Posted on 01/26/2005 7:01:01 AM PST by AJFavish
[Begin reading at the arrow near the bottom of the story. --ajf]
Los Angeles Daily News
Immigration boom cooling
Foreign-born, now 27%, to increase to 29.8% of state population by 2030
By Harrison Sheppard and Jennifer Radcliffe Staff Writers
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - SACRAMENTO - Foreign immigration to California will slow over the next 25 years even as the second generation of immigrants continues to increase in size and to make a stronger contribution to the work force, according to a University of Southern California study released Tuesday.
The study, "California Demographic Futures," projects that the children and grandchildren of California's current new immigrants will improve in education level, voter participation and health-care coverage.
These second- and third-generation Californians will also make up a larger share of the state's population, with growth in their numbers outpacing the increase in new immigrants. That will allow them to replace the aging baby boomers as key producers in the workplace.
Dowell Myers, a co-author of the study conducted in USC's School of Policy, Planning and Development, said there are misperceptions about California's future based on past data when the state's immigrant population was growing rapidly.
"That now has leveled off somewhat. The immigrant presence is moderating. It's still a high percentage, but not escalating as much as before," Myers said.
"Instead, the previous immigrants are now aging in place. They're settling in. They're setting down deep roots. They're climbing the economic ladder."
The study projected that the political influence of the Latino population will continue to grow faster than the growth in Latinos' actual numbers. As new immigrants become assimilated and gain U.S. citizenship, their political clout grows, and their descendants vote at higher rates.
Together, the decreased immigration and improved status of the second generation will reduce the burden on the government safety net, while contributing to a more sophisticated work force.
Groups that support more restrictive immigration policies argue that immigrants pose security risks in the wake of 9-11 and create a burden on the economy and the environment.
John Keeley, communications director for the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, said California's legislative policies - such as providing in-state tuition and, at one time, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants - have tended to attract immigration, illegal as well as legal.
As long as those policies continue, "I don't think you can plausibly suggest that there's going to be some significant abatement in the volume of illegal immigration to that state," Keeley said.
He said the center is a think tank that favors a "pro-immigrant, low-immigration" vision of restricting the level of immigration to this country, but treating well those who have been admitted.
Keeley said the typical immigrant to this country is a male in his middle or late 20s with a low level of education. He has to get to work immediately and cannot go back to school. He added that children often repeat the educational attainment of their parents.
Among the USC study's findings:
-The share of foreign-born in the state's population grew from 15 percent to 27 percent in the last 25 years, but will only grow to almost 30 percent - 29.8 percent - by 2030.
-The second generation grew from 12 percent of the state population in 1980 to 17 percent currently and will be almost 21 percent in 2030.
-The second generation is expected to account for the majority of growth in the state's work force by 2030. In the last 25 years, new immigrants made up about two-thirds of the work-force growth, but in the next 25 years they will provide only one-third of the growth. Instead, the second generation will constitute 59 percent of the growth.
"This report should remind us how important it is to continue to support public education," said Jose Huizar, president of the Los Angeles Unified School District board.
Immigrants, their children and grandchildren "are going to be the backbone of our economy in the future," he said.
"If the Los Angeles Unified School District isn't up to the challenge, it will set up immigrants for a cycle of failure. What we don't want to do is create a permanent underclass of immigrants. We want to ensure that people have social mobility." The alternative, he said, is "to create permanent poverty."
To try to close the achievement gaps among various ethnic groups, LAUSD leaders are implementing a range of initiatives from full-day kindergarten to small-learning communities at high schools. They're also pushing to make lessons more culturally relevant to immigrant students.
=======> In 2003-04, about 305,000 LAUSD students were native Spanish speakers, about 94 percent of the district's students learning English as a second language.
School district officials said they're already noticing academic gains among Latino students, who make up about 75 percent of the district's 747,000 students.
Latinos showed the largest improvement on the latest Academic Performance Index, the state's benchmark indicator - jumping 15 points from 593 to 608. The score, however, still remains below the district's 634 average.
Nearly 200,000 students dropped out of LAUSD high schools in 2002-03, including 131,295 Latino students, according to the state Department of Education. Their four-year high school dropout rate of 36 percent is nearly double that of Asian and non-Latino white students.
Latino students in the district are among the lowest scorers on the California High School Exit Exam. Only 53 percent of Latino students passed the math portion, and 57 percent passed the language portion. Of the white non-Latino students in the district, 85 percent passed the math portion and 88 percent the language portion.
The number of Latino students in LAUSD has grown by about 120,000 in the last decade - accounting for the district's entire population growth, according to the Department of Education.
Harrison Sheppard reported from the Sacramento Bureau; Jennifer Radcliffe reported from Los Angeles.
Harrison Sheppard, (916) 446-6723 harrison.sheppard@dailynews.com
Good moring Alan. Good to see you. Hey buddy, got a few more billion dollars for my Mexican buddies in Los Angeles?
As new immigrants become assimilated and gain U.S. citizenship...most of them are ILLEGAL!!! They arent "gaining citizenship"...this is a pipe dream...of course anyone would love to see them add to society but as of now they are a DRAIN!
The Asians always do well and for 1 reason.They learn English quickly and the family insists on study and homework.
I heard that the Mexican Illegals go back to Mexico for all of Advent and the school system is considering expanding the Christmas vacation to accomodate them because funding for schools is based on daily attendence and their absence might cost them money.
Well, as Art Torres, the head of the Democratic party in California said: "this is the last gasp of white America in California". Kiss California goodbye.
http://www.americanpatrol.org/REFERENCE/TORRES.html
Good Lord! So the parents of kids that have no attachment to Mexico will have the kids out of school for all of that time?
Massachusetts here too,great weather we're having!!
.>>>>"This report should remind us how important it is to continue to support public education,"(WHAT A JOKE) said Jose Huizar, president of the Los Angeles Unified School District board.
Isnt LA's high school seniors reading at the 4th grade level on average?
It always amuses me that "immigrants rights" groups fail to acknowledge that these progeny also owe their residence to illegal immigration. To continue to utilize this obvious ploy lessens the consequences of illegal immigration from 60% of California's population to less than 35% in 25 years. Quite a mathematical miracle.
If our immigration policies remain unchanged, before 2050, nearly three quarters of California's population would be a consequence of illegal immigration from Mexico. I'm betting that the result will be an armed civil unrest by the minority of tax paying citizens.
What a laugh - This article is so much BS. Note the word "Immigrant" peppered throughout, not the more accurate and, in fact, true "Illegal Immigrant". The LA School district will never be up to the task if it is continually inundated by hordes of unpreprepared, non English speaking children of Illegals.
The argument that these schools should change their instruction methods and standards to accommodate this influx represents yet more costs to the taxpayer and punishment of legitimate students who want a standard, unaltered education. As the school officials dumb down the curriculum to meet the needs of the lowest the entire system is made less effective for all.
hmmmmm if mexicans are such a boon to the economy then why doesn't Mexico want to keep them?
Inquiring minds.........;)
Talk about putting lipstick on a pig.
ping
My questions -
How is it "Compassionate' to ALL students of the LA Schools when their system is essentially trashed by the influx of these Illegals? How are their futures adversely impacted because of the inability of the Gov't to fulfill it's obligations to it's citizens by enforcing the Immigration Laws as one means of preventing the destruction of all public institutions, not just those related to Public Education?
As for the "Taking jobs no American wants to do" My response is predictable - Not true, a fiction designed to provide some perverse rationale for abetting Illegal Immigration.
I cold write volumes but I'm tired, so tired of this crap so I'll leave it at this.
ping
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Everytime I think I have heard it all something else comes along to astonish me.
No way can a prediction like that be made. All it takes is a major disaster south of the border like an earthquake or a revolution to send millions more streaming northward. Until we close the borders and actually enforce the laws there's no guarantee the invasion will ever stop.
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