From our February study on second-generation immigrants in America.
"49% of Americans say immigrants strengthen the country because of their hard work and talents, while 41% say they are a burden because they take jobs, health care and housing. In a June 2010 poll, 39% said immigrants strengthened the country while 50% said they were a burden."
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Most Say Illegal Immigrants Should Be Allowed to Stay, But Citizenship Is More Divisive
Katie Couric interviews Mark Lopez of the Pew Research Hispanic Center.
Lopez: “The United States is actually the second-largest Hispanic nation, just behind Mexico. That means the U.S. has more Latinos than Peru or Colombia or Argentina…There’s beginning to be an identity that is unique to the U.S. that is a pan-Hispanic identity, but one that also highlights the many heritages that those in the U.S. have from all of Latin America.”
While Obama’s job ratings are up at least slightly among many demographic groups, one of the most striking turnarounds over the past year is in the views of Hispanics. Read more.
The Future of Libraries
A new report just released from the Pew Internet & American Life Project looks at what the future public library might look like: digital books? mobile apps? customized recommendations a la Netflix or Pandora?
Among other findings, the report looks at the demographics of library use: Compared to whites, African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to say libraries are important to them and their families, to say libraries are important to their communities, to access the internet at the library (and feel internet access is a very important service libraries provide), to use library internet access to hunt/apply for jobs, and to visit libraries just to sit and read or study.
NPR: In Wake of Recession, Immigrant Births Plunge
Pew Research Center’s Gretchen Livingston talks with NPR’s Jennifer Ludden about a new survey report on the record-low birth rate in the U.S. — and the drastic decline in Latino immigrant fertility.
Livingston: “Hispanics were the hardest hit in terms of employment.Their wealth declined by something like 66 percent during the recession. And also important, Hispanics perceive themselves as being extremely hard hit by the recession.”
A majority (51%) of Hispanics say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.
