More of California’s immigrants are joining the mainstream, says U.S census
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
California’s immigrants are growing more assimilated, with greater proportions reporting last year that they became U.S. citizens and the majority of Spanish speakers now saying they speak English very well, a sharp rise from 2000, according to U.S. Census data released today.
Data from the bureau’s 2007 American Community Survey showed that California continued to diversify, with whites declining to 42.5% of the state’s total population and Latinos, Asians and blacks increasing to 54.4%. The foreign-born population inched upward and now makes up more than one-fourth of residents in the state and one-third in Los Angeles County, report Teresa Watanabe and Francisco Vara-Orta.
But bucking perceptions that high levels of immigration are jeopardizing national cohesion, the data showed that today’s immigrants, like those before them, are embracing an American identity. In Los Angeles County, for instance, the proportion of native Spanish speakers fluent in English increased to 51.4% in 2007 from 44.6% in 2000. The share of naturalized citizens among the foreign-born grew to 43.3% from 38% over that time.
‘Every major study shows that immigrants from whatever country are integrating into our society at the same level and degree as prior immigrants,’ said Antonia Hernandez, president of the Los Angeles-based California Community Foundation, a nonprofit organization that recently launched an initiative to help immigrants adapt here.
Click here for more on immigration.
-- Deborah Bonello