This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educational, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in the cities of Malden and Medford. This report is prepared for the 2010 Statewide Latino Public Policy Conference organized by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. It is part of a larger series that covers fourteen cities, or clusters of cities, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each report analyzes data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS’s smallest geographic area is a Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) consisting of a minimum census population of 100,000. In the PUMA that combines these two similar sized cities, the majority of the Latino population (65.8%) lived in Malden in 2000, while 34.2% lived in Medford

Granberry, Phillip

Rustan, Sarah

English

University of Massachusetts Boston: ScholarWorks at UMass

University of Massachusetts BostonScholarWorks at UMass BostonGastón Institute Publications Gastón Institute for Latino CommunityDevelopment and Public Policy Publications9-17-2010Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Maldenand MedfordPhillip GranberryUniversity of Massachusetts Boston, phillip.granberry@umb.eduSarah RustanUniversity of Massachusetts Boston, sarah.rustan@umb.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubsPart of the Chicano Studies Commons, Demography, Population, and Ecology Commons, andthe Race and Ethnicity CommonsThis Research Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public PolicyPublications at ScholarWorks at UMass Boston. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gastón Institute Publications by an authorized administrator ofScholarWorks at UMass Boston. For more information, please contact library.uasc@umb.edu.Recommended CitationGranberry, Phillip and Rustan, Sarah, "Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Malden and Medford" (2010). Gastón InstitutePublications. Paper 45.http://scholarworks.umb.edu/gaston_pubs/45Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas Malden and Medfordby Phillip Granberry, PhD and Sarah Rustan | September 17, 2010 INTRODUCTION This report provides a descriptive snapshot of selected economic, social, educa-tional, and demographic indicators pertaining to Latinos in the cities of Malden and Medford. This report is prepared for the 2010 Statewide Latino Public Policy Conference organized by UMass Boston’s Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. It is part of a larger series that covers fourteen cities, or clusters of cities, in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Each report analyzes data from the 2008 American Community Survey (ACS) conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The ACS’s smallest geographic area is a Public Use Mi-crodata Area (PUMA) consisting of a minimum census population of 100,000. In the PUMA that combines these two similar sized cities, the majority of the Latino population (65.8%) lived in Malden in 2000, while 34.2% lived in Medford. 2 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790 Figure 1: Population Percentages by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas, Malden and Medford  Figure 1:  Population Percentages by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008           White Alone; 64.3% Latino; 8.3% Black  Alone; 12.9% Asian Alone; 11.9% Other Race; 2.7% Malden and Medford are home to an estimated 9,055 Latinos, who make up 8.3% of the cities’ population. Whites constitute the largest ethno-racial group (64.3%), while blacks account for 12.9% and Asians 11.9% (Figure 1). Figure 2: Ancestry of the Top Latino Groups in 2008Figure 2:  Ancestry of the Top Latino Groups in 2008             4,505 1,349 1,304 1,133 1,119 899 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500 5,000 Brazilian Puerto Rican Colombian Guatemalan Honduran Salvadoran The Latino population in Malden and Medford is dominated by Brazilians, who number 4,505.1 Puerto Ricans (1,349), Colombians (1,304), Guatemalans (1,133), Hondurans (1,119), and Salvadorans (899) are the other sizable Latino subpopula-tions. Latinos help give Malden and Medford a proportionately greater foreign-born population (32.2%) than the state as a whole (14.4%). The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790  3 The remainder of this report presents an overview that compares Latinos and their top subpopulations to whites, blacks, and Asians in Malden and Medford for se-lected demographic, economic, and social characteristics2. MEDIAN AGE AND MARITAL STATUS Figure 3 highlighting differences in median age draws attention to the impor-tance of Latinos in Malden and Medford. Latinos’ median age of 27 years is lower than that of other ethno-racial groups, especially the white majority (median age 40 years). This suggests that Latinos have more families with young children than whites and will require an investment in education of their youth; however, these younger Latinos will contribute economically, socially, and politically in later years as an older white population ages and retires. This older population will require younger residents to keep these cities’ neighborhoods vibrant and maintain a pro-ductive workforce, and Latinos are poised to make this contribution. Figure 3: Median Age by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 3:  Median Age by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008              40 34 30 27 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 White Black Asian Latino Years Notes1 Most Brazilians in the survey did not iden-tify themselves as Latino. Whenever the category “Brazilian” appears in one of the figures, it includes all Brazilians, but the cat-egory “Latino” includes only those Brazilians who self-identified as Latino.2 Because of the smaller size of some ethno-racial groups and Latino sub-populations in the ACS data for Malden and Med-ford, some demographic and labor force participa-tion estimates have too large of a standard error and have been dropped from this analysis. 4 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790 Figure 4 shows that the 33.4% marriage rate for Latinos (for persons age 16 and older) is less than all other ethno-racial groups. It is similar to the statewide Latino marriage rate of 33.6%. Latino subpopulations show wide variation in their mar-riage rates; a number of factors, including the differing ages of these populations, could be driving this variation.Figure 4: Marriage Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas, Malden and M df rd   Figure 4:  Marriage Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008           60.7% 46.2% 45.6% 33.4% 58.7% 45.8% 28.5% 16.6% 42.5% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% EDUCATIONFigure 5 highlights the fact that Latinos have the highest percentage of their popu-lation who lack a high school diploma: 28.9%, compared to 25.0% for Asians, 14.4% for blacks, and 13.1% for whites. At the other end of the educational scale, Latinos (35.8%), blacks (32.6%), and whites (36.2%) in Malden and Medford have simi-lar percentages of their population with at least a bachelor’s degree, while Asians (48.0%) stand out. Figure 5: Educational Attainment by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008  (Adults 25 Years and Older)  Figure 5:  Educational Attainment by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008 (Adults 25 Years and Older)          0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Latino Asian Black White Brazilian Puerto Rican Other Latino Less than High School High School or Equivalence  Some College BA or Above The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790  5 Figures 6A and 6B provide information regarding Latinos in the Malden Public Schools, based on data from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Even though Latinos experienced a 131% increase during the 2000s, they remain the smallest ethno-racial group and made up only 18.4% of the student population in the 2008-2009 academic year.Figure 6A: Spotlight on Malden Public Schools by Ethno-Racial Group,  Academic Year 2008-2009Figure 6A:  Spotlight on Malden Public Schools by Ethno-Racial Group, Academic Year 2008-2009             White; 36.3% Latino; 18.4% Black; 19.4% Asian; 21.7% Other; 4.2% Latinos in Malden Public Schools lag slightly behind the total population in aca-demic outcomes. About two thirds of Latino students (67.6%) graduate in four years compared to 74.8% for the total population. Similarly, 12.7% of Latinos drop out of school, compared to 10.1% for the total population.Figure 6B: Spotlight on Malden Public Schools by Outcomes, Academic Year 2008-2009Figure 6B:  Spotlight on Malden Public Schools by Outcomes, Academic Year 2008-2009             67.6% 74.8% 12.7% 10.1% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 4-year Cohort Graduation Rate: Latino  4-year Cohort Graduation Rate: Total  Annual Cohort Dropout Rate: Latino  Annual Cohort Dropout Rate: Total  6 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790 LABOR FORCE PARTICIPATIONFigure 7 shows that Latinos have a labor force participation rate (89.9%) that is greater than for blacks (80.2%), Asians (76.9%), and whites (69.3%). The Latino labor force participation rate for Malden and Medford is significantly higher than among Latinos across the state, whose overall participation rate is 68.6%. This is despite the lower median age of Latinos shown by Figure 3, which suggests that they have more families than whites with young children. Larger numbers of fami-lies with young children often result in lower labor force participation rates due to child care needs.Figure 7: Labor Force Participation by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 7:  Labor Force Participation by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008             89.9% 80.2% 76.9% 69.3% 94.2% 90.4% 82.0% 82.7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100% Latino Black Asian White Puerto Rican Brazilian Colombian Other Latino The previous labor force participation information suggests that Latinos in Malden and Medford have a strong motivation to participate in the area’s economy. How-ever, Figure 8 tells a different and slightly less positive story. The unemployment rate among Latinos in 2008 was 8.6%, which was higher than the 7.4% figure for Asians, 5.1% for whites, and 3.7% for blacks. The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790  7 Figure 8: Unemployment Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 8:  Unemployment Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008             8.6% 7.4% 5.1% 3.7% 8.4% 7.2% 0% 1% 2% 3% 4% 5% 6% 7% 8% 9% 10% Latino Asian White Black Puerto Rican Brazilian Figures 9A and 9B suggest that Latinos are competing more with other ethno-racial groups in the Malden and Medford area’s labor market than elsewhere in Massachusetts because they have higher educational attainment. Similar percentages of Latinos are working in what are traditionally considered blue-collar jobs (farm-ing, construction, production, and transportation) with whites and Asians (Figure 9B). Correspondingly as Figure 9A shows, even though Latinos are slightly under-represented in what are traditionally considered white-collar jobs (professional and managerial), one third are employed in these occupations. Figure 9A: Population Employed in Professional or Managerial Occupations by  Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 9A:  Population Employed in Professional or Managerial Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008            53.3% 40.1% 36.4% 33.3% 40.9% 10.2% 52.7% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% Asian White Black Latino Puerto Rican Brazilian Other Latino 8 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790 Figure 9B: Population Employed in Farming, Construction, Production, and  Transportation Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 9B:  Population Employed in Farming, Construction, Production, and Transportation Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008            16.8% 15.5% 13.9% 6.2% 46.8% 18.7% 4.9% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45% 50% Latino Asian White Black Puerto Rican Brazilian Other Latino EARNINGSWhen examining the wage rates for these occupational categories, Latinos appear to be receiving lower wages for some occupational categories. They earn lower wages for their white-collar and blue-collar employment than any other ethno-racial group (Figures 10A & 10C). However, they earn higher wages for their service-sector employment than any other ethno-racial group (Figure 10B). Figure 10A: Hourly Wages in Professional or Managerial Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 10A:  Hourly Wages in Professional or Managerial Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008             $26.31 $25.03 $24.85 $20.53 $21.63 $12.33 $22.43 $0 $5 $10 $15 $20 $25 $30 White Asian Black Latino Colombian Puerto Rican Other Latino The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790  9 Figure 10B: Hourly Wages in Sales and Service Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group  in 2008 Figure 10B:  Hourly Wages among Sales and Service Workers by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008            $16.76 $14.50 $12.83 $8.02 $12.98 $6.72 $0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14 $16 $18 Latino White Black Asian Puerto Rican Brazilian Figure 10C: Hourly Wages in Farming, Construction, Production, and Transportation  Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 10C:  Hourly Wages among Farming, Construction, Production, and Transportation Occupations by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008             $16.15 $12.11 $11.46 $10.21 $17.79 $10.18 $7.32 $9.62 $0 $2 $4 $6 $8 $10 $12 $14 $16 $18 $20 White Black Asian Latino Honduran Brazilian Puerto Rican Other Latino 10 The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790 HOUSING STATUS AND MEDICAL INSURANCEThe final measures of Latino participation in Malden and Medford are intended to identify how well Latinos are being rewarded for their economic, social, and political participation. Latinos traditionally have low homeownership rates across the country. Figure 11 shows that this trend holds true in these cities: the 34.8% Latino homeownership rate is lower than for all other ethno-racial groups except blacks. As a complement to these percentages in Figure 11, it is evident that 65.2% of Latinos in Malden and Medford are renters. Figure 11: Homeownership Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008  Figure 11:  Homeownership Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008            66.6% 46.9% 34.8% 34.1% 60.8% 32.1% 16.6% 31.4% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% The Mauricio Gastón Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125    |    T. 617.287.5790  11 Latinos living in Malden and Medford face high housing costs. Having largely be-come homeowners during the housing bubble of the last decade, Latinos in Figure 12 on average pay $1,942 monthly mortgages – greater than whites, comparable to Asians, but less than blacks. At the same time at $1,315, Latino renters on the aver-age pay higher monthly rents than other ethno-racial groups. Figure 12: Housing Costs by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 12:  Housing Costs by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008              $1,148 $941 $1,315 $1,105 $2,863 $1,973 $1,942 $1,725 $966 $900 $1,644 $1,392 $2,591 $2,400 $2,300 $1,985 $0 $500 $1,000 $1,500 $2,000 $2,500 $3,000 $3,500 Black Asian Latino White Brazilian Guatemalan Puerto Rican Other Latino Average Monthly Rent Average Monthly Mortgage  Average Monthly Rent (Latino) Average Monthly Mortgage (Latino) The percentage of Latinos who lack medical insurance (9.3%) is greater than for any other ethno-racial group in Malden and Medford but is similar to the state-wide Latino average of 9.2%. Brazilians, who are a newly arriving subpopulation, have the highest uninsurance rate at 37.6%, even higher than their statewide rate of 31.2%. Figure 13: Medical Uninsurance Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008Figure 13:  Medical Uninsurance Rates by Ethno-Racial Group in 2008    9.3% 5.3% 1.4% 37.6% 5.8% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% Latino White Black Brazilian Other Latino The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy University of Massachusetts Boston, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125-3393Telephone: 617-287-5790  |  Fax: 617-287-5788 E-mail: Gaston.feedback@umb.edu  |  Website: www.gaston.umb.eduThe Mauricio Gastón In-stitute of the University of Massachusetts Boston con-ducts research on and for the Latino population in New England. Our goal is to generate the information and analysis necessary to develop more inclusive public policy, and to improve Latino participation in the policy making process. In an effort to present vital information about Latinos to diverse audiences, the Gastón Institute has produced this series of demographic profiles for Mas-sachusetts and selected areas based on an analysis of 2008 American Community Survey data.  The 2008 American Community Survey allowed people to choose their ethnicity and race. Ethnicity identifies a person as Latino or Hispanic. We use the term “Latino” for all of those who self-identify as Latino in response to the ethnicity question.  The racial categories are assigned to those who do not identify as Latino. Technically, their designation is non-Latino white, non-Latino black, and non-Latino Asian, though they are often referenced as white, black, and Asian in these profiles. Our descriptive analysis uses both household- and in-dividual-level ACS data to estimate population size and percentages, to compare Latinos to other ethno-racial groups (e.g., whites, blacks, and Asians), and to compare the top ten Latino subpopulations in Massachusetts by ancestry. These are Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Brazil-ians, Salvadorans, Mexicans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Hondurans, Peruvians, and Cubans. We use ancestry, based on migration from Latin America, rather than lan-guage: a self-identified Latino born in Massachusetts may have ancestors from a Latin American country but speak only English only.  Whenever the category “Brazilian” appears in one of the figures, it includes all Brazilians, but the category “Latino” includes only those Brazilians who self-identified as Latino.After the dissemination of the 2010 United States Census, the Gastón Institute will be updating these demographic profiles. These updates will allow for a better analysis of the Massachusetts Latino populations. We also plan to expand this series by adding analyses of the other New England states and by covering more cities.About the AuthorsPhillip Granberry is a social demographer who specializes in unauthorized migrants in the United States.  He worked with various community based organizations assisting recently arrived U.S. migrants before earning a PhD in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts Bos-ton in 2007. His past research has focused on Latinos in the United States. One part of this research has addressed the formation and use of social capital among Mexican migrants in Los Angeles County, and another part of this research has addressed demographic trends of Latinos in New England. His current research focuses on Brazilian and Dominican migrants in the Metropolitan Boston area. He currently teaches in the Economics Department and is a research associate of the Gastón Institute.Sarah Rustan is a PhD candidate in Law, Policy, and So-ciety at Northeastern University with degrees in cultural management and architecture.  Her professional back-ground includes broad experiences in the nonprofit sec-tor, including research as well as nonprofit and cultural management. Her past research has examined diverse topics ranging from charitable giving to women in the workforce. At present she is working on a dissertation exploring the role that nonprofit organizations play in promoting the development of social capital. She cur-rently serves as a Research Associate and Data Analyst for the Gastón Institute and as a Doctoral Fellow at North-eastern University. Sarah’s research interests include de-mography, community change, and public policy.

Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Malden and Medford

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Latinos in Massachusetts Selected Areas: Malden and Medford

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