Switch to the mobile version of this page.

Arkansas Times

Arkansas Blog

« Polk Stanley Wilcox to get Robinson… | The line is open: UAMS and Facebook… »

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Immigration WR Foundation: Immigrants a net plus for Arkansas

Posted by Max Brantley on Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:50 PM

I didn't need any convincing. But I nonetheless welcome the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation's latest report on immigration in Arkansas. Immigrants are a small but growing part of the state's population who've created benefits through community investment and contribution to the economy.

Some key findings:

* Arkansas ranked fourth among the states in immigrant population growth from 2000 to 2010, with the foreign-born population increasing by 82 percent.

* The length of settlement for Arkansas immigrants is expanding: in 2010, 57 percent had lived in Arkansas (or elsewhere in the US) for 10 years or more, compared with 51 percent in 2000.

* Half of Latino immigrants and two-thirds of non-Latino immigrants owned their own homes.

* The Latino immigrant share of workers doubled from 2 to 4 percent between 2000 and 2010. Immigrant Latino men have the highest employment rate of any immigrant or native-born group: 88 percent.

* For every dollar the state spent on services to immigrant households, it received $7 in immigrant business revenue and tax contributions in 2010.

* The economic contribution of immigrants in 2010 was $3.9 billion. The economic contribution of immigrants has grown considerably since 2004, when their total impact was just $2.9 — and should continue to grow as immigrants and their children increase their share of the state’s total population and workforce.

A link here to the three-volume report.

I just heard today of the beginning of a movement to try again for DREAM legislation in Arkansas. It would provide scholarship help to long-term Arkansas high school graduates, despite questionable immigration status. Some say why bother with a new Republican majority. I say why not? Let some of them return home to communities full of hard-working immigrants at poultry processing plants and explain.

PS — I took a family Christmas photo last year at a small Latino business in Southwest Little Rock, our favorite taco truck. Joining the diverse crowd that gathers at Samantha's is always a happy occasion, not just because of the good food.

Tags: Arkansas immigrants, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation

        
Tweet
Share

Comments (4)

Showing 1-4 of 4

Add a comment

Subscribe to this thread:

By Email

With RSS

Showing 1-4 of 4

More by Max Brantley

Friday night lines

The line is open. Closing out: * EXECUTION LAW CHALLENGED: A new state law specifying drugs to be used in executions still doesn't meet constitutional muster, inmates have argued in a new federal lawsuit.
- by Max Brantley
- Apr 26, 2013
Sierra Club says ExxonMobil far short of accounting for spilled crude

The Sierra Club said today that the ExxonMobil cleanup effort after the pipeline break at Mayflower remains several thousand barrels short of accounting for the estimated 5,000 barrels of heavy crude from Canadian tar sands territory that spilled before the pipeline was shut off.
- by Max Brantley
- May 1, 2013
More »

Readers also liked…

UPDATE: Paragould to put officers with AR-15s on the streets

Thanks to Cato for picking up this item in the Paragould Daily Press about plans there to put armed officers on foot patrol to deter crime: "[Police are] going to be in SWAT gear and have AR-15s around their neck," [Police Chief Todd] Stovall said.
- by Max Brantley
- Dec 17, 2012