This originally appeared on Caribworldnews.com
Despite their vast numbers, Hispanics falls far behind Caribbean nationals when it comes to education.
A CWNN analysis of the latest 2007 American Community Survey Estimates show that while Hispanics are definitely a huge bloc when counted, their education attainment levels fall below that of Caribbean migrants.
Analysts agree that little attention is given to understanding the experiences of Caribbean immigrants or their spending power because they are largely viewed as part of the African American or Asian American bloc because of their physical appearance, and because there is not a specific self-identifying category on the U.S. Census form.
But according to sparse U.S. Census figures from the ACS data, Caribbean nationals continue to excel on the education front. The percentage of the Hispanic population with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2007 was just 8.7 percent compared to 13.1 percent for Caribbean nationals.
Some 3.9 percent of Hispanics have graduate degrees compared to 6.4 for Caribbean nationals counted. Only 17.5 of Hispanics are enrolled in college or grad school compared to 52.2 for Caribbean migrants.
And while the poverty rate of most Caribbean migrants was low at 9.5, the rate for Hispanics was nearly double at 18.5 percent.
On the employment scene, while there were only 17 percent of Hispanics 16 or older who work in management, professional and related occupations across the United States, Caribbean nationals are put at 25.3 percent, according to the latest US Census` ACS survey.
Latest ACS data also show Haitians have the highest percentage of civilian-employed people working in service occupations at 39 percent while Cuba and the Dominican Republic in the Caribbean are among the top 10 countries of birth for foreign born across the U.S.
However, for both immigrant groups, home ownership was close to the 50 percent mark with 50 percent of Caribbean nationals owning their own homes compared to 49 percent of Hispanics.
While the median income of Caribbean nationals was $41,428 compared to $40,000 for Hispanic households. The median income for Caribbean families was put at $46,232 compared to $42,074 for Hispanic families.
source: caribworldnews.com
