Hispanics Optimistic About Future

75 percent of Hispanics think their own opportunities are better than those of their parents, and 75 percent think the future for the next generation of their family will be better than their own lives are today.

(CBS) Hispanics in the U.S. hold both a strong desire to preserve their traditional culture and values, and optimism about their children’s opportunities in America.

There are important differences between Hispanics born in the U.S. and those who have immigrated: those born outside the U.S. or in Puerto Rico speak mainly Spanish, follow more news from Latin America, and preserve the traditions of their native country while also adopting U.S. culture. Yet they also say that their own lives are now improved, and feel closer now to the United States than they do to their native country. Succeeding generations of Hispanics -- those born in the U.S. -- speak English, watch English-language media, and follow U.S. news and events.

Most Hispanics say they have as good a chance or better to get ahead as do other immigrant groups, and -- though they are still more likely than non-Hispanics to fear unequal treatment from law enforcement -- most say they have not faced discrimination.

UPWARD MOBILITY AND THE AMERICAN DREAM Hispanics -- and especially Hispanic immigrants -- see themselves as part of a continuum of upward mobility. 75 percent of Hispanics think their own opportunities are better than those of their parents, and 75 percent think the future for the next generation of their family will be better than their own lives are today. Views among Hispanics are much more positive than they are among non-Hispanics, especially where their children are concerned.

THINK OPPORTUNITIES/FUTURE IS BETTER For Themselves: Hispanics 75% Non-Hispanics 56%

But Hispanic immigrants are especially likely to be optimistic about the opportunities for the second generation. Among Hispanic immigrants (including those born in Puerto Rico), 83 percent think the future for the next generation of their family will be even better than it is for them.

HISPANICS: THINK OPPORTUNITIES/FUTURE IS BETTER (Among those born in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.) For themselves 78% For their children 83%

For some Hispanics there may be limitations to that dream, however: 60 percent of Hispanics think it is still possible to start out poor in this country and become rich, but 72 percent of non-Hispanics think that is possible.

POSSIBLE TO START POOR AND BECOME RICH IN U.S.? Yes Hispanics 60% Non-Hispanics 72%

Hispanic immigrants are a little less likely than Hispanics in general to believe people can start out poor but end up rich in the U.S.: 54 percent of Hispanics born in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S. think it is possible to become rich in the U.S.

Hispanics do not view their ethnicity as an impediment to success, and in fact a third think their opportunities for success in America are better than they are for people from other ethnic backgrounds. 48 percent of Hispanics think they have the same chance to get ahead in America as other ethnic groups, and 15 percent think they have a worse chance.

Hispanics are a bit more optimistic than non-Hispanics about the amount of say that they can have in government. A majority of Hispanics -- 55 percent -- says that people like themselves can have either some or a great deal of say in the government. By contrast, just 41 percent of non-Hispanics believe this, and a majority of non-Hispanics thinks they can not have much say at all. And this sentiment among Hispanics is not just spurred by being able to vote: Hispanics registered to vote were not more likely to say they had influence than were Hispanics as a whole.

HOW MUCH SAY CAN YOU HAVE IN GOVERNMENT? A good deal Hispanics 17% Non-Hispanics 9%

LIFE IN THE U.S. Hispanic immigrants (those born outside the U.S. or in Puerto Rico) volunteer the economic and employment opportunities as the number one way in which life in the U.S. is better, mentioned by 66 percent. 9 percent volunteer freedom, 6 percent mention the culture and lifestyle and another 6 percent mention education.

HISPANICS: WHAT’S BETTER ABOUT LIVING IN U.S. (Among foreign-born Hispanics) Economic/job opportunities 66% Freedom/liberty 9% Culture/lifestyle 6% Education 6%

When asked what’s worse about living in the United States, one in five foreign-born Hispanics says "nothing." Eight percent mention separation from their family and friends, and 5 percent mention each of the following: unfair pay; crime, drugs and violence; and U.S. cultural values.

HISPANICS: WHAT’S WORSE ABOUT LIVING IN U.S. (Among foreign-born Hispanics) Separation from family/friends 8% Unfair pay 5% Crime, drugs, violence 5% Cultural values 5% Nothing 16%

Only 1 percent volunteer that missing their homeland is worse about being in the U.S., and 3 percent cite language difficulties.

Although American cultural values are cited as one of the negative aspects of life in the U.S., foreign-born Hispanics do not think their children will suffer from poor morals as a result of being raised in the United States. 41 percent of Hispanic immigrants think their children’s moral values will be better than theirs, and an additional 46 percent think their morals will be the same. Less than one in ten Hispanic immigrants see their children’s morals as worse. Among Hispanics overall, 35 percent think their children’s moral values will be better, and 49 percent think they will be the same as theirs.

DISCRIMINATION Yet another possible hurdle for Hispanics in the U.S. is dealing with discrimination. 36 percent of Hispanics overall say they have felt discriminated against at some point. While this is much lower than the 73 percent of non-Hispanic blacks who report they have been discriminated against, it is higher than the incidence of discrimination experienced by non-Hispanic whites.

EVER BEEN DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? Yes Hispanics 36% Non-Hispanic Blacks 73% Non-Hispanic Whites 21%

Most commonly, Hispanics report they were questioned by the police or were victims of racial profiling.

HISPANICS: HOW DISCRIMINATED AGAINST? (Among those discriminated against) Questioned by police/racial profiling/driving 19% Denied employment 16% Discriminated in general 14% Unequal treatment in general12%

28 percent of Hispanics think that if they had some trouble with the police (a traffic violation or other minor incident) they would be given a harder time than other people. 58 percent think they would be treated the same, compared to 76 percent of non-Hispanics.

EXPECTED TREATMENT IF HAD TROUBLE WITH POLICE Given harder time Hispanics 28% Non-Hispanics 12%

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH OR SPANISH? Hispanics are fairly evenly divided between those that use mostly English at home and those that speak mostly Spanish. 23 percent speak predominantly English, and another 31 percent say they speak both languages equal amounts of time. 46 percent say they speak mostly Spanish or only Spanish in the home.

HISPANICS: LANGUAGE SPOKEN AT HOME Only or mostly English Total 23% U.S.-born 48% Foreign-born 7%

Much of this depends on birthplace. Hispanics who were born in the U.S. are overwhelmingly more likely to speak English at home: half speak almost exclusively English. By contrast, 71 percent of those born outside the U.S. speak mostly or entirely in Spanish, and only 7 percent speak mostly or only English at home.

The younger generation of Hispanics in the U.S. is even more likely to converse only in English, and almost all of them speak English at least as much as they do Spanish. Among the Hispanics in the survey who have children under 18 at home, nearly half -- 47 percent -- reported that their kids speak mostly English or only English with their friends. Only 10 percent reported that their kids spoke mostly or exclusively Spanish with their friends.

The children of U.S.-born parents are very likely to speak English with their friends (71 percent speak entirely or mostly in English.) The children of foreign-born Hispanics are less likely to do so, but most of those children still speak at least as much English as Spanish with their friends.

HISPANICS: KIDS SPEAK ENGLISH OR SPANISH WITH FRIENDS? Only/ mostly English Total 47% U.S.-born 71% Foreign-born 34%

Whichever language they speak, most Hispanics are not looking for the government to provide more translations and services in Spanish than it already does. Almost half of Hispanics -- 48% percent -- think the government is putting the right amount of effort in providing services in Spanish, and just under one-quarter think the government is already providing too much effort in this regard.

GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO PROVIDE SERVICES IN SPANISH ARE… Too little Hispanics 26% Non-Hispanics 13%

These sentiments were even the case among those who took the survey in Spanish -- a group that generally rated their own English proficiency as low. Nearly half of them described the government’s efforts as about right, and just 21 percent said the government was making too little effort.

Non-Hispanics, however, were more likely to think that the government was doing too much to provide services in Spanish -- just under one-third of them said so.

In this CBS News/New York Times Poll, respondents were offered the chance to take the survey in either English or Spanish. Those who preferred Spanish said that their own proficiency in English was not very good: 55 percent of them said they did not speak English very well, and another 24 percent of them said they did not speak English at all. Only one-fifth rated themselves as speaking English very well or fluently.

HOW WELL DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? (Among Hispanics taking survey in Spanish) Fluently 5% Fairly well 17% Not very well 55% Not at all 24%

TIES TO OTHER COUNTRIES Assimilation in the U.S. has been a goal for generations of immigrants, but for Hispanics born in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S., there is an equally strong desire to stay in touch with their heritage. While 33 percent of foreign-born Hispanics say it is more important to them to adopt U.S. traditions and values, about as many -- 36 percent -- say it is more important to preserve their native traditions and values.

HISPANICS: WHICH CULTURAL TRADITIONS ARE MORE IMPORTANT? (Among those born in Puerto Rico or outside U.S.) Preserve native traditions/values 36% Adopt U.S. traditions/values 33% Both (vol.) 26%

This desire to preserve traditions is slightly higher than for Hispanics who were born in the U.S. but who identified another country besides the U.S. as their family’s land of ancestry. 32 percent of them thought it was most important to preserve the traditions of that country, while 42 percent of them thought it was most important to adopt U.S. values.

The assimilation process begins with the first generation, as even foreign-born Hispanics find themselves identifying more with their new homeland than with their native country. Over six in ten Hispanics who were born outside the U.S. say they feel closer to the U.S. than to the country in which they were born.

HISPANICS: FEEL CLOSER TO… (Among those born in Puerto Rico or outside U.S.) The U.S. 63% Country born in 22%

85 percent of foreign-born Hispanics took the survey in Spanish, which may help to explain the ties they feel to their native country.

77 percent of Hispanics report they have relatives living in other countries -- over three times as many non-Hispanics who say the same. And among those with relatives overseas, Hispanics are much more likely than non-Hispanics to send money to family members in other countries or Puerto Rico.

SEND MONEY TO FAMILY OVERSEAS (Among those with family overseas) Hispanics 47% Non-Hispanics 5%

Even Hispanics who were born in the 50 United States have a strong attachment to the native country of their ancestors. About half of those Hispanics born in the U.S. say there is a country besides the United States they consider their family’s native country -- double the number of non-Hispanics born in America who feel such a tie. 41 percent visit this country at least once a year. In fact, these U.S.-born Hispanics are more likely than Hispanic immigrants to visit their family’s homeland.

Despite these ties, and although 93 percent of foreign-born Hispanics report they have relatives still living in their native country, most do not make many trips to visit. Nearly three in four foreign-born Hispanics visit less than once a year or never. That figure includes 41 percent who have never returned to their native country. Only 23 percent visit their native land once a year or more often.

VISITS TO NATIVE COUNTRY At least once a year U.S.-born Hispanics 41% Foreign-born Hispanics 23%

At least part of the explanation for the infrequent visits to their native country is that foreign-born Hispanics are probably less able to afford such trips. Among Hispanics born outside the U.S. or in Puerto Rico, those with the lowest incomes are also the least frequent travelers to their native countries -- about half of those with incomes of $30,000 or less have never returned to their homeland, and 57 percent of foreign-born Hispanics have annual incomes of less than $30,000.

Most Hispanics say they have as good a chance or better to get ahead as do other immigrant groups, and ... most say they have not faced discrimination.

Good news. The best thing they can do is not to allow themselves to become victims (of race-hustling pimps and panderers) as other minority groups have. The rest of what they need to succeed they already do -- work hard and learn.

There is a lot to be optimistic about here. I particularly like the 25% who think the government is doing "too much" to provide Spanish services. And most seem to understand that working is necessary and getting ahead is possible.

Well, my ancestors came from backward (until recently) and VERY corrupt countries, yet they still had "family values" to put Pat Robertson to shame.

I still think they should have broken it down according to nation of origin. The terms "Hispanic/Latino" include people of many races and cultures.

Your right, "values and culture". They do not want to assimilate. Their drain on our economy is tremendous through the abuse of our social services. They have also lowered our educational standards and increased our prison population to numbers never seen before. STOP ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.

How long ago did your ancestors arrive here?

I've wondered...how many people are immigrating here because of freedom, and how many are immigrating here because of money?

Those in the latter category may not understand (or may not even care)why it is that in this country there is more economic opportunity than where it is that they came from.

100 years ago, there were no SUVs, no big-screen TVs, no air conditioning, no social services, no government handouts, and probably, no perception that the streets in the USA are paved with gold.

Hence, the immigrants of 100 years ago probably came for a different reason that many of the current ones.

I strongly suspect that if it weren't for the easy availability of a "better life" in the USA for poor Mexicans, Mexico would be much closer to a revolution right now.

That country has no excuse, other than it's leadership, for it being as backwards, poor, and corrupt as it is.

I would remind you that the wave of Irish immigrants who came here were due to the potato famine and the poverty that resulted over most of Ireland. The Italians came here for economic opportunity, for the most part.

There were, of course, immigrant groups who came here for freedom...particularly the Jews of Eastern Europe and refugees from the Stalinist takeover of Iron Curtain countries after World War II.

My paternal great-grandparents, settled in Indiana as did many of the German grandparents of my clasmates for one reason: the availability of land.

This is pretty typical of immigrants. I met a black African tonight at a PR class in NYC. He's only been in this country for about ten years. He graduated from Northeastern U then went to Boston U for his master's and is already owner/operator of his own security firm.

I find that a lot of people already born here do not appreciate what they have. I look at a lot of my black American friends as they complain about 'the white man' while black people from other countries come in and smoke them in education and business. I am not saying that there aren't legitimate issues of racism BUT everyone has different priorities. My family are all immigrants, Italian and West Indians, and their experiences/views are all the same, GET YOUR EDUCATION and there's no excuse to be poor in America.

Depends on where you are... in NYC especially Brooklyn, one has more to fear from the Russian mob carting away your car to sell in some eastern bloc country or the West Bank. Not sure about the Latin gangs. Here in Hempstead, some time back, there was a problem with the Latin gangs but it was a race thing, black and latin gangs fighting. Hardly any of that going on anymore as I am noticing gentrification happening, that is middle class Hispanic, black, white moving in and pushing out the rabble who can't afford Long Island anymore. I do not feel bad at all because my block is wonderfully quiet.

One side of the family came because the mechanization of agriculture in Southern Italy and depressed agricultural prices caused them to consider America as a place to earn a better standard of living. My other side of the family also left due to limited opportunities at home (unless you a first-born son who inherited land, there was not much opportunity for a Polish peasant farmer) and probably (this is not talked about in my family much so it is surmising on my part) to avoid being conscripted into the Austrian military.

Living in Miami, I got to know people who were TRUE political refugees and had nothing but the utmost admiration for their initiative in seizing opportunities taken away from them at home. Nevertheless, we must always consider the fact that many, if not most immigrants to this country have come for a better standard of living rather than political reasons. Hopefully, they will come to appreciate our constitution and other political traditions, but judging from many of the Asians I have met, I'm not so sure.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.