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By Anna Gorman
December 11, 2009
Latinos believe education and hard work are key
to a successful future, but they are more likely than other young people to
drop out of school and live in poverty, according to a new Pew Hispanic Center study being released today.
The study, based on a survey of more than 1,200 Latinos ages 16 to 25 and an
analysis of census data, presents a portrait of the assimilation of a rapidly
growing segment of the U.S. population, one that will have a
significant effect on the nation's politics and economics in coming years.
Young Latinos make up 18% of all young people in the nation and 42% in California.
About one-third of young Latinos are immigrants, but two-thirds are born in the
U.S. Many are the children of immigrants who
began arriving in the U.S. in 1965.
"If you want to understand what America is going to be like in the 21st century, you need to
have understanding of how today's young Latinos, most of whom are not
immigrants, will grow up," said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Hispanic Center. "Never before in this nation's history has a
minority ethnic group made up so large a share of the youngest Americans."
That could raise concerns in some areas. About one-quarter of all young Latinas
have a child by age 19, a rate higher than whites, Asians and blacks. About 17%
of Latinos drop out of school -- nearly double the rate among blacks. And about
23% of young Latinos live in poverty -- higher than whites but lower than
blacks.
But over time, Latinos gain more education -- those born in the U.S. are less likely to leave high school than those in
the first generation, according to the study. The U.S.-born are also less
likely than foreign-born young Latinos to be employed in construction, food
preparation or other low-skilled jobs. They are also more proficient in English
and less likely to live in poverty.
However, those born in the U.S. are
more likely to have gang ties or be incarcerated, according to the study.
The findings also raise questions about identity. More than half of the young
people identify themselves first by their family's native country. Among those
born in the U.S., 33% say they are American first, and
41% identify themselves by their parents' homeland.
"They are growing up in households where the immigrant experience is a
very recent experience," said Mark Hugo Lopez, associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center.
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