The Integration of Immigrants and Their Families in Maryland: A ...

introductionIntroductionChildren of Immigrants in MarylandThis is the second in a series of reports profiling immigrant workers, children, and families in Maryland. Thefirst report described the characteristics of immigrant workers and their economic contributions to the state(Capps and Fortuny 2008). The current report profiles the quarter million children of immigrants in Maryland,highlights important demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and sheds light on the impact thatthe growing population of children of immigrants is having on public schools in Maryland. The findings inthis report are based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) and fromthe Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).The report is organized as follows. The report begins by examining the increase in the number of children ofimmigrants between 1990 and 2006, the distribution of these children across Maryland’s counties, and theirdiverse origins. The report then looks at parental and family characteristics of children, including the incidenceof two-parent families, and parents’ education and English skills. These characteristics appear to playan important role in explaining the economic circumstances of immigrant families, including their incomes,poverty and low-income rates, and use of public benefits.The second part of the report describes school-age children of immigrants and discusses trends in Marylandpublic school enrollment. The report presents data on children of immigrants’ contribution to the increasingracial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity in Maryland public schools and points to differences across racial andethnic groups in school readiness and academic performance.Children of immigrants face many universal risk factors to their well-being, such as lower parental educationand family incomes, but they also are adversely affected by factors unique to immigration, such as lack ofparental citizenship and English proficiency (Capps et al. 2004; Hernandez 2004). This report also providesinformation on the 69,000 children of immigrants in low-income families (i.e., families with incomes belowtwice the poverty rate) because material hardship and immigration-related factors place these children at ahigher risk of adverse outcomes.Jurisdictions and school districts across the country are facing the difficult task of successfully integratingimmigrant children and their families. With a diverse immigrant population and a sizable number of childrenwith immigrant parents, Maryland presents a good opportunity to study this population and the challengesthey face. The report’s relevance extends beyond state and local boundaries because it studies a populationwith diversity in immigrant origin and socioeconomic status and makes policy recommendations that can begeneralized to other jurisdictions.12Children of Immigrants and Families in Maryland