Immigration and Literacy in Queens Community District 2

A Melting Pot...• 60% of the population of Queens Community

District 2 is foreign-born

• 75% of the population speak a language other than English in the home

• 45% of the population above the age of 5 years old does not speak English fluently

• In 2000, 50% of the non-English speaking population in QCD2 spoke Spanish and 23% spoke Chinese or Korean at home

Source: NYC Department of City Planning Website

Improvements

• State test scores in language arts are improving for elementary school children

• More citywide bi- or multi-lingual services

• Queens-based offices provide the best language services of the five boroughs

• NYC Dept of Education English Language Learners Program

An example of the impact of immigration on public services in NYC: In QCD2, 50% of the non-English speaking population speak

Spanish, necessitating bilingual MTA notifications

Setbacks...

• City hospitals often cannot provide medical services in immigrants' native languages

• Legal services, particularly in labor and immigration law, are often provided to immigrants by English-speaking firms 

• Insufficient funding and long waiting lists for ESL classes

• 12% of the land in QCD2 is being used for parking facilities and vacant lots, while only 3% is used for "institutions", including schools

Land Use in Queens Community District 2, 2006

The New York Immigration Coalition is a local organization that advocates for immigrant services,

particularly in the field of literacy