The State of Latino Chicago. This Is Home Now. Timothy Ready and Allert Brown-Gort

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This Is Home Now

The State of Latino Chicago

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The State of Latino Chicago

This Is Home Now

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Preface��iii Acknowledgements�� iv ProjectAdvisoryCommittee��v AbouttheAuthors�� vi ExecutiveSummary�� 1 Introduction�� 4 DemographicOverview�� 6 LatinoPopulationGrowthinMetroChicago�� 7 LatinoSuburbanization�� 8 SegregatedCommunitiesorEthnicEnclaves?�� 15 NationalOrigins�� 16 US-andForeign-BornLatinos�� 17 IssuesofCitizenshipandImmigration�� 20 FamilyandHousehold�� 22 Binational,Bicultural,andBilingual�� 22 HouseholdSize�� 23 FamilyStructure�� 23 IncomeandPoverty�� 24 Education�� 26 IntergenerationalLearning�� 26 TheNeedsofForeign-BornLatinos`�� 27 BuildingtheCapacityofSchoolsandCommunities�� 28 Health�� 30 LatinosandtheEconomy�� 32 LatinoEconomicPower�� 32 IncomeTrends�� 33 DifferentMeasuresofIncome�� 35 Housing�� 37 LaborandWorkforce�� 38 DiscussionandPolicyDirections�� 44 References�� 47

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Preface

Metropolitan Chicago is undergoing a profound transformation from a region dominated politicallyanddemographicallybyEuropeanAmericanstooneinwhichnosingleracialor ethnic group will be the majority� Long a preeminent center of manufacturing and trade, Chicagoisknownasthecitythatworks. InThe State of Latino Chicago,weexaminethestatus oftheregion’sfastestgrowingand,arguably,hardestworkingpopulation�

Inthisfirsteditionofwhatwillbeaseriesofregularreportswepresentanoverviewofthe contributionsofLatinostotheregion’seconomicvitality�Weexamineboththeassetsand contributionsthatLatinosbringtoeconomicandciviclifeandtheproblemsandchallenges thatmustbeaddressedifLatinoChicagoansaretorealizetheirfullpotential�

Aswillbearguedinthesepages,thefutureprosperityandwell-beingoftheentireregion dependonthewell-beingofeachofitscommunities�Despitetherecentarrivalofmany,the Latino presence in Chicago is well established� Latinos are here to stay; they now are the largestracialorethnicminoritygroupintheregion�Fromthiswedrawthereport’ssubtitle:

This Is Home Now.

The State of Latino ChicagoprovidesanoverviewofthegrowthanddistributionoftheLatino populationthroughouttheregion,alongwithinformationonincome,employment,educa-tion, and other topics essential for understanding the current status and future prospects ofChicago-areaLatinos�Subsequentissuesinthisserieswillprovidemoredetailedanaly-sesofspecifictopics—suchaseducation,accesstohealthcare,culturalcontributions,and employment�Ineachcase,ourgoalwillbetoenhanceunderstandingofthislargeandgrow-ingcommunityanditsroleintheeconomic,social,andculturallifeofChicago,nowandin thefuture�

Wehopethatthisandfuturereportswillhelptoprovideanempiricalfoundationforpublic policiesthatwillensureLatinos’fullincorporationintotheeconomicandciviclifeofthe region,bothfortheirownbenefitandthebenefitofallChicagoans�TheInstituteforLatino Studies is committed to this effort� Our primary vehicle for participating in Chicago-area researchanddiscourseisourMetropolitanChicagoInitiative,locatedinBerwyn,Illinois� IwishtothankthemembersoftheProjectAdvisoryCommitteeforgenerouslycontributing theirwisecounseltoshapethethemesofthispublication,aswellasparticipantsinthepolicy forumthatcoincideswiththereleaseofthisreport�Finally,aneffortlikethiscouldnothave beenproducedwithoutdedicatedstaff,whoonceagaindemonstratedtheircommitmentin theresearch,writing,andproductionofthispublication�

GilbertoCárdenas

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Acknowledgements

The Chicago Community Trust generously funded the research for this paper, with the MacNealHealthFoundationprovidingadditionalsupport�

TheInstituteforLatinoStudiesgratefullyacknowledgesthemembersofourdistinguished

State of Latino Chicagoadvisorycommittee�ThankstoMetropolis2020andtoAtakanGuven forproductionoftheChicago-areamaps�

WethankthefollowingInstituteFellowsandstaffmembersfortheireffortsinresearching, writing, and producing this report: Victor Ortiz, Institute Fellow; Sylvia Puente, director, MetropolitanChicagoInitiative;CarolineDomingo,publicationsmanager,andZoëSamora, publicationscoordinator;JohnKoval,InstituteFellow;MarthaZurita,ClaudiaHernández, andHeatherMinihan,MetropolitanChicagoInitiativestaff;andWeiSunandJenLaware, InstituteResearchDepartmentstaff�WealsowishtothankElizabethStation,editorialconsul-tant,andLaurieGlenn-GistaofThink,Inc�AllphotographsarebyJavierHernández,astudent attheUniversityofNotreDame�

Finally,wewishtothanktheIllinoisHispanicChamberofCommerceformakingavailable anestimateofthenumberofLatinofirmsintheregionpriortothereleaseofofficialdata�

University of Notre Dame Institute for Latino Studies

The main reason why I decided to come to the

United States was my two daughters. I want them

to have a better future and go to better schools.

–MotherofaMortonEastHighSchoolstudent,Cicero

“

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The main reason why I decided to come to the

United States was my two daughters. I want them

to have a better future and go to better schools.

–MotherofaMortonEastHighSchoolstudent,Cicero

“

”

The State of Latino Chicago Project Advisory Committee

Jim Lewis RooseveltUniversity Richard Longworth TheGlobalChicagoCenterofCCFR Hubert Morgan NortheasternILPlanningCommission Victor Ortiz NortheasternIllinoisUniversity Carmen Prieto WieboldtFoundation César Romero ConsulateGeneralofMexico,Chicago Alejandro Silva EvansFoodProducts,Inc� Peter Skosey MetropolitanPlanningCouncil Wendy Stack NortheasternIllinoisUniversity Jerry Stermer VoicesforIllinoisChildren Sylvia Sykes TheChicagoCommunityTrust Garth Taylor MetroChicagoInformationCenter

Maria de los Angeles Torres

DePaulUniversity

Arturo Venecia II

VeneciaGroup Stacia Zwisler TheGivingTrust John Ayers ShriverCenteronPovertyLaw Frank Beal ChicagoMetropolis2020 Susan Cahn IllinoisFacilitiesFund Gloria Castillo ChicagoUnited

Pamela H. Clarke

LeadershipforQualityEducation Jesus Garcia LittleVillageCommunity DevelopmentCorporation Maricela Garcia NationalAllianceofLatinAmerican andCaribbeanCommunities Mirna Garcia InstitutodelProgresoLatino Bob Gleeson NorthernIllinoisUniversity Lawrence Hansen JoyceFoundation Joshua Hoyt IllinoisCoalitionforImmigrant RefugeeRights Juanita Irizarry LatinosUnited Larry Joseph UniversityofChicago John Koval DePaulUniversity

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About the Authors

Timothy Ready is director of research at the Institute for Latino Studies� Before coming to Notre Dame, he was seniorprogramofficerintheDivisionofBehavioralandSocial SciencesandEducationattheNationalResearchCouncilof TheNationalAcademies�Duringthe1990s,hedirectedthe campaignoftheAssociationofAmericanMedicalColleges toincreaseracialandethnicdiversityinUSmedicalschools andcreatedanationalnetworkofcommunitypartnerships to increase the number of students both interested in, and academicallypreparedtopursue,careersinthehealthpro-fessions� He was a faculty member in the Department of

AnthropologyattheCatholicUniversityofAmericaandhasresearchedandwrittenonLatino healthandeducationissuesinSouthTexas,Washington,DCandChicago��

A citizen of both the United States and Mexico, Allert Brown-Gort is the associate director of the Institute for LatinoStudiesattheUniversityofNotreDame�Inprevious positionshehasworkedattheUniversityofTexasatAustin, theInternationalRelationsDepartmentoftheAutonomous TechnologicalInstituteof Mexico(ITAM)in Mexico City, and at Columbia University� In these capacities he has addressedLatino,NAFTA,andLatinAmericanissues�His currentresearchinvolvesanationalqualitativestudyofthe politicalopinionsandpolicyprioritiesoftheMexicanim-migrant and Mexican American communities� In 2000 he servedonatransitionteamforImmigrationandMexican Communities Abroad for the incoming administration of PresidentVicenteFox�

Timothy Ready

Allert Brown-Gort

Latinos recently became the largest ethnic minority or racial group

in metropolitan Chicago, numbering more than 1.6 million.

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Executive Summary

Atmorethan1�6million,or20percentofthepopulation,Latinosrecentlyemergedasthe largestethnicorracialminoritygroupinmetropolitanChicago�Latinoshavedeeprootsin thearea,asChicagohasbeenhometoasizeableLatinocommunityformorethaneighty years�MetropolitanChicago’sLatinopopulationcurrentlyisthethirdlargestinthenation; fortheMexican-originpopulationitisthesecondlargest�Evenmoreremarkably,29percent ofChicago-areachildrenareofLatinoorigin,asare38percentofthestudentsenrolledin ChicagoPublicSchools�

Two-thirds of Chicago-area Latinos are citizens� While recent migration has contributed greatlytothegrowthofthearea’sLatinopopulationandabouttwo-thirdsofLatinochildren haveatlastoneforeign-bornparent,84percentofthearea’sLatinochildrenwereborninthe UnitedStates�Withorwithoutdocumentation,morethan20,000newLatinoimmigrants, primarilyfromMexico,takeupresidenceinmetropolitanChicagoeachyear�

MostrecentLatinopopulationgrowthhasoccurredinthesuburbsandisdispersedinclusters throughoutthesix-countyregion�SuburbanLatinosnowoutnumberthoselivinginthecity� Newlyemergingandrapidlygrowingsuburbanenclavecommunities,likethoseinthecity, havemanypositivefeaturesbutalsocanleadtothelinguistic,social,andeconomicisolation oftheirLatinoresidents�Innovativeresponsesarerequiredfromschools,localgovernment, andtheprivatesectortofullyincorporatenewresidents�

Latinos’economiccloutinmetropolitanChicagohasgrownintandemwiththepopulation� Between1990and2003theaggregatehouseholdincomeforChicago-areaLatinosincreased from$5�8billionto$20billion�Nearlyone-thirdofLatinohouseholdshasincomesof$60,000 ormore;oneinfivehouseholdshaveincomesof$75,000ormore�MorethanhalfofLatino householdsarenowowner-occupied�Latinoswereresponsiblefornearlyhalf(46percent)of theincreaseinowneroccupiedhomesbetween2000and2003�Between1990and2003the regionwouldhavesufferedanetlossofjobswereitnotforincreasesattributabletoLatinos�In 2002therewere40,000Latino-ownedbusinessesgeneratingover$7�5billioninrevenues� ThefamilyisespeciallyimportantfortheeconomicsecurityofChicago-areaLatinos�Latino workers, on average, have much lower earnings than both non-Latino Whites and Blacks� However,LatinosaremuchlesslikelythanBlackstobepoorandmuchmorelikelytoowna home�Combiningtheearningsoftwoormoreworkingfamilymemberswholiveinahouse-holdenablesalltoenjoyahigherstandardoflivingthanwouldotherwisebepossible� WhileLatinos’progressinmetropolitanChicagohasbeenimpressiveinmanyways,ithasalso beenfragmentedanduneven�Latinoworkers’disproportionateconcentrationinlow-paying jobsalongwithdiscouragingschoolcompletionratesfortheirchildrenraisequestionsabout futureprospectsforsuccess�

AlthoughtheLatinopopulationexhibitsmanyoftheclassiccharacteristicsofmetropolitan Chicago’spreviousimmigrants,thestructureoftoday’seconomymakesitfarmoredifficult forLatinostoadvance�Today’simmigrantscontinuetoarrivehard-working,young,andam-bitious, but the knowledge-based and services-oriented economy of the early twenty-first centurygenerallydemandsaleveloftechnicaltrainingoreducationalcredentialsthatmany do not possess� Most foreign-born Latino residents of metropolitan Chicago arrive in the UnitedStateswithverylittleformaleducation�Imaginativepolicyresponsesareneededto

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preventtheirbecomingtrappedinjobsthatofferfewpossibilitiesforadvancement�Giventhis reality,accesstonon-formalinstructionalprogramstolearnEnglishaswellasjobskillsand GEDpreparationisessential�

Chicago-areaLatinofamiliesareuniquelybinational,bilingual,andbicultural—amajorasset inthiseraofglobalization�BothEnglishandSpanisharespokeninmorethanthree-quarters oftheregion’sLatinohomes�However,manyLatinochildrenaregrowingupinhouseholds wherenoadultspeaksEnglishverywell�Thisincreasestheresponsibilityonschoolstodevelop andimplementeffectiveprogramsofinstructionforstudentswithlimitedEnglishproficiency andtoovercomelinguisticbarrierstocommunicationwithparents�

TheaveragelevelofeducationalattainmentofUS-bornLatinosismuchhigherthanthatof theirforeign-borncounterpartsbutstillverylow�Futuresuccessintheworkplaceandinother arenaslargelydependsondramaticallyimprovingeducationaloutcomes�ManyLatinochil-drenareamongthosewiththegreatestneeds,buttheytendtobeenrolledinschoolswiththe fewestresources�Illinois’fundingdisparitybetweenschooldistrictsservingaffluentversus low-incomestudentsisthelargestinthenation�Tofurthercomplicatematters,manyLatino schoolchildren,mostofthemcitizens,arebeingraisedbyparentswhoareundocumented� Regardlessoftheimmigrationstatusoftheirparents,thepropereducationanddevelopment ofthesechildrenwillgreatlyinfluencetheshareddestinyoftheentireregion�

Moreresourcesshouldbemadeavailabletothosestudentswiththegreatestneeds�Butto makeadifference,theresourcesmustalsobewiselyusedsothatLatinochildren,incoordina-tionwiththeirteachers,families,andcommunities,becomeengagedinlearning,graduate fromhighschool,andgoontocollegeandotherpostsecondaryeducationalprograms� Inthisfirsteditionofwhatwillbeaseriesofregularreports,wepresentanoverviewofthe contributionsofLatinostotheregion’seconomicvitality�Weexaminenotonlytheassets andcontributionsthatLatinosbringtoeconomicandciviclifebutalsotheproblemsand

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challenges that must be addressed if Latino Chicagoans are to realize their full potential� Futureeditionsinthisserieswillprovidemoredetailedanalysesofspecifictopics—suchas education,accesstohealthcare,culturalcontributions,andemployment�

Otherkeyfindingsofthisreportinclude:

• TheLatinopopulationoftheChicagoareais,byitself,15thamongallthemetropolitan areasinthecountry�LatinoChicagoisapproximatelythesamesizeasmetropolitanSan AntonioorIndianapolis�

• The$20billioninLatinohouseholdincomeaccountsformorethan9percentoftheregion’s totalandisapproximatelyequaltothegrossdomesticproductofPanamaorLuxembourg� • Duringthefive-yearperiodbetween1997and2002thenumberofLatino-ownedbusinesses

increased44percent,whilethedollarvalueoftheirsalesreceiptsrose56percent�

• HighconcentrationsofLatinobusinesseshavereviveddecliningcommercialdistrictsin someneighborhoodsandcreatednewonesinothers�

• Duringthe13-yearperiodbetween1990and2003growthinthenumberofLatinoworkers wasnearlyequaltothetotalnumberofnewjobscreatedintheregion�

• Between2000and2003thetotalnumberofjobsinthesix-countymetroareaincreasedby anadditional41,000�Duringthesamethree-yearperiodthenumberofjobsheldbyLatinos increasedbymorethan105,000�

• Alsoduringthe13-yearperiodbetween1990and2003thenumberofhomesownedby Latinos increased by 126,000, accounting for 34 percent of the total growth in owner-occupiedhomes�

• Between2000and2003thenumberofhomesownedbyLatinosincreasedby41,000,while accountingfor46percentoftotalgrowthinowner-occupiedhomes�

• Only53percentofLatinostudentswhoenterhighschoolinninthgradegraduatefour yearslater�

• Although78percentofUS-bornLatinoseventuallygraduateorobtainaGEDbytheirlate 20s,lessthanhalfasmanyUS-bornLatinosasnon-LatinoWhitesgraduatefromcollege� The future of metropolitan Chicago depends on the successful incorporation of Latino children—andtheirmostlyforeign-bornparents—intotheeconomic,social,andpoliticallife oftheregion�Absentdeliberateplanning,thebest-casescenarioisthatthecurrentpattern offragmentedandunevenprogresswillcontinue�However,withwell-informedpoliciesand withpoliticalwillsufficienttomatchtheformidablechallengesthatlieahead,Chicagocanand willdobetter�Wehopethatthisreportwillservetoinformdiscussionabouttheincorporation ofthislargeandgrowingcommunityintotheeconomic,social,andculturallifeofChicago, nowandinthefuture�

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Introduction

Hardwork,devotiontofamily,andastrongsenseofcommunityhaveplacedLatinosfirmly inthetraditionofimmigrantgroupsthathavemadeChicago1_{oneofthegreatcitiesofthe}

world�Latinos’alreadyconsiderablecontributionstotheeconomic,civicandculturallifeof theregionwillinevitablyincreaseastheirpopulationcontinuestogrow�Afundamentalques-tion,however,iswhetherLatinoChicagoans’economicprogresswillkeeppacewiththeir demographicgrowth�Thefactisthatthefutureprosperityoftheentireregionisinextricably linkedtotheLatinopopulation’sprospectsforfullincorporationintotheeconomicandsocial fabricofthecity�

Latinos2_{recentlybecamethelargestethnicminorityorracialgroupinmetropolitanChicago,}

numberingmorethan1�6million�WereitnotforLatinopopulationgrowth,metropolitan Chicagowouldbeinthemidstofalong-termpopulationdecline�In2004oneofeveryfive (20percent)Chicago-arearesidentswasLatino(ACS2004)comparedtoonly12percentin 1990(Census1990)�Indeed,ChicagohasalreadybecomeamajorLatinometropolis—with thethirdlargestLatinopopulationintheUnitedStatesandthesecondlargestMexicancom-munityinthenation(ACS2003)�Evenmoreremarkably,29percentofChicago-areachildren areofLatinoorigin�AmongstudentsenrolledinChicagoPublicSchools(District299),38 percentareLatino(ISBE2004c)�Andwhileapproximatelytwo-thirdsofadultChicago-area Latinoresidentsareimmigrants,thevastmajority(84percent)ofLatinochildrenwerebornin theUnitedStates�Itisclearthat,tonosmalldegree,thefutureofChicagoisLatino�

AlthoughthegrowingLatinocommunitypossessessalientassets,italsofacessignificantchal-lenges�BothfactswillaffectthemanneranddegreetowhichLatinosareincorporatedinto theeconomicandciviclifeofmetropolitanChicago�Latinosareworkers,consumers,busi- nessowners,andcommunitymemberswhocontributegreatlytotheregionandwhoareex-periencinggrowinglevelsofsuccess�Nevertheless,theirdisproportionateconcentrationin low-payingjobs,alongwithdiscouragingschoolcompletionrates,raisequestionsabouttheir futurelevelsofsuccess�Theirprogressasayoungandrapidlygrowingsegmentofthemetro-politanpopulation(Zurita2003)andthemanychallengesthatmustbeaddressedloomlarge forthefutureoftheregion�

In twenty-first century America urban centers that continue to experience a steady flow ofimmigrantsaremuchmorelikelythanotherstothriveeconomically(Singer2004)�The challenge,asalways,isfindingwaystoincorporatethenewcomers,alongwithallotherseg- mentsofsociety,inamannerthatletsthemcontributeasfullyaspossibletothecity’seco-nomic,civic,andculturallifeand,inturn,toreapthebenefitsfromit�

1Unlessotherwiseindicated,‘Chicago’inthisreportreferstothesix-countyChicagometropolitanarea,includingCook,DuPage, Will,McHenry,LakeandKanecountiesofIllinois�

2Anoteonterminologyisappropriatehere�HispanicsorLatinosarepersonswhoidentifywiththeterms‘Hispanic’or‘Latino’ orwithspecificHispanicorLatinocategorieslistedinCensusquestionnaires—‘Mexican,’‘MexicanAmerican,’‘Chicano,’‘Puerto Rican,’or‘Cuban’—aswellasthosewhoindicatethattheyare‘otherSpanish,Hispanic,orLatino�’Origincanbeconsideredasthe heritage,nationalitygroup,lineage,orcountryofbirthofthepersonortheperson’sparentsorancestorsbeforetheirarrivalinthe UnitedStates�PeoplewhoidentifytheiroriginasSpanish,Hispanic,orLatinomaybeofanyrace�

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Inthisreportwehighlightinformationrelevanttounderstandingthearea’sLatinopopulation inrelationtothepresentandfutureoftheChicagoregionasawhole�Wehopethattheinfor-mationpresentedwillspurdiscussionanddebateand,ultimately,informpublicpoliciesthat willpromotethefullincorporationofChicago-areaLatinosintothelifeofthecity—notonly fortheirownsakebutalsoforthecontinuedprosperityofthemetropolitanarea�

Thisreportisbasedonvarioussources�ItdrawsonresearchconductedbytheUniversityof NotreDame’sInstituteforLatinoStudies,includingourChicagoAreaSurveyof1500Latino households,400non-HispanicWhitehouseholdsand400AfricanAmericanhouseholds,as wellasonotherworkdonebyInstitutefacultyandFellows,includingreportsandpapersby JohnKoval,RobParal,TimReady,SungChun,WeiSun,andMarthaZurita�Thereportalso drawsuponinformationcollectedbytheUSCensusBureau,theIllinoisDepartmentofPublic Health,theUSDepartmentofEducation,theIllinoisStateBoardofEducation,andothers�

Between 1970

and 2004 Latinos

accounted for

96 percent of

the region’s

population

growth.

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Demographic Overview

InrecentyearsLatinoshavebecomeanincreasinglyvisiblecomponentoftheracialandeth-nictapestrythatismetropolitanChicago�Yeteconomicandancestraltieshavelinkedmany Latinostotheregionfromasfarbackasthe1800s,whenthefirstMexicanConsulatewas establishedinthecity�ManyMexicanscametoliveandworkinChicagoduringWorldWar I,takingtheplaceofthosewhohadgonetowar�Bythe1920sChicagowasknowntohave thelargestMexicanpopulationintheUnitedStatesoutsideoftheSouthwest�Later,fromthe 1950sthroughthe1970s,tensofthousandsofPuertoRicansalsomigratedtoChicago(Paral, Ready,Chun,andSun2004,23)�

Figure

ByfarthegreatestLatinopopulationgrowthoccurredduringthelastthreedecadesofthe twentiethcenturyandhascontinuedtothepresent�Thisrecentgrowthhasbeenfueledpri-marilybymigrationfromMexicoandnaturalpopulationincreasesamongUS-bornLatino residents�By2002LatinoshadsurpassedAfricanAmericansasthelargestracialorethnic minoritygroupinthearea,oneyearafterthisoccurrednationally�

MetropolitanChicago3_{ranksthirdinthenationinthenumberofLatinoresidents,aftermetro}

LosAngelesandNewYork�Atthesametime,theregionrankssecondinMexican-origin populationafterLosAngeles�ThismeansthatifChicago’sLatinosformedtheirowncity,they wouldbethefifteenthlargestmetropolitanareainthecountry�LatinoChicagoisapproxi-matelythesamesize,inpopulationterms,asmetroSanAntonioorIndianapolis�

Source: ACS 2004. Notes: Based on 6 counties.

Numbers are rounded to nearest 1000. Figure 1.

Metro Chicago Population by Race and Ethnicity, 2004

Black 1,504,000 19%

Latino 1,607,000 20%

Asian 447,000

6%

White 4,529,000 55%

3Forpurposesofcomparisontoothermetroareas,theterm‘metropolitanarea’herereferstothenine-countyChicagoPrimary MetropolitanStatisticalArea(PMSA)�

Latino Chicago

is approximately

the same

population

as metro San

Antonio or

Indianapolis.

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IllinoisLatinosaredisproportionatelyconcentratedintheChicagometropolitanarea�Ninety-twopercentofthestate’s1�7millionLatinoresidentsliveinthesix-countyarea,comparedto onlytwo-thirdsofthestate’spopulationoverall�

Latino Population Growth in Metro Chicago

Between1970and2004theLatinopopulationofmetropolitanChicagoincreasedfromslight-lylessthan325,000tomorethan1�6million�Duringthis34-yearperiodgrowthintheLatino populationaccountedfor96percentoftheregion’stotalpopulationincrease�Thegreatest surgetookplaceinthedecadeofthe1990swhentheLatinopopulationincreasedbynearly 570,000,orabout57,000peryear�Thiswasnearlydoubletheannualrateofincreasethatoc-curredduringthe1970sand1980s�Between2000and2004metropolitanChicago’sLatino populationincreasedbyabout50,000peryear�

Duringthe34-yearperiodbetween1970and2004theproportionofthetotalpopulationofthe areathatisnon-LatinoWhitedecreasedfrommorethan75percentto55percent�Between 1990and2004thenumberofnon-LatinoWhitesinthesix-countyregionfellbymorethana quarterofamillionfrom4,758,000to4,529,000�DuringthesameperiodtheLatinopopula-tionincreasedbymorethanthree-quartersofamillionpersons�

Figure 2.

Latinos as a Percentage of Metro Chicago Residents, 1970–2004

5%

8%

12%

17%

20%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

1970 1980 1990 2000 2004

324,000

581,000

837,000

1,405,000 1,607,000

Sources: 1970–2000 Census, ACS 2004. Notes: Based on 6 counties.

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TherapidgrowthoftheLatinopopulationisexpectedtocontinue�Arecentprojectionbythe NortheasternIllinoisPlanningCommission(NIPC)4_{indicatesthatby2030one-thirdofthe}

region’spopulationwillbeLatino�

Figure

Latino Suburbanization

Formanyyearstheregion’sLatinoswereprimarilyconcentratedinthecity,butsincethe1980s theLatinopopulationhasbeengrowingfasterinthesuburbsthaninthecity(figure4)� In1970aquarterofamillionLatinoslivedinthecityofChicago—7�5percentofthecity’s population�Thatsameyearonly76,000Latinoswerespreadthroughoutthesuburbsofthe sixcounties,andtheyaccountedforonly2percentofthesuburbanpopulation�By1990the LatinopopulationinthecityofChicagoreached546,000,andby2000ithadgrowntomore thanthree-quartersofamillion�Representingmorethanaquarterofthecity’stotalpopula-tion,ChicagoLatinoshavecometoexertanenormousinfluenceonthesocial,cultural,and economiclifeofthecity�Yetbetween1990and2000eachofthefivecollarcountiesmorethan doubleditsLatinopopulation�

Figure 3.

Proportion of Metro Chicago Population Groups, Actual and Projected, 1980–2030

8% 12%

17%

23% 28%

33%

71% _69%

62%

58%

54%

49%

20% 19% 19% 19% _18% _18%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 2030

Latinos Non-Latino White/Other Non-Latino Black

Source: Northern Illinois Planning Commission. Note: *White/Other includes Asians.

4Seewww�nipc�org/2030_forecast_endorsed_093003�htm�

The majority of

Chicago-area

Latinos now live

in the suburbs.

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Source: 1970–2000 Census, ACS 2004. Notes: Based on 6 counties.

Notes: Numbers rounded to nearest 1000. Figure 4.

Location of Residence of Latinos in Metro Chicago, 1970–2004

746,000 (46%) 754,000 (54%) 546,000 (65%) 422,000 (73%) 248,000 (76%) 862,000 (54%) 651,000 (46%) 291,000 (35%) 159,000 (27%) 76,000 (24%) 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

1970 1980 1990 2000 2004

Chicago Suburban

Figure 5.

Metro Chicago Latino Population by

Percentage and Number, 1990, 2000, 2004

20% 7% 12% 6% 3% 8% 14% 4% 14% 26% 13% 17% 9% 8% 14% 24% 9% 20% 27% 16% 20% 12% 10% 18% 27% 11% 22%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

City of Chicago Suburbs 6 County Metro Total Will McHenry Lake Kane DuPage Cook 1990 2000 2004 1,072,000 1,162,000 694,000 81,000 100,000 35,000 96,000 127,000 44,000 119,000 93,000 39,000 28,000 20,000 6,000 71,000 44,000 20,000 1,607,000 1,405,000 837,000 862,000 651,000 291,000 746,000 754,000 546,000

Source: 1990 and 2000 Censuses, ACS 2004.

Notes: Based on 6 counties.

Notes: Numbers rounded to nearest 1000.

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Fromatinyfractionofthesuburbanpopulationin1970,Latinoshaverapidlybecomeama-jorpresenceinthesuburbsaswell�In1980onlyaboutaquarterofmetropolitanChicago Latinoslivedinthesuburbs�Theproportiongrewtomorethanone-thirdin1990andtojust underhalfin2000(Paral,Ready,Chun,andSun2004)�By2004amajority(54percent)was livinginthesuburbs,and2003and2004werethefirstyearsindecadesinwhichthecity’s Latinopopulationdidnotgrow�Inmarkedcontrast,therapidpaceofgrowthofthesuburban populationhascontinued�Itisasaresultofthecontinuedgrowth—nowconcentratedinthe suburbs—thatLatinoshavebecomethelargestracialorethnicgroupintheregion,surpassing AfricanAmericansin2002�

AsillustratedinFigure5andinthemapsthatfollow,Latinosarewidelydispersedacross thesix-countysuburbanregion�Between1990and2004thesuburbanLatinopopulationin-creasedbymorethan570,000,or205percent�Eachofthefivesuburbancounties,plusthe suburbanportionofCook,experiencedtriple-digitincreasesinthepercentagesoftheirresi-dentswhoareLatino�Increasesrangedfrom189percentinKaneCountyto367percentin McHenry�Numerically,eachcounty’sincreasewassubstantialnotonlyinabsolutetermsbut alsorelativetothesizeofthecounties’population�

A major factor behind the disproportionate population growth is migration directly from LatinAmerica—especiallyMexico�AccordingtoCensus2000,immigrantswhoarrivedinthe UnitedStatesduringthe1990sweremorelikelytotakeupresidenceinthesuburbsthaninthe city(55percentasopposedto45percentrespectively)�Morethan68,000suburbanresidents indicatedthattheyhadmovedtosuburbanChicagodirectlyfromLatinAmericaduringthe latterhalfofthe1990s�Alsocontributingtothesuburbangrowthisout-migrationfromthe city�Duringthelatterhalfofthe1990s,55,000LatinosmovedfromChicagotothesuburbs, whileonly22,000movedfromthesuburbstothecity�

ThefollowingmapsillustrateboththeconcentrationandgrowthofLatinosintheregion�Map 1detailstheconcentrationoftheLatinocommunityinthecityofChicago,whereMexicanen-claveshavereplaceddistinctEuropeanethnicneighborhoodsinthenorthwestandsouthwest bungalowbelts�Latinoshavehighconcentrationsinmanyareasofthecitywiththeexception oftheLakefront,WestSide,andSouthSide�Therearenow12CommunityAreasinChicago withapopulationthatisatleast50percentLatino�Thisisupfrom7in1990�Inaddition,the ‘ClarkStreetCorridor’hasexpandednorthtothecitylimitsandsouthalongAshlandAvenue toIrvingParkRoad�

AsMap2indicates,therehasbeenastaggeringtransformationinsouthwestsideneighbor-hoods such as Gage Park and West Lawn and northwest neighborAsMap2indicates,therehasbeenastaggeringtransformationinsouthwestsideneighbor-hoods such as Belmont Cragin�SomeareashavelostasmallportionoftheirLatinopopulation,withthegreatest lossesinWestTownandtheNearWestSide�

Maps3and4indicatethat,regionally,thereareLatinosettlementsineachofthesurround-ingcountieswiththelargestconcentrationsinthesatellitecitiesofJoliet,Aurora,Elgin,and Waukegan�CiceroandBerwynhavejoinedtheseareasasmunicipalitiestobecountedamong theareaswiththelargestLatinopopulations�Importantly,themetropolitanChicagoareahas seentheemergenceofthreemajorityLatinosuburbs,StonePark,5_{Cicero,andMelrosePark,}

andanevengreaternumberofLatinoethnicenclaves,primarilyinthesatellitecities�

(19)

C

Map Prepared by: Chicago Metropolis 2020 Source: U.S. Census 2000

6

1

2

3

4

5

7 ₈

9

10

11

12

C Map 1

ity of Chicago Census Tracts with Latino Population Proportions 15% or Greater:2000

City of Chicago Census Tracts 15% to 25%

25% to 50% 50% to 75% Over 75%

Chicago Community Areas with Latino Populations Greater Than 50%

Chicago Community Areas with Latino Populations Equal to or Greater Than 50%

1. LOWER WEST SIDE (89%) 7. BELMONT CRAGIN (65%) 2. HERMOSA (84%) 8. LOGAN SQUARE (65%) 3. SOUTH LAWNDALE (83%) 9. AVONDALE (62%) 4. GAGE PARK (79%) 10. McKINLEY PARK (62%) 5. BRIGHTON PARK (77%) 11. WEST LAWN (52%) 6. EAST SIDE (68%) 12. NEW CITY (50%)

Map 1.

City of Chicago Census Tracts with Latino Population Proportions 15% or Greater, 2000

(20)

Map P repared by: C hicago Metropolis 2020 S ourc e: U.S . C ens us 1990 & 2000

*Proportion equals the percent of the total population that is Latino in 2000 minus the percent of the total population that is the Latino in 1990. T his does not repres ent the numeric change of the Latino population from 1990 to 2000.

C

Map 2

hange in the P roportion* of the

P opulation that is L atino for the

C ity of C hicago (1990 to 2000)

C ity of C hicago C ens us Tracts Decreas e

Increas e

Over -50% -50% to -25% -25% to 0% 0% to 25% 25% to 50% Over 50%

Map 2.

Change in Proportion* of the Population that was Latino for the City of Chicago, 1990–2000

(21)

C

Map 3.

Chicago Region Census Tracts with Latino Population Proportions 15% or Greater, 2000

(22)

Map 4.

Change in Proportion* of the Population that was Latino for the Chicago Region, 1990–2000

(23)

C

Segregated Communities or Ethnic Enclaves?

DespitethesubstantialshiftintheLatinopopulationfromthecitytothesuburbs,Latinos continuetobehighlyclusteredinenclavecommunities�Asforpreviousgenerationsofimmi-grantsfromEurope,ethnicenclavecommunities,whetherinthecityorthesuburbs,surround residentswiththecomfortingfamiliarityofresidents’mothertongueorancestrallanguage (Spanish),ethnicstoresandrestaurants,andneighborswhoshareacommoncultureandsimi-larexperiences�Latinoenclavesalsocanprovidearelativelysafespacefortheacculturation ofrecentarrivalsandcanactasincubatorsforbusinessstart-ups�Indeed,theseneighbor-hoodshavecreatedbusycommercialstripsthathelptosolidifyneighborhoodsbyproviding residentswithaccesstojobsaswellastoneededgoodsandthatcontributesignificanttax revenuesfortheregion�

Ontheotherhand,onecouldalsoviewthedistributionofLatinosacrosstheregionashighly segregated,andthereisevidencethatthesegregationisnotentirelyvoluntary�Recentsurveys showthatbothLatinosandAfricanAmericansfrequentlyexperiencediscriminationwhen seekingrentalhousing,lookingtobuyahome,orseekingmortgages(Turner,Ross,Galster, andYinger2002)�Althoughsuchdiscriminatorypracticesmaybeonlyoneofmanyfactors explainingtheemergenceofneighborhoodsthatarehighlysegregatedbyrace,ethnicity,and classintheregion,thereisevidencethatlivinginpredominantlyLatinoneighborhoods— whichalsoarelikelytobelowincome—cancreatebothgeographicandsocialbarrierstoop-portunities,includingbetterjobsandschools(Lukehart,Luce,andReece2005)�

Inrecentyearslong-standingpatternsofsegregationbetweencityandsuburbshavebeen replicatedwithinthesuburbsthemselves�Arecentstudyfoundthatalthoughthedegreeof residentialsegregationofLatinosfromWhitesdeclinedmarginallyinthecitybetween1990 and2000,itrosesubstantiallyinthesuburbs(Stuart2002)�Awidelyusedindicatorofsegre-gation6_{showsthatbetween1990and2000Latino-Whiteresidentialsegregationincreasedin}

thesuburbs,andLatino-Whitesegregationofschoolchildrenincreasedevenmoreduringthe sameperiod,bothinthecityandinthesuburbs�ChildreninhighlysegregatedLatinocom- munities,manyofwhomareamongthosewiththegreatestneeds,areoftenclusteredintoun-der-resourced,high-povertyschoolsthattoooftenhavenotmettheexpectationsofresidents (InstituteforLatinoStudies2002,2005)�

6Thesegregationindexmeasurestheextenttowhichtheproportionsoftwogroupsofpeopleinaparticulararea(e�g�,Census tractorschooldistrict)aredifferentfromtheproportionsofthosetwogroupsinthemetropolitanarea(Stuart2002,8)�Formore informationontheindexandonsegregationinmetropolitanChicagoseewww�civilrightsproject�harvard�edu/research/metro/ Chicago%20Study4�pdf�

Latino enclaves

provide a safe

space for the

acculturation of

new arrivals and

act as incubators

for business start

ups. But living in

predominantly

Latino

neighbor-hoods—which

also are likely to

be low income—

can create both

geographic and

social barriers

to opportunities,

including better

jobs and schools.

(24)

National Origins

NearlyfouroutofeveryfiveLatinoresidentsofmetropolitanChicagoareofMexicanori-gin,comparedto64percentnationally(ACS2004)�At1,260,000million,theChicagoarea’s Mexicanpopulationisthesecondlargestinthenation�PuertoRicansmakeupthesecond largestgroupwitheightpercentofthearea’sLatinopopulation�

Figure

InmarkedcontrasttotherapidriseofMexicansintheregion,thearea’sPuertoRicanpopula-tionhasnotgrowninrecentyears�Infact,thenumberofChicago-areaLatinoswhoidentified themselvesasPuertoRicanin2004,133,000,is9,000fewerthanin1990�7_{ThatyearPuerto}

Ricanscomprised17percentofChicago-areaLatinos;by2004theirshareofthesix-county Latinopopulationhadfallentoonly8percent�Thearea’ssmallCubanpopulationofabout 20,000hasseenmodestgrowthbutfellfrom2percentofthearea’sLatinopopulationin1990 to1percentin2004�

TherateofgrowthoftheChicagoarea’sSouthandCentralAmericanpopulationhasbeen very fast in recent years but from a much smaller base than that of Mexicans or Puerto Ricans�In2004thenumbersofSouthandCentralAmericanslivingintheChicagoareawere 71,000and50,000,respectively�PersonsofGuatemalanoriginarebyfarthelargestCentral Americannationalityintheregionat29,000,followedbySalvadoransat11,000�Thelargest SouthAmericannationalitiesintheregionareEcuadorians(24,000),Colombians(21,000), andPeruvians(12,000)�

Source: ACS 2004. Source: Census 2000. Notes: Based on 6 counties.

Notes: All data are rounded to the nearest whole number. Figure 6.

Percentage of Metro Chicago Latino Population by Place of Origin, 2004

Mexican 79% Puerto Rican

8%

South American 4%

Central American 3%

Cuban 1%

Other 5%

(25)

C

US- and Foreign-Born Latinos

Morethanhalf(53percent)ofChicago-areaLatinoswerebornintheUnitedStates(Census 2000;ACS2003;Paral,Ready,Chun,andSun2004)�However,between1990and2003the totalincreaseintheforeign-bornLatinopopulationexceededthatoftheUS-bornpopulation (393,000to355,000)�

Figure

Migration was especially heavy during the 1990s when, on average, 32,000 foreign-born residentswereaddedeachyear�DuringthesameperiodthenumberofUS-bornLatinoresi-dentsincreasedbyabout27,000peryear,duetohighfertilityratesandverylowdeathrates amongthisveryyoungpopulation—andinspiteofsignificantout-migrationtootherparts oftheUnitedStates(Census2000,PHC-T-25)�However,from2000to2003Latinopopula-tionincreaseamongtheUS-bornhasslightlyoutpacedthatduetointernationalmigration� Between2000and2003thenumberofforeignbornincreasedby24,500peryearwhileUS-bornLatinoresidentsincreasedby28,200peryear�Inthesameperiod,theannualrateof increaseforUS-bornresidentsrosefasterthanduringthe1990s,whiletherateofincrease amongtheforeign-bornslowedsignificantly�Thus,afundamentalshiftmaybeoccurringin thefactorsthatexplainthegrowthoftheLatinopopulationinmetropolitanChicago�

EvenduringyearslikethemostrecentwhentherateofgrowthintheUS-bornpopulationhas exceededthatoftheforeign-born,migrationcanstillbeunderstoodastheprimaryengineof

populationgrowth�Thisisbecausenearlytwo-thirds(65percent)ofadultLatinosareforeign-Source: 2000 Census. Note: Based on 6 counties.

Figure 7.

Percentage of US- and Foreign-Born Metro Chicago Latinos, Children, Adults, and Total, 2000

53% 35%

84%

47% 65%

16%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Total Adults Children

US-Born Foreign-Born

Most foreign-born

Latinos completed

their schooling

before coming

to the United

States. To avoid

becoming stuck

in jobs that offer

few possibilities

for advancement,

learning English

and obtaining

skills for obtaining

higher paying jobs

are essential.

(26)

born,whilemorethaneightinten(84percent)LatinochildrenwerebornintheUnitedStates (Census2000;Paral,Ready,Chun,andSun2004)�Thus,eventhoughthegreatmajorityofchil- drenareUS-born,atleasttwo-thirdsofallLatinochildreninIllinoishaveforeign-bornpar-ents8_{(CPS2002–04)�Amajority(52percent)offoreign-bornresidentsarrivedintheUnited}

Statesduringtheprimechildbearingyears;nearlytwo-thirdswerebetweentheagesof16and 26whentheyarrived(InstituteforLatinoStudiesChicagoAreaSurvey)�

Asaresult,nearlysixintenforeign-bornLatinosareconcentratedintheyoungadultyears between18and40,andonly12percentareundertheageof18�Thiscomparestoonly30 percentoftheUS-bornbetween18and40,and61percentundertheageof18(Census2000)� Themedianageofforeign-bornLatinosis33,comparedtoamedianageof12forUS-born Latinos�Incontrast,themedianageofthearea’snon-LatinoWhiteresidentsis37�Thesede-mographicfactshaveprofoundimplicationsforunderstandingvarioustopicsofimportance totheLatinocommunityandfortheChicagoareaoverall�

Themostobviousisthat,despitethefactthatmostLatinoadultsareimmigrants,andmany arerecentlyarrived,thevastmajorityofLatinochildrenareUScitizensbybirth,andmet-ropolitanChicagoistheonlyhometheyhaveeverknown�Nearly30percentofallchildren underfiveyearsofageareLatino�WhileLatinoadultsofworkingagearehavinganenormous impactontheeconomicandsociallifeoftheregion,thefutureimpactofyoungLatinoswill begreaterstill�

AnotherimportantimplicationhastodowiththeclusteringofadultLatinosintheir20s,withfar

fewerabove45yearsofage�Aswillbediscussedingreaterdetailbelow,youngLatinosarework-Figure 8.

Age Distribution of Metro Chicago Latino Population, 2000

0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000

<1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90

Source: 2000 Census.

Age in Years

Note: Based on Chicago 9-county PMSA.

8Sixty-fivepercentofthefathersand59percentofthemothersofallLatinochildreninIllinoiswerebornoutsideoftheUnited States�Sixtypercentofthefathersand54percentofthemothersofUS-bornLatinochildreninIllinoiswerebornoutsideofthe

Median ages

of foreign-born

Latinos, US-born

Latinos, and

non-Latino Whites

are 33, 12, and

37 respectively.

(27)

C

ingveryhardforverylowwages�Willtheybesuccessfulinaccessingbetterpayingjobsasthey progressthroughthemiddleandlatterstagesoftheirworkinglives?Whatcanbedonetoensure thattheyrisethroughtheoccupationalhierarchyandbecomemoreprosperousastheyadvance throughtheircareersandtherebycontributeevenmoretotheprosperityoftheregion? Latinoworkersarepayingtaxesandcontributingtosocialsecuritybutmakefewdemandson thearea’shealthcareandretirementsystemsbecauseoftheiryouth�However,theirneedswill inevitablyincreaseastheygrowolder�Willtheprivateandpubliclyfinancedhealthandpen-sionsystemsmeettheneedsofLatinosastheyage?

To no small degree, the future of the region depends upon the successful incorporation ofLatinochildren—andtheirmostlyforeign-bornparentswhocareforthem—intotheeco-nomic,social,cultural,andpoliticallifeoftheregion�

Figure 9.

Age Distribution of Metro Chicago

US- and Foreign-Born Latino Populations, 2000

0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000

Foreign-Born US-Born

<1 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90 Age in Years

Source: 2000 Census. Note: Based on Chicago 9-county PMSA.

Don’t hire a

second shift.

We’ll work

both shifts.

–Latinopoultry worker,Fulton StreetMarket

“

(28)

Issues of Immigration and Citizenship

As described above, immigrants, a steadily growing proportion of whom have come from Mexico,havedrivenmuchofthegrowthoftheLatinopopulationinmetropolitanChicago since1980�ThepercentageofMexicansamongallLatinAmericanimmigrantsincreasedfrom 76percentofforeign-bornLatinoresidentsofmetroChicagowhoarrivedintheUnitedStates before1980to92percentofthosewhoarrivedafter2000(ACS2003)�

WhenaskedwhytheyhadcometoChicago,approximatelytwo-thirdsofmalerespondents andone-thirdoffemalerespondentstotheChicagoAreaSurveyindicatedworkastheprin-cipalreason�Abouthalfofbothmenandwomenalsoindicatedthatthepresenceoffamilyin theareawasanimportantconsideration�

ItisimportanttopointoutthatdespitethelargeandmuchpublicizedmigrationofLatin Americans—especiallyMexicans—thathastakenplaceinrecentyears,Latinoshaveremained onlyslightlymorethanone-halfofallnewarrivalsinrecentyears�Infact,Latinoimmigrants accountforasubstantiallysmallerproportionofallnewarrivalsinrecentyearsthantheydid duringthe1980s�ThemetropolitanChicagoarea,likethenationasawhole,hasbecomehome toagrowingnumberofimmigrantsfromallregionsoftheworld�

Figure 0

Figure 10.

Latino and Non-Latino Foreign-Born Metro Chicago Residents by Year of Arrival in USA

102,000 (51%) 282,000

(51%) 184,000

(58%) 172,000

(40%)

98,000 (49%) 271,000

(49%)

133,000 (42%) 258,000

(60%)

0 100,000 200,000 300,000 400,000 500,000 600,000 700,000

Before 1980 1980–1990 1990–2000 2000–2003

Latino Non-Latino

Source: ACS 2003. Note: Based on 6 Counties.

More than

two-thirds of

Chicago-area

Latinos are

citizens.

(29)

C

Consideringthelargenumberofrecentimmigrants,itisimportanttonotethatmorethan two-thirds(67percent)ofChicago-areaLatinosarecitizens(ACS2003)�AmongadultLatinos, amajorityofwhomareimmigrants,55percentarecitizens�Thisincludes36percentwho arecitizensbybirthand19percentwhoarenaturalizedcitizens—31percentofforeign-born Latinosarenaturalized�

Comparedtoforeign-bornresidentsoftheChicagoareafromotherpartsoftheworld,foreign-born Latinos are less likely to become naturalized citizens� Only 31 percent of the Latino foreignbornarecitizens,comparedto54percentofAsian-and58percentofEuropean-born residentsoftheareawhoarecitizens�Interestingly,66percentofforeign-bornLatinoswho arrivedpriorto1980arecitizenscomparedtoonly21percentofthosewhoarrivedafter1980 (ACS2003)�Two-thirdsoftheLatinoforeign-bornarrivedafter1980�Forthemorethanhalf whoarrivedafter1990,only13percentarecitizens�

Thus,LatinosaremuchlesslikelythantheAsianorEuropeanforeignborntonaturalize,even whentheyearofarrivalisstatisticallycontrolled�Also,naturalizationratesvarysubstantially amongLatinosfromdifferentcountries�Ingeneral,naturalizationratesarehigherforpersons borninSouthAmericaandtheCaribbean(excludingPuertoRicans,whoarecitizensbybirth), lowerforCentralAmericans,andespeciallylowforpersonsborninMexico,aftercontrolling foryearofarrival�Lackofformaldocumentationverylikelyisasignificantcontributingfactor totherelativelylownaturalizationrates�

TworecentreportsfromthePewHispanicCenterdiscusslegalandunauthorizedimmigra-tiontrends�ItisestimatedthatthenumberofundocumentedimmigrantslivinginIllinoisfrom allpartsoftheworldisapproximately400,000(Passel2005a)—approximatelyone-fourthofall foreign-bornpersons�Wellover90percentofforeign-bornresidentsofIllinoisliveinmetropoli-tanChicago,whereabouthalfofallimmigrantsarefromLatinAmerica�Thereportsestimate thatwelloverhalfofrecentmigrantsfromMexicolackofficialdocumentationandthatinrecent yearsunauthorizedimmigrantshaveoutnumberedthosewithdocumentation(Passel2005b)�If theseestimatesarecorrect,thenatleast200,000ofthe740,000foreign-bornLatinoresidents ofmetroChicagoareundocumented�However,anyestimateofthesizeoftheundocumented populationisnecessarilyinconclusive,giventheunofficialnatureoftheirarrival�

Withorwithoutdocumentation,morethan20,000newLatinoimmigrants,primarilyfrom Mexico,takeupresidenceinmetropolitanChicagoeachyear�Aswillbedescribedbelow, mostareveryhardworkingbutearnexceptionallylowwages�Withoutthemmanyemploy-erswouldhavedifficultykeepingtheirbusinessesprofitable�MostLatinoimmigrantsinthe area have enjoyed some degree of economic success—even those without documentation� However,themanywhoareundocumentedlackthemostbasicrightsandprotectionsaccord-edtolegalresidentsandareforcedtolivewhatisinmanywaysan‘underground’existence� Accordingly,theyaresubjecttopotentialexploitationintheworkplaceandinothersettings� Theyarealsoraisingchildrenwhomostlyarecitizens—yetmanyofthosechildrengrowup seeingtheirparentsworkinglonghoursinlowpayingjobs,livingatthemargins,andwonder-ingwhatliesaheadforthem�

(30)

Family and Household

ForChicago-areaLatinos,asforpeopleofallbackgrounds,thefamilyisthecornerstoneof sociallifeandculture�Itisourfirstandmostimportantsourceofnurturingandsupportand theprimarysocialunitfromwhicheachofuslearnswhoweareasindividualsandcommunity members�Latinofamiliesperformtheseessentialfunctionsinwaysthatdistinctivelydefine LatinocultureandcommunityinmetropolitanChicago�Whilemuchcouldbewrittenabout theLatinofamilyinChicago,herewehighlightafewcharacteristicsthatshedlightonthe economicandeducationalstatusofLatinofamiliesandhouseholds�

Binational, Bicultural, and Bilingual

Perhaps most distinctive of Latino households is their binational, bicultural, and bilingual character�Aspreviouslydiscussed,two-thirdsofLatinoadultsmigratedtotheUnitedStates fromanothercountry(principallyMexico),while84percentofchildrenunder18wereborn intheUnitedStates�Itisnotsurprising,then,thatalargemajority(approximately60percent) ofUS-bornLatinochildrenand70percentofallLatinochildrenhaveoneorbothparentswho areforeign-born(CPSdataforIllinois2002–2004)�Asaresult,bothEnglishandSpanishare spokenin76percentofthehomes—thesearetrulybinationalfamilies�Inonly14percentof homesisEnglishtheonlylanguagespoken;only10percentofLatinohomesareexclusively Spanishspeaking�

Bilingualism,ofcourse,isanassetthatmakesitpossibletoovercomebarriersoflanguageand cultureandtocommunicateandinteractwithpeopleofdifferentbackgrounds�Itisalsoan invaluableskillintheworkplace�Totakefulladvantageofthisskill,however,itisimportantto beproficientinbothlanguages�InthecontextofChicago,asintherestoftheUnitedStates, fullmasteryofEnglishisextremelyimportantforschoolsuccessandaccesstobetter-paying jobs�Butmorethanaquarter(27percent)ofLatinochildrengrowupinlinguisticallyisolated households—householdsinwhichtherearenomemberswhospeakEnglishverywell(Census 2000,SF3PCT013;ChicagoFactFinder)�9

LinguisticallyisolatedhouseholdsnotonlymakeitmoredifficultforchildrentolearnEnglish wellbutalsocomplicateparents’taskofhelpingtheirchildrentoaccessthewidevarietyof informationinEnglishneededforsuccessinschoolandbeyond�This,inturn,increasesthe onusofresponsibilityonschoolstodevelopandimplementeffectiveapproachestoinstruction forstudentswithlimitedEnglishproficiencyandtoovercomelinguisticbarriersthatcould impedeeffectivecommunicationwithparents�Thirty-threepercentofallLatinochildrenin metroChicagobetweentheagesof5and17speakEnglishlessthan“verywell”(Census2000, SF3PCT62H)�

9RespondentstoCensussurveysareaskediftheyspeakEnglishandwhethertheyspeakanotherlanguage(e�g�,Spanish)�Those whoindicatethattheyspeakanotherlanguageareaskediftheyalsospeakEnglish“Verywell,”“Fairlywell,”“Notverywell”or“Not

Being bicultural

is one of the

biggest assets. I

would encourage

all Latinos to be

bilingual. It’s a

gift to be able to

draw from both

worlds.

–Maria,aPilsen resident

“

(31)

C

Household Size

LatinohouseholdsinmetropolitanChicago,onaverage,aremuchlargerthanothers�Latino householdsaremuchmorelikelytohavefiveormoremembersandmuchlesslikelytobe composedofasinglepersonlivingalone�Thirty-sixpercentofLatinohouseholdshavefive ormoremembers,comparedto17and9percentofAfricanAmericanandnon-LatinoWhite households,respectively�LatinohouseholdsarelessthanhalfaslikelyasAfricanAmerican andnon-LatinoWhitehouseholdstobecomposedofasinglepersonlivingalone�

Family Structure

LatinohouseholdsalsoaremuchmorelikelythaneitherAfricanAmericanornon-Latino Whitehouseholdstohavechildrenunder18�Fifty-sixpercentofLatino-headedfamilieshave theirownchildrenunder18inthehousehold,comparedtoonly30and34percentofWhite and Black households, respectively� Of those families that include the householder’s own childrenunder18,LatinosaremuchmorelikelythanBlacksbutlesslikelythannon-Latino Whitestobeheadedbyamarriedcoupleratherthanasingleparent�

Figure

Figure 11.

Family Type by Race and Ethnicity in Metro Chicago, 2003

12% 30% 40% 26% 4% 29% 8% 5% 16% 19% 5% 6% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Latino Non-Latino White

Single person household Married couple with children <18 Single parent with children <18

Married couple with no children <18 Other family household Non-family household

Source: ACS 2003.

31% 12% 22% 13% 19% 4% Non-Latino Black

Note: Based on 6 counties.

Family is

especially

important for

the economic

security of

Chicago-area

Latinos.

Combining

the earnings

of two or more

workers living

in the family

enables

household

members

to enjoy a

higher

stan-dard of living.

(32)

Income and Poverty

Familystructureisanextremelypowerfulcorrelateofeconomicsecurityforfamilieswithchil-dren�Thosefamiliesthatareheadedbyamarriedcouplearefarlesslikelytobeinpovertythan arethoseheadedbyasingleparent(ACS2003,P116)�Overall,14percentofLatinofamilies wereinpovertyin2003comparedto21percentofAfricanAmericanand3percentofnon-LatinoWhitefamilies�ThepovertyrateforLatinochildrenishigherthanforLatinofamilies: Oneinfive(20percent)ofLatinochildrenwaspoorin2003� ItisinterestingtonotethatwhiletheoverallpovertyrateforLatinofamiliesin2003wasone-thirdlowerthanthatofAfricanAmericans,whentheratesformarriedcouplefamilieswere compared,LatinosweremuchmorelikelythanBlackstobepoor,andthepovertyrateofAfrican Americanmarriedcouplefamilieswasonlyslightlyhigherthanthatofnon-LatinoWhites� Aswillbeexplainedingreaterdetailbelow,Latinoworkershave,byfar,thelowestwageand salaryearningsofanygroupinmetropolitanChicago�Thefactisthatthehighrateofpoverty forLatinomarriedcouplefamiliesisprimarilyattributabletothelowwagesoftheworker(s)in thosefamilies�Thatis,theworkingpoorareafarhigherproportionofLatinosthanofAfrican Americansornon-LatinoWhites�Latinofamiliespartiallycompensatefortheirlowsalaries andwagesbypoolingtheearningsofmultipleworkerswithinhouseholds� Nearlyaquarter(24percent)ofLatinofamilieshavethreeormoreworkerscontributingtothe supportoftheirhouseholdscomparedtoonly12percentofAfricanAmericanand15percent ofnon-LatinoWhitehouseholds�Besidesthespouseofthehouseholder,theadditionalwork-ersmayincludetheiradolescentandadultchildren,arelativeoutsideofthenuclearfamily,or anon-relative�Indeed,21percentofLatinoworkersliveinhouseholdsinwhichtheyeither arenotamemberofthefamilyorarearelativebutnotamemberofthenuclearfamilyofthe householder�Thiscomparesto8percentofnon-Latinoworkers(CPS2002–04)� DifferentiatingbetweenLatinofamilieswithforeign-bornandUS-bornhouseholdersshows Source: ACS 2003.

Note: Based on 9-county Chicago PMSA.

Figure 12.

Family Type for Metro Chicago Households with Own Children under 18, by Ethnicity, 2003

Married Couple 35% 61,000 Married Couple 87% 491,000 Married Couple 71% 159,000 Single Parent 65% 115,000 Single Parent 13% 76,000 Single Parent 29% 64,000 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Latino Non-Latino White Non-Latino Black

Figure 14. Workers per

Family Households by Race, Ethnicity, and Nativity, 2003

10% 15%

6% 9% 5%

27%

38%

31% 33% _30%

49% 35% 40% 43% 38% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Non-Latino

White Non-LatinoBlack

Latino US-Born Foreign-Born

15% 12%

24% 15%

27%

Source: 2000 Census. Note: Based on PMSA.

(33)

C

workersasthoseheadedbytheUSborn(27percentvs�15percent)�Thisisunderstandable, giventhatforeign-bornLatinoworkerstendtoearnlessthantheirUS-borncounterparts� TheimportanceofmultipleworkersfortheeconomicstabilityofLatinofamiliesisapparent whenexaminingtherelationshipofmultipleworkerhouseholdstomedianhouseholdincome� InmetroChicagothemedianincomeforallhouseholdsin2000was$52,200comparedto $44,300forLatinohouseholds�Only14percentofLatinohouseholdswithoneworkerhad incomesofatleast$50,000—enoughtoapproximateorsurpassthemedianforallhouseholds� However,45percentofhouseholdswithtwoworkershadincomeofatleast$50,000peryear, asdid74percentofhouseholdswiththreeormoreworkers(Census2000,AdvancedQuery)� Figure 13.

Families in Poverty by Family Type, Race, and Ethnicity in Metro Chicago, 2003

14% _12% 30% 21% 3% 40% 3% _2% 17% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

All Families Married Couple Families

with Children Single-Parent Familieswith Children Latino Non-Latino White

Source: ACS 2003. Note: Based on Chicago 9-county PMSA.

Non-Latino Black

Figure 14. Workers per

Family Households by Race, Ethnicity, and Nativity, 2003

10% 15%

6% 9% 5%

27%

38%

31% 33% _30%

49% 35% 40% 43% 38% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Non-Latino

White Non-LatinoBlack

Latino US-Born Foreign-Born

No workers in family 1 worker in family 2 workers in family 3 or more workers in family

15% 12%

24% 15%

27%

Source: 2000 Census. Note: Based on PMSA.

(34)

Education

Intergenerational Learning

TheLatinofamilyhasapowerfulinfluenceonitsmembers,andfamilialtiesandloyaltiesprob-ablyexertaninfluencethatisevenmorepowerfulthanistypicallyobservedinmanynon-Latino families�PrideinculturalheritagerunsdeepamongyoungLatinoChicagoans,justasitdoes amongtheoldergeneration�However,ChicagoisverydifferentfromMexicoandtheother LatinAmericancountriesthatmostoftheparentsofthearea’syoungpeopleleftbehind� SomeaspectsofLatinAmericanculturesandtheirbehavioralnormsandexpectationsthat werewellsuitedtotheparentalgenerationpriortomigrationmayseemlesssuitedtonew socialenvironmentsencounteredinChicago�Thedemandscausedbysocialandculturaldis-placement(thattosomeextentareinevitablyassociatedwithinternationalmigration)canbea causeofstressandtensionforindividualsandfamilies�Itisreasonabletoassumethattheold-ergeneration’s“fundsofknowledge”(Moll,Tapia,andWhitmore1993)—thatis,thecultural andlinguistictemplateslearnedfromfamilyandcommunityalongwithknowledgeacquired inschool—mayrequiresomemodificationandsomenewlearningtomeetthedemandsoflife inChicago�Attheveryleast,learningEnglishisalmostessential� Inaddition,thelevelofformaleducationofmostLatinoimmigrantadultspriortomigration severelyrestrictstheiraccesstobetter-payingjobsinmetroChicago�Theirlimitedschooling alsoposesachallengeforparentswhostruggletohelptheirchildrenadvancetheirformal education�NearlyaquarterofallLatinoyoungadultsintheprimeparentingageof25–34 completednomorethannineyearsofschooling,and45percentdidnotcompletehighschool� Amongtheforeignborn,whoareapproximatelytwo-thirdsofallLatinoparents,one-third havecompletednomorethanninthgradeandnearlysixintendidnotcompletehighschool� Only26percentofallUS-bornand9percentofforeign-bornLatinos(ages25–34)havecom-24% 1% 2% 33% 6% 21% 4% 16% 16% 25% 18% 27% 24% 27% 15% 21% 31% 10% 25% 14% 56% 24% 9% 26% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

The State of Latino Chicago. This Is Home Now. Timothy Ready and Allert Brown-Gort

This Is Home Now

The State of Latino Chicago

The State of Latino Chicago

This Is Home Now

Table of Contents

C

Preface

Acknowledgements

The main reason why I decided to come to the

United States was my two daughters. I want them

to have a better future and go to better schools.

“

C

The main reason why I decided to come to the

United States was my two daughters. I want them

to have a better future and go to better schools.

“

”

The State of Latino Chicago Project Advisory Committee

About the Authors

Latinos recently became the largest ethnic minority or racial group

in metropolitan Chicago, numbering more than 1.6 million.

C

Executive Summary

C

Introduction

C

Between 1970

and 2004 Latinos

accounted for

96 percent of

the region’s

population

growth.

Demographic Overview

Latino Chicago

is approximately

the same

population

as metro San

Antonio or

Indianapolis.

C

Latino Population Growth in Metro Chicago

5%

8%

12%

17%

20%

Latino Suburbanization

The majority of

Chicago-area

Latinos now live

in the suburbs.

C

C

6

1

2

3

4

5

7

8

9

10

11

12

C

Map 2

hange in the P roportion* of the

P opulation that is L atino for the

C ity of C hicago (1990 to 2000)

C

C

Segregated Communities or Ethnic Enclaves?

Latino enclaves

provide a safe

space for the

₈