Immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean: A Socioeconomic Profile.

This paper seeks to make sense of the new diversity in the United States, with a focus on immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean. Some key facts and figures about contemporary immigrants are presented, looking at their patterns of settlement and comparing their distinctive social and economic characteristics to major U.S. racial-ethnic groups. The discussion is centered on information conveyed in four detailed tables, drawn from 1990 census data. The tables address: (1) states and counties of principal Hispanic settlement for the total Hispanic population and for Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and other subgroups; (2) population size, nativity, educational attainment, occupational level, poverty, welfare recipients, income, and percent female-headed households for Hispanic subgroups and non-Hispanic racial-ethnic groups; (3) decade of immigration, U.S. citizenship, and settlement patterns by world region and selected Latin American and Caribbean countries of birth; and (4) English proficiency, percentage of college graduates, percent in labor force, occupational level, poverty, and older adults for immigrant groups by world region and selected Latin American and Caribbean countries of birth. The fact that English language competency increases with time spent in the United States and with each successive generation is discussed in relation to misconceptions about Hispanics' alleged unwillingness to assimilate. (SV)