21.8 million Latinos living in the U.S. were under 18. That share remained stable through 2000, but had dropped to 32% as of 2014. Meanwhile, among whites, the share under age 18 stood at 19% in 2014.
For the nation's Hispanic population, youth is a defining characteristic. For example, among Hispanic eligible voters, 44% are Millennial Hispanics – the single largest cohort of Hispanic eligible voters. And among the nation's Millennials, Hispanics are a greater share than they are among all American adults – Hispanics make up 21% of all U.S. Millennials versus 15% of all adults in 2014.
Within the Hispanic adult population, Millennials stand out in a number of ways from older Hispanics, according to the Pew Research Center analysis. Millennials are currently much less likely to be immigrants and are more likely to speak English proficiently. They are also more likely than older generations to be of Mexican origin, reflecting the youth of the Mexican-origin population in the U.S.
Read the complete report here.
Source: Pew Hispanic Research Center, The Nation's Latino Population Is Defined by Its Youth, by Eileen Patten, April 20, 2016.
Poverty increasing for Latinos in Sonoma
During the five-year period ending in 2014, an average of 19.6 percent of Latinos in Sonoma County lived at or below the poverty line, compared to 9.3 percent of white residents. In 2014, the federal poverty level was $14,580 for an individual and $29,820 for a family of four.
The figures show that poverty increased in Sonoma County for both Latinos and whites. During the previous five-year period, between 2005 and 2009, an average of 15.1 percent of Latinos and 7.4 percent of whites lived at or below the government's official poverty threshold.
The statistics alone do not adequately shed light on the issue of poverty in Sonoma County, said Tim Reese, executive director of Community Action Partnership of Sonoma County, a local nonprofit group that provides services to low-income residents.
“Many of the poor in our community are hidden from our view,” Reese said, adding that some may be agricultural workers who live in “out-of-sight” rural housing, while others may be undocumented immigrants who are living “off the grid” because of their status.
Meanwhile, poverty and living- wage advocates argue that the official poverty threshold doesn't adequately describe the size of the local population, Latino and otherwise, who are struggling economically.
One southwest Santa Rosa mother said the $28,000 a year her husband makes working as a landscaper often leaves the family of four unable to cover their $1,450 monthly rent.
“The rest goes to pay bills like water, electricity, garbage, cellphone,” said Veronica, who spoke on condition that her last name be withheld because she is an undocumented immigrant. “What little is left goes to pay for food. There's no money for extras such as eating out.”
The couple, who are originally from Mexico, have a 19-month-old girl and a 2-year-old boy. Both have asthma, and the boy suffers from a severe skin condition. Veronica participates in Community Action Partnership's AVANCE program, which teaches her crucial parenting skills, while her boy is in a program called Pasitos, aimed at providing toddlers with the necessary tools to succeed in preschool and beyond.
Oscar Chavez, assistant director of the county Human Services Department, predicted that economic disparities between white and Latino residents will have increasingly adverse effects on the local community as Latinos continue to become a larger share of the overall population. Education is the single most important battlefront in efforts to reduce poverty in Sonoma County, he said.
“Latinos earn $15,000 less than whites and are further behind in educational attainment,” Chavez said, citing a 2014 county report, titled “A Portrait of Sonoma County.”
In 2013, 23 percent of Latinos in Sonoma County between the ages of 19 and 24 did not have a high school diploma compared to 3 percent of white residents in the same age group.
“Closing the achievement gap is not only key to help our youth realize their full potential but also crucial to the well-being of our community and economic competitiveness,” Chavez said.
Chavez said that a continued decline in middle-wage jobs has created a “bifurcated job market, where we are seeing wage growth at the top and stagnation at the bottom, leaving little opportunity for the working poor to climb the wage ladder.”
He said that investing in early childhood education, raising high school graduation rates and providing the necessary training for Latinos to access higher-skilled jobs will greatly improve economic opportunities for Latinos in the county.
Veronica said that as hard as life is in the United States, she remains here because she believes her U.S.-born children can have a better life, free of the type of violence currently plaguing Mexico. To that end, she said, she and her children are learning the skills necessary to get ahead.
Source: Published originally on The Press Democrat as Poverty increasing for Latinos in Sonoma byMartin Espinoza, December 28, 2015.
Hispanic Millennials Could Drive the New Food World
Indeed, Facts, Figures & The Future (F3) anticipates a food future led by this sector whose members are more optimistic foodies than whites and could well become the next generation of food brand and food retail innovators. Hispanic millennials might be especially motivated to fill a gap if today's mainstream supermarkets fail to satisfy their distinct food, beverage and alcohol preferences or respect the roles of food in their culture.
The nation's 83.1 million millennials are “far more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2% being part of a minority race or ethnic group,” state 2014 U.S. Census Bureau figures. Also, the nation's children under five became “majority-minority for the first time [50.2%],” Census says.
Within this context, the youngest generations of Hispanics outpace the numbers of older Hispanics in the U.S. Millennials already account for 27% and Generation Z 35% of the nation's Hispanic population, according to Geoscape. Some 40% of Hispanic millennials are foreign-born, notes Experian Simmons. Yet Pew Research Center says 68% of Hispanics in the U.S. are proficient in English, up from 59% in 2000.
According to the ThinkNow/Sensis study, Hispanic millennials relate to foods and beverages in eight key ways:
- As foodies, they lead the preference for whole foods.
- The U.S.-born use food and beverage to connect to their cultural roots.
- The foreign-born consume mass-market brands to assimilate into mainstream culture.
- They prefer established brands to craft or artisanal.
- They actively grocery shop, yet are less likely to research deals or seek coupons before the trip.
- They connect beer drinking to culture and friendship.
- They enjoy tequila as much as vodka.
- They inspire non-Hispanic white millennials to embrace ethnic flavors.
Moreover, their larger households (3.5 people) spend a mean $149 per week on groceries, more than non-Hispanic white millennials ($136, 3.1), Asian millennials ($119, 3.0), and African-American millennials ($105, 3.1), the study shows.
Nearly three out of four Hispanic shoppers (74%) report they enjoy grocery shopping – more than the 58% of total U.S. shoppers who say this. It is a social experience for them: 77% shop with another person, almost always family, according to a joint Acosta/Univision The Why Behind The Buy study.
Hispanic millennials use this as an opportunity to explore new items: 57% in the 25-34 age bracket say they often try new flavors/products vs. 50% of Hispanics overall. Their highest incidence is in fresh meat (67%), fresh produce (67%), refrigerated juices and drinks (56%) and yogurt (54%), the Acosta/Univision data show
Source: Published originally on Phil Lempert Supermarket Guru as Hispanic Millennials Could Drive the New Food World, August 4, 2015.
The Limited English Proficient Population in the United States
Between 1990 and 2013, the LEP population grew 80 percent from nearly 14 million to 25.1 million (see Figure 1). The growth of the LEP population during this period came largely from increases in the immigrant LEP population. The most dramatic increase occurred during the 1990s as the LEP population increased 52 percent. The growth rate then slowed in the 2000s and the size of the LEP population has since stabilized. Over the past two decades, the LEP share of the total U.S. population has increased from about 6 percent in 1990 to 8.5 percent in 2013.
Immigrants to the United States come from many different language backgrounds and may be in various stages of English proficiency. Of the total immigrant population of 41.3 million in 2013, about half was LEP.
Compared to the English-proficient population, the LEP population was less educated and more likely to live in poverty. Employed LEP men in 2013 were more likely to work in construction, natural resources, and maintenance occupations than English-proficient men, while LEP women were much more likely to be employed in service and personal-care occupations than English-proficient women.
As of 2013, the highest concentrations of LEP individuals were found in the six traditional immigrant-destination states—California (6.8 million, or 27 percent of the total LEP population), Texas (3.4 million, 14 percent), New York (2.5 million, 10 percent), Florida (2.1 million, 8 percent), Illinois (1.1 million, 4 percent), and New Jersey (1 million, 4 percent). Together, the top six states accounted for approximately two-thirds of the LEP population.
Eleven states had a higher share of LEP residents than the nationwide proportion of 8 percent. California had the highest share, with LEP individuals accounting for 19 percent of the state population.
Nativity
The foreign-born population was much more likely to have limited English proficiency than the native-born population. In 2013, about 50 percent of immigrants (20.4 million) were LEP, compared to 2 percent of the U.S.-born population.
In 2013, 81 percent of LEP individuals were immigrants. Of the total foreign-born LEP population, 39 percent were born in Mexico, followed by China (6 percent), El Salvador (4 percent), Vietnam (4 percent), Cuba (3 percent), and the Dominican Republic (3 percent). Foreign-born LEP individuals were less likely than the overall immigrant population to be naturalized citizens (36 percent versus 47 percent, respectively).
Of native-born LEP individuals, 14 percent were born in Puerto Rico and less than 2 percent were born in Mexico to at least one U.S.-citizen parent. Three percent were born abroad elsewhere to at least one U.S.-citizen parent, with the remaining 82 percent born in one of the 50 U.S. states or the District of Columbia.
Language Diversity
Spanish was the predominant language spoken by both immigrant and U.S.-born LEP individuals. About 64 percent (16.2 million) of the total LEP population spoke Spanish, followed by Chinese (1.6 million, or 6 percent), Vietnamese (847,000, 3 percent), Korean (599,000, 2 percent), and Tagalog (509,000, 2 percent). Close to 80 percent of the LEP population spoke one of these five languages.
There were marked differences, however, in the top languages spoken by LEP persons by nativity. 3, 77 percent (3.6 million) of the U.S.-born LEP population spoke Spanish, followed by German (140,000, or 3 percent), Chinese (116,000, 2 percent), French (82,000, 2 percent), and Vietnamese (80,000, 2 percent). Spanish was also the predominant language, spoken by about 62 percent (12.5 million) of immigrant LEP individuals. However, Asian languages were more likely to be spoken by the foreign-born LEP population, including Chinese (1.5 million, or 7 percent), Vietnamese (767,000, 4 percent), Korean (564,000, 3 percent), and Tagalog (484,000, 2 percent).
Age, Race, and Ethnicity
Compared to their English-proficient counterparts, LEP individuals were much less likely to be of school age and much more likely to be of working age. In 2013, 10 percent of LEP individuals were children between the ages 5 and 17, versus 19 percent of the English-proficient population.
LEP individuals were much more likely to be Latino or Asian than their English-proficient counterparts. While Latinos comprised 63 percent of the LEP population, they accounted for only 12 percent of the English-proficient population. Likewise, 21 percent of LEP individuals were Asian compared to only 4 percent of English-proficient individuals.
Education and Employment
In general, LEP adults were much less educated than their English-proficient peers. As of 2013, 46 percent of all LEP individuals ages 25 and over had no high school diploma compared to 10 percent of their English-proficient counterparts. About 14 percent of LEP adults had a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to 31 percent of English-proficient adults.
LEP Children and English Language Learners
In 2013, of the 51.3 million children ages 5 to 17 in the United States, approximately 8 million (16 percent) lived with at least one LEP parent.
Among the 2.3 million children who were themselves LEP, 23 percent were foreign born. The remaining 77 percent (1.8 million) were U.S. born, with 77 percent (1.4 million) having at least one immigrant parent.
Source: Migration Policy Institute, The Limited English Proficient Population in the United States, July 8, 2015.