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

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Demographic and Socioeconomic characteristics of Children of Immigrants in MarylandImmigrant parents in Maryland are less likely than immigrant parents nationwide to beLimited English Proficient, but English skills vary by immigrant origin and low-income status.Lack of English-language skills is a barrier for higher-skilled and higher-paying jobs, access to public andprivate institutions, and involvement in civil and social life. Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents are alsounable to interact with teachers in their children’s schools and are less able to help their children with homework.16 Thus, having LEP parents and living in linguistically isolated households are risk factors for poverty,economic hardship, and poor performance in school (Hernandez 2004). In Maryland, 44 percent of childrenof immigrants had at least one LEP parent. This share was significantly lower than the national share(61 percent). Only eight states—Connecticut, Alaska, North Dakota, New Hampshire, Maine, Montana,West Virginia, and Vermont—had smaller shares of children with LEP parents.The LEP share, however, varied by immigrant origin, with children of Latin American and Asian originsbeing most at risk because of their parents’ inability to speak English well. Children of Mexican origin(85 percent) and Central American origin (74 percent) were the most likely to have LEP parents (figure 13).Similarly, a majority of children of Southeast Asian origin (61 percent) and East Asian origin (55 percent)had LEP parents.Children of immigrants in low-income families were more likely than children of immigrants overall to haveLEP parents (64 percent versus 44 percent, figure 13). This is not surprising, given the strong correlationbetween English proficiency and immigrant earnings (Chiswick and Miller 2002). With the exception ofchildren of European and African origin, more than two-thirds of children in low-income immigrant familieshad LEP parents. Almost all low-income children of Mexican origin (90 percent) and Central American origin(83 percent) had LEP parents. Almost three-quarters of low-income children of East Asian (71 percent),South American (73 percent), and Middle Eastern and South Asian origin (70 percent) had LEP parents.16Limited English Proficient people reported that they speak a language other than English at home and speak English well, not well, or not at all.Those who speak English at home or speak another language but also speak English very well are considered English proficient. English proficiency isnot recorded for children under age 5 in the census data.28Children of Immigrants and Families in Maryland
Demographic and Socioeconomic characteristics of Children of Immigrants in MarylandFigure 13. Children of Immigrants with LEP Parents, by Low-Income Status and Parental Origin,Maryland, 2006All children of immigrantsLow-income children of immigrants100%90%83%90%85%Percent of Children80%70%60%50%40%44%64%74%44%73%55%71% 70%35%61%34%44%30%20%23%18%10%0%Children ofimmigrantsoverallCentralAmerica &SpanishCaribbeanSouthAmericaMexicoEast Asia &PacificMiddle East& SouthAsiaSoutheastAsiaAfrica &West IndiesEurope,Canada &AustraliaSource: Urban Institute tabulations from the IPUMS datasets from the 2005 and 2006 American Community Survey.Notes: “Low-income” children live in families with incomes below twice the federal poverty level. “Southeast Asia” is not displayed for low-incomechildren because of the small number of respondents (
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