University of Massachusetts Boston ScholarWorks at UMass Boston Gastón Institute Publications Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy Publications 9-17-2010 Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Worcester Phillip Granberry University of Massachusetts Boston, phillip.granberry@umb.edu Sarah Rustan University of Massachusetts Boston, sarah.rustan@umb.edu Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs Part of the Chicano Studies Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, and the Race and Ethnicity Commons Recommended Citation Granberry, Phillip and Rustan, Sarah, "Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Worcester" (2010). Gastón Institute Publications. Paper 49. http://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/49 This Research Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy Publications at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gastón Institute Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact library.uasc@umb.edu.
Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas Worcester by Phillip Granberry, PhD and Sarah Rustan September 17, 2010 INTRODUCTION This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in Worcester. This report is prepared for the 2010 Statewide Latino Public Policy Conference organized by UMass Boston s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. It is part of a larger series that covers fourteen cities, or clusters of cities, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each report analyzes data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS s smallest geographic area is a Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) consisting of a minimum census population of 100,000. Worcester is a large enough city that it constitutes a PUMA by itself. The ACS thereby enables us to arrive at a demographic and economic portrait of Worcester s Latino community.
Figure 1: Population Percentages by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 Asian Alone; 3.9% Other Race; 2.2% Black Alone; 7.8% Latino; 22.3% White Alone; 63.8% Worcester is the second largest city in Massachusetts and is home to an estimated 36,314 Latinos, who make up 22.3% of the city s population. Whites constitute the largest ethno-racial group (63.8%), while blacks account for 7.8% and Asians 3.9% of the city s population (Figure 1). Figure 2: Ancestry of the Top Latino Groups in 2008 20,000 18,000 18,594 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 5,374 4,090 3,944 2,354 1,958 0 Puerto Rican Dominican Salvadoran Brazilian Mexican Other Latino The Latino population in Worcester is diverse in its origin but driven by Puerto Ricans, who number 18,594. Dominicans (5,374), Salvadorans (4,090), Brazilians (3,944) 1, and Mexicans (2,354) are the other sizable Latino subpopulations. Latinos help give Worcester a proportionately greater foreign-born population (21.4%) than the state as a whole (14.4%). 2 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790
The remainder of this report presents an overview that compares Latinos and their top subpopulations to whites, blacks, and Asians in Worcester for selected demographic, economic, and social characteristics 2. MEDIAN AGE AND MARITAL STATUS Figure 3 highlights differences in median age draws attention to the importance of Latinos in Worcester. Latinos have a younger median age (25 years) than any other ethno-racial group. This suggests that they have more families with younger children and will require an investment in education of their youth; however, these younger Latinos will contribute economically, socially, and politically in later years as the older white population ages and retires. This older population will require younger residents to keep these cities neighborhoods vibrant and maintain a productive workforce, and Latinos are poised to make this contribution. Figure 3: Median Age by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 45 40 40 35 32 Y e a r s 30 25 20 28 25 15 10 5 0 White Asian Black Latino Notes 1 Most Brazilians in the survey did not identify themselves as Latino. Whenever the category Brazilian appears in one of the figures, it includes all Brazilians, but the category Latino includes only those Brazilians who self-identified as Latino. 2 Because of the smaller size of some ethnoracial groups and Latino subpopulations in the ACS data for Worcester, some demographic and labor force participation estimates have too large of a standard error and have been dropped from this analysis. The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790 3
The youthfulness of Worcester s Latino population may influence its marital status. Figure 4 shows that the 29.2% marriage rate for Latinos (for persons age 16 and older) is lower than for other ethno-racial groups in the city. It is also lower than the state-wide Latino marriage rate of 33.6%. Latino subpopulations show wide variation in their marriage rates; a number of factors including the age of these populations, could be driving this variation. Figure 4: Marriage Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 7 6 57.9% 54.3% 53.3% 5 4 3 2 36.4% 32.5% 29.2% 31.9% 28.2% 22.4% 19.5% EDUCATION Figure 5 highlights the fact that Latinos have the highest percentage of their population with less than a high school diploma: 26.5%, compared to 25.1 % for Asians, 15.4% for blacks, and 11.2% for whites. At the other end of the educational scale, Latinos in Worcester have the lowest percentage of their population with at least a bachelor s degree: 12.8%, compared to 55.7% for Asians, 30.6% for whites, and 24.5% for blacks. Figure 5: Educational Attainment by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 (Adults 25 Years and Older) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Less than High School High School or Equivalence Some College BA or Above 4 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790
Figures 6A and 6B provide information regarding Latinos in the Worcester Public Schools and use Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data. Even though the Worcester Public Schools have experienced a 9.4% decline in student population during 2000s, the Latino student population has increased by18.1%. Latinos made up 36.4% of the student population in the 2008-2009 academic year, ranking them second only to white students. Figure 6A: Spotlight on Worcester Public Schools by Ethno-Racial Group, Academic Year 2008-2009 Other; 3. Asian; 7.9% Black; 13.6% White; 39. Latino; 36.4% Even though Worcester Public Schools has a high four-year graduation rate for Latinos (61.1%) compared to other school districts, Latinos still fall behind the overall Worcester rate of 70.1%. Similarly, 20.8 % of Latinos drop out of school compared to 14.5% for the city s overall school population. Figure 6B: Spotlight on Worcester Public Schools by Outcomes, Academic Year 2008-2009 8 7 6 61.1% 70.1% 5 4 3 2 20.8% 14.5% 4-year Graduation Rate: Latino 4-year Graduation Rate: Total Annual Dropout Rate: Latino Annual Dropout Rate: Total The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790 5
LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATION Figure 7 shows that Latinos have a labor force participation rate (61.1%) that is less than Asians (82.1%), blacks (72.5%), and whites (65.). The Latino labor force participation rate for Worcester is lower than among Latinos across the state, who have an overall participation rate of 68.6%. In particular, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans in Worcester have low labor force participation rates of 50.3% and 47.9%, respectively. This is despite the lower median age of Latinos shown by Figure 3 which suggests they have more families with young children. Larger numbers of families with young children often result in lower labor force participation rates due to child care needs. Figure 7: Labor Force Participation by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 10 9 8 7 6 5 82.1% 72.5% 65. 61.1% 91.6% 80.9% 73.4% 50.3% 47.9% 63.4% 4 3 2 6 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790
Even though Latinos have lower labor force participation in Worcester, Figure 8 tells a more positive story about their employment. The unemployment rate among Latinos in 2008 was 7.9%, which was lower than for Asians (11.6%), blacks (11.), and whites (8.1%). However, Puerto Ricans, who have low labor force participation, also experienced a high unemployment rate of 16.2%. Figure 8: Unemployment Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 18% 16% 16.2% 14% 12% 11.6% 11. 12.6% 8% 8.1% 7.9% 6% 4% 2% 4. 2.2% 2.4% Asian Black White Latino Puerto Rican Mexican Dominican Brazilian Other Latino Figures 9A and 9B suggest that Latinos serve as complements in Worcester s labor market to other ethno-racial groups whose members have higher educational attainment. Latinos are overrepresented in what are traditionally considered bluecollar jobs (farming, construction, production, and transportation). Dominican and Brazilian workers are concentrated in these occupations (Figure 9B). Correspondingly, as Figure 9A shows, Latinos are underrepresented in what are traditionally considered white-collar jobs (professional and managerial). Figure 9A: Population Employed in Professional or Managerial Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 8 7 67.2% 6 5 4 35.2% 3 27.2% 24.8% 2 16. 18.5% 13.5% 17.7% 4.8% 3.6% The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790 7
Figure 9B: Population Employed in Farming, Construction, Production, and Transportation Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 9 8 81.3% 7 6 63. 5 4 3 2 33.8% 23.5% 17.1% 14.4% 32.4% 19.5% 18.4% 28.8% EARNINGS When examining the wage rates for these occupational categories, Latinos appear to be receiving wages below those of other ethno-racial groups. They earn less than all other ethno-racial groups for their white-collar (Figure 10A) and service-sector (Figure 10B) employment. They earn lower wages for their blue-collar employment than blacks and whites, but not Asians (Figure 10C). Figure 10A: Hourly Wages in Professional or Managerial Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 $30 $27.54 $26.19 $25 $20 $23.82 $22.86 $20.95 $19.05 $18.46 $17.53 $15 $12.50 $10 $5 $0 Asian Black White Latino Dominican Mexican Puerto Rican Brazilian Other Latino 8 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790
Figure 10B: Hourly Wages in Sales and Service Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 $16 $14.98 $14.89 $14 $12 $10 $12.61 $11.67 $10.66 $10.13 $9.49 $8 $6 $6.81 $7.72 $4 $2 $0 Figure 10C: Hourly Wages in Farming, Construction, Production, and Transportation Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 $18 $16 $17.12 $15.86 $14 $13.16 $13.73 $13.35 $12 $10 $8 $10.57 $10.79 $10.22 $8.41 $6 $4 $2 $0 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790 9
HOUSING STATUS AND MEDICAL INSURANCE The final measures of Latino participation in Worcester are intended to identify how well Latinos in the city are being rewarded for their economic, social, and political participation. Latinos traditionally have low homeownership rates across the country. Figure 13 shows that this trend in Worcester holds true as they have a 20.5% homeownership rate, lower than any other ethno-racial group. This 20.5% rate is also significantly lower than the state s Latino average of 32.9%. Puerto Ricans have an especially low homeownership rate, while Brazilians and Mexicans have higher rates. As a complement to these percentages in Figure 11, it is evident that 79.5% of Latinos in Worcester are renters. Figure 11: Homeownership Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 7 6 61.1% 5 51.1% 45.7% 4 40.2% 39. 40.1% 3 2 20.5% 25.3% 12.6% 11.1% Homeownership is seen in a different light when its cost is analyzed. Having largely become homeowners during the housing bubble of the last decade, Latinos in Figure 12 on average pay $1,534 monthly mortgages higher than for whites and Asians. At the same time, Latino renters pay the lowest average monthly rents, at $713. The combination of high mortgage payments and low rents underlines the fact that Latino homebuyers were disadvantaged by the earlier housing bubble. 10 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790
Figure 12: Housing Costs by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 $2,500 $2,000 $1,500 $1,674 $1,534 $1,518 $1,349 $1,733 $1,355 $1,317 $1,293 $2,063 $1,000 $767 $713 $817 $776 $925 $723 $863 $627 $1,074 $837 $901 $500 $0 Average Monthly Rent Average Monthly Rent (Latino) Average Monthly Mortgage Average Monthly Mortgage (Latino) The percentage of Latinos in Worcester who lack medical insurance (2.6%) is significantly lower than the statewide average for Latinos (9.2%). Puerto Ricans, many of whom have access to public medical insurance, and Dominicans have the lowest rates without medical insurance of any Latino subpopulation. On the other hand, Brazilians, who are a newly arriving subpopulation, have the highest uninsurance rate of 29., similar to their high rate for the entire state (31.2%). Figure 13: Medical Uninsurance by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 3 29. 25% 2 15% 7.5% 5% 5.1% 2.7% 2.6% 1.7% 1.3% 4.5% White Black Latino Brazilian Salvadoran Puerto Rican Dominican Other Latino The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125 T. 617.287.5790 11
The Mauricio Gastón Institute of the University of Massachusetts Boston conducts research on and for the Latino population in New England. Our goal is to generate the information and analysis necessary to develop more inclusive public policy, and to improve Latino participation in the policy making process. In an effort to present vital information about Latinos to diverse audiences, the Gastón Institute has produced this series of demographic profiles for Massachusetts and selected areas based on an analysis of 2008 American Community Survey data. The 2008 American Community Survey allowed people to choose their ethnicity and race. Ethnicity identifies a person as Latino or Hispanic. We use the term Latino for all of those who self-identify as Latino in response to the ethnicity question. The racial categories are assigned to those who do not identify as Latino. Technically, their designation is non-latino white, non-latino black, and non-latino Asian, though they are often referenced as white, black, and Asian in these profiles. Our descriptive analysis uses both household- and individual-level ACS data to estimate population size and percentages, to compare Latinos to other ethno-racial groups (e.g., whites, blacks, and Asians), and to compare the top ten Latino subpopulations in Massachusetts by ancestry. These are Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Brazilians, Salvadorans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Hondurans, Peruvians, and Cubans. We use ancestry, based on migration from Latin America, rather than language: a self-identified Latino born in Massachusetts may have ancestors from a Latin American country but speak only English only. Whenever the category Brazilian appears in one of the figures, it includes all Brazilians, but the category Latino includes only those Brazilians who self-identified as Latino. After the dissemination of the 2010 United States Census, the Gastón Institute will be updating these demographic profiles. These updates will allow for a better analysis of the Massachusetts Latino populations. We also plan to expand this series by adding analyses of the other New England states and by covering more cities. About the Authors Phillip Granberry is a social demographer who specializes in unauthorized migrants in the United States. He worked with various community based organizations assisting recently arrived U.S. migrants before earning a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2007. His past research has focused on Latinos in the United States. One part of this research has addressed the formation and use of social capital among Mexican migrants in Los Angeles County, and another part of this research has addressed demographic trends of Latinos in New England. His current research focuses on Brazilian and Dominican migrants in the Metropolitan Boston area. He currently teaches in the Economics Department and is a research associate of the Gastón Institute. Sarah Rustan is a PhD candidate in Law, Policy, and Society at Northeastern University with degrees in cultural management and architecture. Her professional background includes broad experiences in the nonprofit sector, including research as well as nonprofit and cultural management. Her past research has examined diverse topics ranging from charitable giving to women in the workforce. At present she is working on a dissertation exploring the role that nonprofit organizations play in promoting the development of social capital. She currently serves as a Research Associate and Data Analyst for the Gastón Institute and as a Doctoral Fellow at Northeastern University. Sarah s research interests include demography, community change, and public policy. The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393 Telephone: 617-287-5790 Fax: 617-287-5788 E-mail: Gaston.feedback@umb.edu Website: www.gaston.umb.edu