The National Equity Atlas and Immigrant Integration
Since the November elections, immigration has dominated the headlines—whether about the latest executive orders, repeated raids by federal immigration agents threatening to tear families apart, or the resistance being organized against the Trump administration.
We have also heard the personal stories: Jeanette Vizguerra from Denver, CO, an immigrant mother of four and immigrant labor rights activist, who sought refuge at the Unitarian Church in lieu of her scheduled check-in with immigration authorities. In Los Angeles, there was Romulo Avelica-Gonzalez, who was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (or ICE) after he dropped off his daughter at school despite living in the U.S. for 25 years and having two U.S. born children. There was also 22-year-old DACA recipient Daniela Vargas, who came to the United States from Argentina at the age of seven, who was detained by ICE. shortly after speaking at a Trump resistance event that sought to raise awareness about the new executive order and its impact on affected families. These are just three impactful examples that paint the reality of many of our immigrant communities today.
Immigrant communities and communities of color continue to face barriers to opportunities and resources that prevent them from becoming fully integrated in American society. With the new administration, these barriers have only gotten worse. As these communities continue to be under attack, research institutions can use the power of numbers and empirical evidence to fight against policies that are more politically motivated than reflect the realities of our communities.
The National Equity Atlas can offer ways of putting data into action. It is an online data and policy tool created to provide quality data for policymakers and civic leaders striving for economic and social equity within our communities. In other words, it provides data for the purposes of building an equitable economy. The tool was created in partnership with researchers from the PolicyLink and the USC Program for Environmental and Regional Equity.
The Atlas has information on population growth by race/ethnicity, gender, nativity and age. There are indicators on broad categories such as economic vitality (unemployment, working poor, and poverty), readiness (school poverty, air pollution, and disconnected youth) and connectedness (housing burden, car access, and commute-time).
The question is, how can we use the National Equity Atlas and the power of data to strengthen the need for policies that uplift immigrant communities? For starters, there is no denying that the population of people of color will only continue to grow. In less than three decades, it is predicted that the United States will be majority people of color.
See: Racial/ethnic composition: United States, 1980-2060
Yet, our communities of color continue to face challenges that hinder their full potential. In 2014, 76% of the white working population in the United States earned at least $15 an hour. However, only 59% of working people of color earned at least $15 an hour. 51% of the Latino population, 61% of the black population, and 59% of the Native population made at least $15 an hour. When we break down the numbers by nativity, only 40% of Latino immigrants made at least $15/hr.
See most updated data: Share of workers earning at least $15/hour by race/ethnicity and nativity: United States
Full-time workers between the ages 25 to 64 whose family income places them below the federal poverty line are defined as “working poor.” Nine percent of the entire working population between 25 and 64 is still living at 200% below the federal poverty line compared to a 25% of the Latino immigrant working population.
See most updated data: Percent working poor by race/ethnicity and nativity: United States, 200%
A majority of our working population will be people of color, yet our immigrant communities and communities of color continue to be disproportionately affected by obstacles such as low-wage jobs and poverty. The data points to the drastic impacts of racial and socioeconomic inequality, and as researchers and policy advocates oriented toward social justice, it is up to us to make sure the voices of those affected are heard.
About the National Equity Atlas:
The National Equity Atlas was developed by PolicyLink and USC PERE as a tool for the growing movement to create a more equitable, sustainable, and resilient economy. It is a comprehensive resource for data to track, measure, and make the case for inclusive growth in America’s regions, and states, and nationwide. The Atlas contains data on demographic change, racial and economic inclusion, and the potential economic gains from racial equity for the largest 100 cities, largest 150 regions, all 50 states, and the United States as a whole.
About the author
Sheila Xiao is a Data Analyst with PERE/CSII and is part of the National Equity Atlas team, along with PERE/CSII Staff Justin Scoggins, Data Manager and Pamela Stephens, Data Analyst II.