EMBARGOED UNTIL: 12:01 A.M. EDT, OCTOBER 15, 1999 (FRIDAY)
Public Information Office CB99-195
301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax)
301-457-1037 (TDD)
e:mail: pio@census.gov
Dianne Schmidley/Joseph Costanzo
301-457-2403
Region of Birth a Key Indicator of Well-Being for
America's Foreign-Born Population, Census Bureau Reports
The Commerce Department's Census Bureau released a comprehensive report
today on a wide range of geographic, demographic, social, economic and
housing characteristics for the foreign-born population of the United
States.
"This report shows our foreign-born population has increased
significantly since the 1990 census was taken, and many of these new
Americans have never participated in a U.S. census," said the Census
Bureau's director, Kenneth Prewitt. "We will be taking unprecedented steps
to reach out to all of them to make Census 2000 the most complete and
accurate census in history."
"The foreign-born population of the United States at the end of the 20th
century cannot be neatly categorized, but we do see links between region
of birth and measures of social and economic well-being," said A. Dianne
Schmidley, co-author with Campbell Gibson, of Profile of the Foreign-Born
Population of the United States: 1997.
The data are for 1997, with income and poverty data from the previous
year. Highlights include:
- The proportion of the population 25 years old and over who had a high
school education or more was lower among the foreign-born population
(65.3 percent) than among the native population (84.4 percent). The
proportion was 83.9 percent of the foreign-born from Asia (not
statistically different from natives), 78.9 percent of those from
Europe and 47.0 percent of those from Latin America. Within Latin
America the proportion ranged greatly, from 77.6 percent of those from
South America to 31.3 percent of those from Mexico. The proportion
from South America was not statistically different from Europe
or Asia.
- Median income for households with a foreign-born householder was
$30,000, compared with $36,100 for households with a native
householder. The median household income was $42,900 for those with
householders from Asia; $31,300 where householders were from
Europe; and $24,100 where they were from Latin America. Median
household income for Latin American households ranged from $31,800
for householders from South America (not different from Europe or all
of the foreign-born or native households) to $22,400 for those from
Mexico.
- The official poverty rate was 21.0 percent for the foreign-born
population in 1996, compared with 12.9 percent for the native
population. Among the foreign-born population, poverty rates for those
from Europe (12.7 percent), Asia (14.7 percent) and South America
(15.1 percent) were similar to each other and to the native
population. In contrast, the rate for those born in Mexico was
33.9 percent.
- In 1996, about 17.0 percent of native householders participated in
one or more means-tested noncash programs, such as Medicaid. Among
foreign-born householders, those participating in these programs were
13.9 percent of those from Europe, 17.5 percent, from Asia and 21.4
percent from South America. All of these rates were similar to each
other and the native rates, but much lower than the rate for Mexico
(35.4 percent).
- In 1997, about 54.1 percent of native workers had employment-based
health insurance. For the foreign-born, the proportions were
53.6 percent of those from Europe, 51.5 percent, from Asia
(not different from Europe or native workers), 44 percent, from
South America (not different from the rate for Asia) and 30.6 percent,
from Mexico.
- In March of 1997, about 30.1 percent of native workers were in
managerial and professional specialty occupations. These occupations
accounted for 37.8 percent of the workers from Europe and 35.8 percent,
from Asia (not statistically different from one another), and
11.4 percent, from Latin America. Among Latin American workers,
figures ranged from 23.3 percent for South America (not statistically
different from native workers) to 5.8 percent for Mexico.
- The average size of households with a foreign-born householder was
3.32 people, considerably larger than the average size of 2.56 for
households with a native householder. The average household size of
foreign-born households by region of birth of the householder
was: 2.41 for people from Europe (not different from natives);
3.26 for people from Asia (not statistically different from the
foreign-born total); 3.17 for people from South America (significantly
different from Mexico only); and 4.38 for people from Mexico.
- In 1997, the homeownership rate was higher for households with a
native householder, than for those with a foreign-born
householder: 67.8 percent versus 47.1 percent. Homeownership rates
were 62.6 percent for those with householders from Europe,
50.5 percent for those from Asia and 38.0 percent for those from
Latin America. About 41.5 percent of the householders from South
America (not statistically different from Asia) and 38.5 percent
of those from Mexico owned their own homes (not statistically
different from each other or the total for Latin America).
The report released on the Internet today is accompanied by about
400 pages of detailed tables, some of them containing data on three
generations of the foreign-born population.
The tables are for states and large metropolitan areas. Data on the
foreign-born by country (approximately 200) also are included.
The data in the report are from the March 1997 Current Population Survey
(CPS). Data from 1990 and earlier censuses are included for comparison.
Statistics from sample surveys are subject to sampling and nonsampling
error. The Census Bureau's population estimates program uses a different
method to estimate population by nativity, and may show different
estimates of foreign-born and native populations from those presented
here.
Major funding for the report was provided by the Immigration and
Naturalization Service of the U.S. Department of Justice.
-X-
