Posted on 11/28/2004 5:49:24 PM PST by Constitution Day
Report: Immigrant population in N.C. nearly doubled in four years
The Associated Press
November 26, 2004 12:20 am
RALEIGH, N.C. -- North Carolina's foreign-born population has nearly doubled in the past four years, with immigrants undeterred by the struggling economy, according to a report based on a U.S. Census Bureau survey.
The report by the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors tougher restrictions on immigration, found that the state's foreign-born population jumped from 373,000 in 2000 to 641,000 in March.
"Immigration is a complex process that's driven by a lot of different things," said study author Steven A. Camarota, research director at the Washington-based center. "The argument that it's driven by the economy is weak."
The report was based on the census bureau's March Current Population Survey, which is taken every year to gauge the country's unemployment rate.
The census bureau does not use that survey to estimate annual changes in immigrant population. It relies on the much larger, annual American Community Survey, which showed that North Carolina's foreign-born population grew to 502,000 from 2000 to 2003, the most recent year for which figures are available.
Kevin Deardorff, chief of the bureau's immigration statistics staff, warned against viewing the numbers reported by the Center for Immigration Studies as proven.
"To take them as absolute estimates is probably something that one should do with caution," he said. "But it wouldn't surprise me if you saw continued growth."
The report doesn't show where immigrants came from, but the 2000 census found that 40 percent of North Carolina's immigrants came from Mexico. The next-largest groups were from India, Germany and Canada.
Mexico remained the top country of origin for North Carolina immigrants after 2000, according to experts who attributed the continued growth to word-of-mouth.
"Part of what's going on is the cumulative effect of immigration in the 1990s," said Roland Stephen, an associate professor of political science at N.C. State University. "Friends and relatives heard from others who came before them that life is pretty good here."
Signs of the immigrant boom can be seen across the state. The number of students taking English as a Second Language classes at the state's 58 community colleges rose from 29,000 in the 2002-03 academic year to 37,000 the following year. The ranks of Hispanic soccer leagues are swelling, and cricket -- once nearly unheard of in North Carolina -- is being played on recreational fields throughout the state by Indians and Pakistanis.
Veerapandian Kalimuthu, owner of Tower Indian Restaurant, said he has had to expand his staff of waiters and cooks from three to seven since opening in Morrisville in April 2002. Roughly two-thirds of his customers are, like Kalimuthu, from India.
"On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, we're packed," he said.
But more often, it appears that immigrants are struggling in North Carolina, Camarota said.
The center's study found that 42 percent of North Carolina's immigrant population lacks a high school diploma, compared with 17 percent of the native population. Also, 59 percent of immigrants and their children live in or near poverty, the study found.
Three questions:
1) Are we talking "illegal" immigrants, or merely "immigrants"?
2) Are Indians representative of those immigrating? Or are we talking "Mexican"?
3) Why the sloppy journalism? Low-intelliegence/caring on behalf of the author, or an intentional agenda?
I think the kind of immigrant is important. No sensible conservative is against immigration from Australia ,Britain etc.
The full numbers for all states are in this recent report with lots of graphs, statistics, etc. Very telling.
Economy slowed, but Immigration didn't.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1287036/posts?page=18
So this increase in "immigrant population," - what is the breakdown between legal and illegal immigration? There's not a word about it in the article.
The GOP needs to get on the RIGHT side of illegal immigration in 2008. Rewarding lawbreakers with amnesty is not a conservative value. Raising taxes to provide services for illegals is not a conservative value.
If the Dems run to our right in 2008 on immigration, they could trample right over a RINO without true conservative principles. I have been worrying about Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado as "red" or "purple" states that are particularly vulnerable if the GOP remains soft on immigration. All it will take is a strong third-party anti-amnesty candidate, or Hillary running on an anti-amnesty platform, to turn these states "blue" in 2008. And now add North Carolina to that list.
As long as they do it legally and are willing to work and assimilate, I don't care where they are from.
My own wife is a naturalized citizen from South Africa.
This is a deliberate blurring of the distinction for propaganda purposes.
We are supposed to believe the trespassing outlaws are as "noble" as the legal immigrants.
I'll guess this one.
Interesting mix though, if it is illegals--disappearing low skill factory jobs and an influx of low skilled, non-English speaking workers. Socio-economic pot of discontent waiting to boil over.
According the "nonpartisan" (i.e. liberal) Urban Institute, there were 250,000 to 350,000 illegal immigrants in North Carolina in 2002. As a percentage of overall immigrants, North Carolina has a very high share of illegals, compared to other states. 40-49% of foreign-born residents in NC are here illegally.
http://www.urban.org/Template.cfm?NavMenuID=24&template=/TaggedContent/ViewPublication.cfm&PublicationID=8685
Looks like now the south is being overrun by immigrants and that will soon be voting democrat too. It's really gut-check time on the right.
1) I would guess both.
2) My observation has been that there's more Mexicans. I do not have the actual data.
3) Agenda.
I live in mississippi town of 12,000...6,000 of whom are illegals with a few legals mixed in who are brought in to work the chicken plants...when you look at the crime reports in the paper its usualy 75% hispanics
Ditto in Vegas and they're still pouring in. We are just taxed to death to pay for it too.
To late, the invasion of millions of illegals, like the prevailing winds blowing east to west across the country, the boiling discontent is sure to follow.
Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.
CD
GOP needs to get on the RIGHT side of illegal immigration in 2008. \
Not going to happen. Why should they? They know most here will vote them back in office no matter what they do. The time to hold them accountable was this past election. 1% did.
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