LATINO IMMIGRATION LATINO IMMIGRATION AND EDUCATION AND EDUCATION

MARCELO M. SUÁREZ-OROZCO, Ph.D.The Richard Fisher Membership Fellow, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ & The Courtney Sale Ross University Professor at New York UniversityCo-Director, Immigration Studies @ NYU www.nyu.education/immigration

National Council of La Raza

October 22, 2009

The Age of Movement

The New, New Immigration – The New, New Immigration – 2008- 2008-

Immigrant Population: 1900-2005

10.313.5 13.9 14.2

11.6 10.3 9.7 9.6

14.1

19.8

31.6

37.9

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2007

Year

Num

ber

of Im

mig

rant

s (i

n m

illio

ns)

Top Countries of Birth, 2006Top Countries of Birth, 2006

Country of Birth 2006 %

1. Mexico 11,534,972 30.8

2. Philippines 1,634,117 4.4

3. India 1,505,351 4.0

4. China 1,357,482 3.6

5. Vietnam 1,116,156 3.0

6. El Salvador 1,042,218 2.8

7. Korea 1,021,212 2.7

8. Cuba 932,563 2.5

9. Canada 847,228 2.3

10. Dominican Republic 764,930 2.0

11. Guatemala 740,986 2.0

12. Jamaica 643,067 1.7

Adapted from Pew Hispanic Center, 2008

Transgenerational Asymmetry Transgenerational Asymmetry Age-Sex Pyramid for Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States, 2006 Age-Sex Pyramid for Non-Hispanic Whites in the United States, 2006 Current Population SurveyCurrent Population Survey

-6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

Male Female

Transgenerational Asymmetry Transgenerational Asymmetry Age-Sex Pyramid for Native-Born Hispanics in the United States, Age-Sex Pyramid for Native-Born Hispanics in the United States, 20062006Current Population SurveyCurrent Population Survey

-10 -9 -8 -7 -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

0-4

5-9

10-14

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-34

35-39

40-44

45-49

50-54

55-59

60-64

65-69

70-74

75-79

80-84

85+

Male Female

Education, Health and Education, Health and Well-BeingWell-Being

Why Education Matters for Why Education Matters for Immigrants Immigrants

Education, Labor Market and Mobility

Education and Poverty

Education and Health

Education and the Criminal Justice System

The ‘Pipeline Problem’ for The ‘Pipeline Problem’ for LatinosLatinos

Of 100 Latino Elementary Students

52Graduate from High School

31Enroll in College

11 enter4 Year College

20 enterCommunity College

Only 2Transfer to 4 Year College

4 attain aGraduate or a Professional Degree

Fewer than 1 attaina Doctoral Degree

10 attain aB.A. Degree

From Whom Was Child Separated During From Whom Was Child Separated During Immigration?Immigration?

From Whom Was Child From Whom Was Child

Separated?Separated?

N = 385 Chinese

N = 78 %

Dominican

N = 75 %

Central American

N = 77 %

Haitian

N= 71 %

Mexican

N = 84 %

Total Sample

%

Family comes all together 37 11 4 4 15 15

Family Separated During Immigration

63 89 96 96 84 85

Mother only 15 3 0 10 2 6

Father only 40 25 16 27 42 30

Both parents 8 61 80 59 40 49

From Whom Was Child Separated?—From Whom Was Child Separated?—

Mother or FatherMother or Father

N = 385 Chinese

N = 78 %

Dominican

N = 75 %

Central American

N = 77 %

Haitian

N= 71 %

Mexican

N = 84 %

Total Sample

%

Mother at some time during the migration

23 64 80 69 42 55

Father at some time during the migration

48 86 96 86 82 79

English Language English Language ProficiencyProficiency

Policy and Practice Policy and Practice ImplicationsImplications

“Sink or Swim” integration policies

The DREAM Act

Increasing preschool opportunities

Rigorous 21st century education

Teacher education

Second language education

Reconsidering high-stakes testing

After-school programs

Mentorships

Systematic college pathway instruction

Building on strengths of Latino families