Adult Literacy in America - National Center for Education Statistics ...

Country of Birth and Racial/Ethnic Differences
NALS
40 ......Section I
Many adults immigrate to the United States from places where English is not
the national language. Not surprisingly, individuals born in this country tend to
be more proficient in English than those born outside of this country, who are
likely to have learned English as a second language. To better understand the
differences in performance among various racial/ethnic groups, then, it is
helpful to examine the proportion of each group that was born inside and
outside the United States.
Nearly all White (96 percent) and Black (95 percent) adults and most
respondents of Puerto Rican origin (80 percent) said they were born in the
United States or one of its territories (TABLE 1.7). On the other hand,
relatively small proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander (22 percent), Central/
South American (21 percent), and Cuban (11 percent) adults were born in this
country. About half of the Mexican adults and approximately 68 percent of the
Hispanic/Other adults reported being born in the United States.
With one exception, individuals born in the United States tended to
outperform their peers who were born abroad (FIGURE 1.9). The exception
Percentages of Adults Born in the United States and in Other Countries,
by Race/Ethnicity
Race/Ethnicity
Born in the U.S.
or a Territory
Born in Other
Countries
White 96 4
Black 95 6
Asian or Pacific Islander 22 78
American Indian or Alaskan Native 100 0*
Other 24 76
Hispanic/Mexican 54 46
Hispanic/Puerto Rican 80 20
Hispanic/Cuban 11 89
Hispanic/Central or South American 21 79
Hispanic/Other 68 32
*Percentages below .5 are rounded to 0.
Note: Adults born in a U.S. territory were counted as being born in the U.S.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, National Adult Literacy Survey, 1992.
Table 1.7