Thread: Florida No. 4 for Central American immigrants

Jul 8, 2014, 4:19pm EDT
Florida No. 4 for Central American immigrants

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Florida is the No. 4 most popular state for Central American immigrants, both legal and illegal, to call home.

Florida is the No. 4 most popular state for Central American immigrants, both legal and illegal, to call home.

According to a new report from the Center for Immigration Studies, the three primary Central American countries that immigrants move to the U.S. from are Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

In 2012 there were 2.7 million immigrants from El Salvador (1.3 million), Guatemala (880,000), and Honduras (536,000) in the United States. The combined immigrant population from these three countries has grown 234 percent since 1990, the non-profit reported.

The Department of Homeland Security estimates indicate about 60 percent of immigrants from these three countries (1.6 million) are in the United States illegally.

The top 10 states of settlement are California, Texas, New York, Florida, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Georgia.

Additionally, the study found:

• Language: Of immigrants from El Salvador, 70 percent report they speak English less than very well; for immigrants from Guatemala, it is 72 percent; and for immigrants from Honduras, it is 69 percent.
• Home-ownership: Of households headed by Salvadoran immigrants, 41 percent are owner-occupied, as are 28 percent of Guatemalan households, and 29 percent of Honduran immigrant households. The corresponding figure for natives is 66 percent.
• Educational Attainment: 54 percent of Guatemalan immigrants (ages 25 to 65) have not graduated high school. The figure for Salvadorans is 53 percent, and for Hondurans, 44 percent. The corresponding figure for native-born Americans is 7 percent.
• Welfare Use: 57 percent of households headed by immigrants from El Salvador use at least one major welfare program, as do 54 percent of Honduran households, and 49 percent of Guatemalan immigrant households. Among native households it is 24 percent.
• Poverty: 32 percent of Honduran immigrants and their young children (under 18) live in poverty; as do 31 percent of Guatemalan immigrants and their children and 28 percent of Salvadoran immigrants and their children. The corresponding figure for natives and their children is 14 percent.
• Health Insurance: 47 percent of Guatemalan immigrants and their young children (under 18) do not have health insurance. The figure for both Salvadoran and Honduran immigrants and their young children is 41 percent. The corresponding figure for natives and their children is 13 percent.
• Share Working: 77 percent of immigrants from El Salvador (ages 25 to 54) have a job, as do 74 percent of Guatemalan immigrants and 73 percent of Honduran immigrants. The corresponding figure for natives is 76 percent.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2014/07/08/florida-no-4-for-central-american-immigrants.html

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