Behind at the Starting Line: Poverty Among Hispanic Infants

Keywords

public policy, population growth, immigration

Abstract

Hispanics are driving U.S. population growth. Representing just 16 percent of the U.S. population in 2010, Hispanics accounted for the majority of U.S. population growth over the past decade. The current emphasis on immigration in public discourse and policy reflects the commonplace assumption that Hispanic population growth is driven largely by new immigration. Yet, most Hispanic growth today is due to Hispanic births, not immigration. Fertility represents a large second-order effect of past and current immigration. The often unappreciated impact of U.S.-born Hispanic infants on population growth raises an important policy question: Do Hispanic infants start life's race behind the starting line, poor and disadvantaged?

Original Publication Citation

Lichter, Daniel T., Scott R. Sanders, and Kenneth M. Johnson. “Behind at the Starting Line: Poverty Among Hispanic Infants”. The Carsey School of Public Policy at the Scholars’ Repository. Paper 251. 2015.

Document Type

Report

Publication Date

2015-08-12

Permanent URL

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/7618

Publisher

The Carsey School of Public Policy Scholars Repository

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Sociology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Associate Professor

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