BrookingsReport-ImmigrationAndContours

8/13/2019 BrookingsReport-ImmigrationAndContours

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BrookingsMountainWest|June2013 1

ImmigrationandtheContoursofNevadasLatinoPopulationJOHNP.TUMAN,DAVIDF.DAMORE,ANDMARIAJOSFLORGREDASincetheearly1980s,Nevadahasexperiencedsignificantdemographicchange. Inparticular,theethniccompositionofthestatehasbecomeconsiderablymorediverse.AlthoughgrowthintheAsianpopulationisoneofthesourcesofNevadasgrowingdiversity,NevadasLatino1populationhasalsoaccountedformuchrecentdemographicandsocialchange.2 ExceptforbriefperiodsfollowingtheemergenceoftheGreatRecessionof2008,theLatinopopulationofNevadahasexperiencedsustainedannualgrowthoverthepasttwodecades. Perhapsmoreimportant,muchofthegrowthintheLatinopopulationhasbeenassociatedwithimmigration,principallyfromMexicoandotherpartsofCentralAmerica.Inthisstudy,weanalyzedatafromtheU.S.CensusBureausDecennialCensusandAmericanCommunitySurvey3toexaminethedriversofLatinopopulationgrowth.ThefirstpartofthepaperprovidesanoverviewofthegrowthinNevadasLatinopopulation,withafocusontheagestructureandtheconcentrationofthepopulationincertainmetropolitanareasandcounties. Inparttwo,weexaminethecontributionofLatinAmericanimmigrationtothestatesLatinopopulation. Fromthere,wemovetoadiscussionofthefactorsthathaveshapedmigrationflowsfromMexico,Guatemala,andElSalvador(andotherpartsLatinAmerica). Insodoing,ouranalysisallowsustoconsiderwhatmakesNevadaattractiveasadestinationstatetoimmigrants. ThepaperconcludesbyexploringsomeoftheimplicationsofimmigrationandgrowthintheLatinopopulation.Overview:TrendsinNevadasLatinoPopulationOverthecourseofthelastdecade,theLatinopopulationofNevadagrewappreciably.The2000Censusreportedthat393,970LatinosresidedinNevada,whichrepresentedapproximately19.7%ofthestatestotalpopulation. In2010,NevadasLatinopopulationincreasedto737,221,or27.1%ofthestatepopulation.4 ThenumberofLatinosinNevadaincreasedbyapproximately82%between2000and2010,althoughaverageannualgrowthratesslowedaftertheemergenceoftheGreatRecessionin2008.AsisdetailedinTable1,theLatinopopulationinNevadaisalsodistinctiveforbeingarelativelyyoungpopulation. In2011,themostrecentyearforwhichcompletedata

Exceptfor

riefperiods

ollowingthe

mergenceof

heGreat

ecessionof

008,theatino

opulationof

evadahas

xperienced

ustained

nnualgrowth

verthepast

wodecades.


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2 BrookingsMountainWest|June2013

fromtheU.S.CensusBureauareavailable,nearly48%ofallLatinoNevadanswere24

yearsoldoryounger. Latinochildrenfiveyearsoldandyoungercomprise10.5%ofthe

totalpopulation,withlargersharesbetweentheagesof6and24. Inaddition,thevast

majorityofthestatesLatinopopulationundertheageof24isnativeborn. Indeed,just

13.4%oftheLatinopopulationaged24andyoungerwasborninLatinAmerica.5 Inpart,

thesmallweightofimmigrantsintheyoungersegmentsofthepopulationmayreflect

thepreference

among

many

immigrants

to

migrate

without

children

(or

before

having

anychildren). ParticularlyforindividualswhoarriveintheU.S.withoutlegal

authorization,therisksassociatedwithcrossbordertravelarehigh. Inaddition,some

immigrantsmightremainintheU.S.onlyforlimitedperiodsoftime,withthehopeof

returningtotheirhomecountriesafterearningorremittingsufficientamountofmoney.

Table1

AgeDistributionofNevadasLatinoPopulation,2011

AgeGroups ShareofLatinoPopulation

Under5years 10.5%

5to

17

years 25.6%

18to24years 11.6%

24yearsandyounger 47.7%

25to34years 16.7%

35to44years 15.3%

45to54years 10.5%

55to64years 5.7%

65to74years 2.6%

75years

and

over 1.6%

25yearsandover 52.4%

Note:Datafromthe2011AmericanCommunitySurvey

HavingdiscussedtheagestructureoftheLatinopopulation,weturnnowtoan

examinationofthespatialconcentrationofthepopulationthroughoutNevada. If

NevadasLatinopopulationisrelativelyyoung,itisalsoapopulationthatconcentrates

injusttwocounties: ClarkandWashoe. Datafromthe2011AmericanCommunity

Surveyindicatesthat79.3%ofallLatinosinNevadaresidedinClarkCounty. Moreover,

overthe

course

of

the

past

decade,

the

growth

trajectory

of

the

Latino

population

of

ClarkCountywasslightlyhigherthanthepatternobservedatthestatelevel. Between

2000and2010,thenumberofLatinosinClarkCountywentfrom302,143to568,644,a

changeof88%. Inthesameperiod,theshareofLatinosinClarkCountyincreasedfrom

22%to29.1%(seeTable2). Anexaminationofpatternsofresidentialoccupancyin

ClarkCountysuggeststhatthemajorityofLatinosresideinNorthLasVegas,inthe

easternsideoftheLasVegas,and,toamuchsmallerextent,inHenderson.


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BeyondClarkCounty,theonlypopulationcenterofLatinosinNevadaislocatedin

WashoeCounty. In2011,approximately13%ofNevadasLatinopopulationwaslocated

inWashoeCounty,withmostresidingintheRenometropolitanarea.Thecomposition

oftheforeignbornLatinopopulationinClarkandWashoecountiesisbroadlysimilarto

thepatternobservedatthestatelevel. Asisdetailedbelow,thespatialconcentration

ofLatinosinClarkandWashoecountiesreflectsinlargeparttheeconomic

opportunitiesin

each

county,

particularly

for

immigrant

workers.

Table2

LatinoPopulationinClarkandWashoeCounties,2000and2010

County Year Total ShareofCounty

Population

Percent

Change,2000

to2010

Clark 2000 302,143 22%

2010 568,644 29.1% 88.2%

Washoe

2000

56,301 16.6% 2010 93,724 22.2% 66.5%

Note:DatafromtheU.S.CensusBureau,2000and2010Census.

ImmigrationandGrowthinNevadasLatinoPopulation

Asmanyanalystshaveobserved,arelativelylargeshareofNevadasLatinopopulation

iscomprisedofrecentimmigrantsfromLatinAmerica. In2011,42%ofLatinosin

Nevadawereforeignborn,butonly29.5%ofthestatesforeignbornLatinoswere

naturalizedU.S.citizens.6 MigrationflowsfromMexicoaccountforthevastmajority

(78%)of

the

total

immigrant

population

in

the

Latino

community

in

the

state.

7

Nevada

alsoattractssmallergroupsofmigrsfromCentralAmerican(principally,ElSalvador

andGuatemala)andtheCaribbean(CubaandPuertoRico). NearlythreeintenLatin

AmericanimmigrantsinNevadawhoarenotnaturalizedU.S.citizensenteredtheU.S.in

theyear2000orlater. Althoughestimatesofthesizeoftheunauthorizedimmigrant

populationvaries,awidelycitedstudybyPasselandCohnfoundasteepand

statisticallysignificantdeclineinthenumberofunauthorizedimmigrantsinNevada

between2008and2009(morethan80%ofwhomwerefromLatinAmerica).8 Overall,

netmigrationfromMexicototheU.S.mayhavedeclinedtonegligiblelevelsbetween

2009and2011,withattendantconsequencesfortheLatinopopulationinNevada.9

However,giventherecentimprovementinNevadasresidentialhomeconstructionand

otherservice

sectors,

one

has

good

reason

to

suspect

that

net

migration

flows

from

Mexicowillincreaseagain,albeitatlowergrowthratesthaninthefirstpartofthe

decadeofthe2000s.


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MigrationFlowsfromMexicoandCentralAmericatoNevada

Regardlessoftherecentslowdowninmigrationflows,immigrationfromLatinAmerica

hascontributedsignificantlytogrowthinNevadasLatinopopulation. Giventheoverall

weightofimmigrationfromMexico,ElSalvador,andGuatemala,itisimportantto

understandthefactorsthathaveshapedmigrationflowsfromthesecountriesoverthe

pastthree

decades.

Individualsmigrateforavarietyofreasons,buttheavailableevidencesuggeststhat

economicconsiderationsarepreeminentinthesedecisions. ThedatainTable3,which

aretakenfromthe2006LatinoNationalSurvey(LNS),provideaglimpseoftheself

reportedreasonsforimmigrationgivenbyMexicanbornrespondentsinNevadaandin

otherU.S.states. Itisnotsurprisingthatthemostprevalentreasonformigration

amongMexicansinNevada(59%)andotherstates(64%)wasimprovementofones

economicsituation. Incontrast,immigrationasachild,familyunification,education,

andtoescapepoliticalturmoilweremuchlesscitedfactorsinmigrationforMexicans.

AlthoughthenumbersofSalvadoranandGuatemalanrespondentsintheNevada

sampleoftheLNSaretoosmalltoanalyze,otherstudieshavepointedtotheimportanceofeconomicfactorsformigrantsfromthesetwocountriesaswell.

10

Table3

ReasonsforImmigrationtoUnitedStatesforMexicanBornRespondentsResiding

inNevadaandNationally,2005

Reason ShareofMexicanBorn

RespondentsinNevada

ShareofMexicanBorn

RespondentsNationally

Education 6.49%

5.83%

Familyreunification

9.16% 9.69%

Escapepoliticalturmoil 1.15% 0.72%

Myparentsbroughtmeasa

child

14.89%

13.38%

Improveeconomicsituation

59.16%

63.57%

Other 9.16%

6.81%

Note:

Authorstabulation

and

analysis

of

Latino

National

Survey,

adjusting

for

Mexican

born

respondents

residinginNevadaandMexicanbornintheentiresample. Eachstateinthesampleisarepresentative

sampleofthetotalLatinopopulationinthatstate. InNevada,thetotalsamplesizewas403;Mexicanborn

respondentsrepresented65percentofthetotalsample.


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Becausethedatasuggestthatthedesiretoimproveoneseconomicsituationisclearly

importanttounderstandingMexicanandLatinAmericanflowstoNevada,the

remainderofthissectionexploreshowdemographicchange,economicrestructuring,

andsocialandhumancapitalhaveinfluencedevaluationsofindividualeconomic

situations.11

Inwhatfollows,webrieflydiscusstheroleofeachofthesefactorsas

inducementsforoutmigration.

First,duetoadelayinthedemographictransition,pressureforoutmigrationinMexico

andpartsofCentralAmericahasremainedstrongduringthepastthreedecades. In

Mexico,forexample,fertilityratesdidnotbegintodeclineuntilthemid1970s(see

Figure1). Asaresult,thenumberofyoungpeopleintheworkforceremainedathigh

levelsforanumberofyears. Between1970and1990,theshareofMexicanpopulation

aged15to29increasedfrom25.6%to29.4%ofthetotalpopulation.12

Theshareofthe

Mexicanpopulationbetweentheagesof15and29remainedat28%ofthetotal

populationintheyear2000,butfell(principally,after2005)to26.4%in2010. Yet,

duringtheperiodbetween1982and2008,jobcreationintheformalsectorofthe

Mexicaneconomywasgenerallyinsufficienttoabsorbthenumberofnewentrantsin

thelabor

market,

resulting

in

alarge

informal

sector

and

underemployment. 13

These

problemsaremorepronouncedinruralareas,whereemploymentandincomearemore

precariousthanincities.14

SimilarfertilitytrendsareevidentinElSalvadorand

Guatemala,twoCentralAmericancountriesthathavealsocontributedtoNevadas

Latinopopulation.

Figure1

FertilityRatesinMexico,ElSalvadorandGuatemala,19752010

Note: DatafromWorldDevelopmentIndicators,Population015(%population),http://databank.worldbank.org/

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

1970

1972

1974

1976

1978

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

1998

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

BirthsperWoman

Year

ElSalvador Guatemala Mexico


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Tobesure,asfertilityratesinMexicoandCentralAmericafall,thesituationfornew

labormarketentrantsmayimprovealthoughthiswillalsooccurslowlyandwillbe

mediatedbyotherfactors(i.e.,macroeconomicpolicy,competitionfromChina)thatare

notdirectlyinfluencedbydemographicchange.15

Second,in

Mexico

and

other

parts

of

Central

America,

trade

liberalization

and

other

structuralproblemshavecreatedcontinuingpressuresforoutmigration. Inthe

aftermathofimplementation oftheNorthAmericanFreetradeAgreement(NAFTA),

smallcornfarmersinMexicofaceddifficultycompetingwithmoreefficient,largescale

producersintheU.S. TheresultingcompetitionfromcheapcornimportsfromtheU.S

hasdisplacedmanysmallholdersinMexico. AlthoughtheMexicangovernmenthas

implementedapolicy(Procampo)thatisdesignedtoprovideincomesupporttofarmers

whoareadverselyaffectedbycompetitionfromU.S.agriculturalimports,several

studieshavefoundthattheprogramisnotadequatelyfundedandtendstohaveabias

towardlargerproducers.16

Asaresult,manysmallfarmersinMexicoexitedfarmingand

migratedinsearchofemployment. Itisimportanttonote,however,thattheimpactof

tradeliberalization

and

economic

integration

has

not

been

confined

to

rural

areas.

AlthoughNorthAmericaneconomicintegrationledtocreationofmanufacturing

employmentinMexico,theprocessalsoproducedahighdegreeofvolatilityin

manufacturingemployment,particularlyinMexicosinbondexportprocessingplants

locatedontheU.S.Mexicoborder(maquiladoras).17

Asaresult,outmigrationfrom

industrialareasinnorthernMexicoalsooccurredduringthepastfifteenyears.18

InotherCentralAmericancountries,suchasGuatemalaandElSalvador,anextreme

concentrationinlandholdings,combinedwithimportcompetition,unevenpricesfor

commodityexports(e.g.,coffee),andgovernmentrepressionduringthecivilwarsofthe

1980sinducedmigrationfromtheagriculturalsectoraswell.19

Third,despitereformsthathavepromotedeconomicopennesstotradeandforeign

investment,annualgrowthinrealaveragewageshasbeenflatornegativeinMexico

andotherpartsofLatinAmerica. AsonecanseefromthedatainFigure2,whichare

fromtheEconomicCommissionforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean,therealaverage

wageinMexico(asmeasuredinconstant2000pesos)felldramaticallyafter1982and

remainedbelowits1982levelforvirtuallyeveryyearbetween1982and2010.20

Inpart,

thedeclineinrealwagesinthe1980sreflectedtheimpactofgovernmentadjustment

policiesthatwereimplementedafterthe1982debtcrisis. However,thelongerterm

trendinMexicosstagnatingrealwagesisduetotheprevalenceofweak(orno)unions

inmanysectorsoftheMexicaneconomy,labormarketbarriers,andtheabsenceof

policiestolinklaborproductivityandwagesettlements.21

Perhapsmoreimportant,

althoughthetrendsinrealwagesaffectedmanyworkers,theimpactofrealwage

stagnationhas(untilrecently)beenmostpronouncedamongworkerswithlowerlevels

ofeducation.22

Undertheseconditions,incentivesforcrossbordermigrationtotheU.S.

remainedstrong,particularlyforindividualswithlowerlevelsofeducational

attainment.23

Similarproblemsareevidentinpatternsofwagedeterminationin

GuatemalaandElSalvador.24


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Figure2

RealWageTrendsinMexico,Guatemala,andElSalvador,19802010

Note:DatafromtheEconomicCommissionforLatinaAmericaandtheCaribbean

ECLAC(2012)

Afinalfactorthathasshapedmigrationflowsisthegrowthofinformalimmigration

networks. Mexicanimmigrants,forexample,havedevelopedinformalmigration

networksbetweentheirmunicipalityoforiginandthedestinationareasintheU.S.25

As

aformofsocialcapital,migrationnetworksreducethecostsanduncertaintyassociated

withimmigration.

In

particular,

migration

networks

often

provide

information

about

employmentopportunitiesandlivingarrangementsinselectedU.S.destinationcities,as

wellasconditionsthatmightaffecttransitatdifferentpointsofentryalongtheU.S.

Mexicoborder. ResearchonimmigrantsfromGuatemalafoundthatmigration

networksareimportant,particularlygiventherisksforGuatemalanmigrantswhotravel

throughMexicototheUnitedStates.26

NevadaasaDestinationState

AlthoughimmigrantshavebeenapartofNevadassocialfabricpriortostatehood,

migration

flows

from

Latin

America

grew

dramatically

after

1980.

27

Some

immigrants

in

thestatearrivedirectlyfromMexicoandotherpartsofLatinAmerica,butthedata

suggestthata(small)majoritytendtoresideinCalifornia,andtoamuchsmallerdegree

inArizona,beforemovingtoNevada. Inouranalysisofdatafromthe2006LNS,we

foundthatamongMexicanrespondentsinNevada,approximately54%reported

residinginanotherstatepreviously. AmongthoseMexicanrespondents(inNevada)

wholivedinanotherstate,72.5%respondedthattheyhadlivedinCalifornia,while5%

reportedArizona,3.5%reportedColorado,andabout2%eachreportedColorado,

50

60

70

80

90

100

110

120

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010

AnnualAverageRealWage(2000

=100)

Year

ElSalvador Guatemala Mexico


8/18


Texas,Utah,Illinois,andWashington.28

Inaddition,theLNSdatasuggestthat73%of

theMexicanrespondentsinNevadahadresidedinthestateinearlychildhood. Not

surprisingly,oncetheyarriveinNevada,mostLatinAmericanimmigrantssearchfor

employmentintheLasVegasmetropolitanarea.

LatinAmericanimmigrantschooseNevadaasadestinationstateforreasonsthatare

relativelystraightforward.

Given

the

skill

profile

of

many

immigrants,

Nevadas

two

majormetropolitanareas,LasVegasandReno,offereconomicopportunitiesthatare

attractive. ManyimmigrantsfromMexicoandCentralAmericahaverelativelylowlevels

ofeducationalattainment. In2011,forexample,U.S.Censusdatasuggeststhat59.6%

ofindividualsfromMexico(whowere25yearsorolder)residinginNevadahadaless

thanahighschooldegree. Inthesameyear,43.6%ofindividuals(25yearsandolder)

fromCentralAmericahadlessthanahighschooldegree.Immigrantworkerswithlower

levelsofeducationalattainment(seeTable4)arewellmatchedtojobsthat,despitethe

GreatRecession,remainrelativelyabundantinthestate. Theseincludejobsinthe

service,construction,andwholesaleandretailtradesectors. In2011,37.2%ofthe

immigrantsfromMexicoresidinginNevada,and52.1%oftheCentralAmerican

immigrantpopulation,

were

employed

in

the

entertainment,

accommodation,

and

food

servicessectorinthestate. AsthedatainTable5suggest,manyimmigrantsfrom

MexicoandCentralAmericaalsoconcentrateintheretailtradeandconstructions

sectorsaswell.

Table4

EducationalAttainmentamongForeignBornLatinos,Nevada,2011

Educational

Attainment

LatinAmerica Mexico OtherCentral

America

LessthanHighSchool

Graduate

53.5% 59.6% 43.6%

HighSchoolGraduate

(includesequivalency)

26.1% 24.6% 28.0%

SomeCollegeor

AssociatesDegree

13.8% 11.5% 18.4%

BachelorsDegree 5.2% 3.3% 8.9%

Graduateor

ProfessionalDegree

1.4% 1.0% 1.2%

Note:Data

from

the

2011

American

Community

Survey


9/18


Table5

OccupationofNevadaLatinosBorninMexicoandCentralAmerica,2011

Sector Mexico OtherCentralAmerica

Agriculture,Forestry,Fishing,Hunting,

Mining

2.5% 0.6%

Construction 13.1% 5.5%

Manufacturing 7.3% 4.2%

WholesaleTrade 2.1% 1.0%

RetailTrade 6.5% 9.9%

Transportation,Warehousing,Utilities 3.0% 2.5%

Information 0.7% 0.9%

Finance,Insurance,RealEstate,

Rental,Leasing

3.4% 0.8%

Professional,Scientific,Management,

Administrative,Waste

11.3% 8.2%

EducationalServices,HealthCare,

SocialAssistance

5.2% 6.2%

Arts,Entertainment,Recreation,Accommodation,FoodServices

37.2% 52.1%

OtherServices(ExceptPublic

Administration)

7.1% 4.8%

PublicAdministration 0.6% 3.4%

Note:Datafromthe2011AmericanCommunitySurvey

Nevadaalsoremainsattractivetoimmigrantsbecauseaveragelevelsofremuneration

haveremained

well

above

the

extant

level

in

Mexico.

The

data

in

Figure

3show

MexicanhourlycompensationincomparisontotheU.S.(asanindexnumber,wherethe

U.S.=100). Asthefiguremakesclear,afairlylargegappersistsbetweenthetwo

countriesdespiteoveradecadeofclosereconomicintegration.29

Inthosesectorsof

theNevadaeconomywhereimmigrantworkersfromMexicoandCentralAmericaare

concentrated(e.g.,services,construction,andwholesaleandretailtrade),eachsectors

averagewageinNevadaisalsowellabovewagelevelsinMexico.


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Forexample,ahighlysimplifiedcomparisonofaveragedailywagesforaconstruction

laborerrevealsthatinMexico,constructionlaborerswerepaidonaverageU.S.$15.83

perdayin2012,whileinNevadathecorrespondingdailyaveragewasU.S.$153.84per

dayinthesameperiod.30

Inotherwords,aconstructionworkerswagesinNevada

mightbeclosetotentimestheremunerationlevelinMexico. Ofcourse,immigrant

workersinNevadamayberemuneratedatclosertoentrylevel(orminimum)wagesin

construction.

However,examining

Nevada

construction

laborers

wages

at

the

10th

percentileofwagesinthesectorstillpointstoalargewagegap. In2012,construction

laborersinNevadaatthe10th

percentileearned$80.32aday,morethanfivetimesthe

averagelevelinMexico. Similargapsinwagespersistinthehospitalityandservices

sectorsinMexicoandNevada.

Figure3

IndexofComparativeHourlyCompensationCosts

inMexicanManufacturing,19962011

Note:DatafromtheU.S.BureauofLaborStatistics

Moreover,workingconditionsinsomesectorsintheSilverStatehavebenefittedfrom

unionization. InLasVegas,forexample,theCulinaryUnionLocal226hasamembership

baseofapproximately55,000workers,ofwhichapproximately45%areLatino.

Significantly,theunionestimatesthatalargeshareofitsLatinomembershipis

comprisedof

immigrants.31

The

Culinary

Union

raised

wages

and

provided

health

insuranceandotherbenefitsforitsmembers,andtheunionseffortsalsohadspill

overeffectsonwagedeterminationinothernonunionfirmsinthesector.32

Thus,evenifLatinAmericanimmigrantsintheLasVegashospitalitysectorarenot

membersoftheCulinaryUnion(orothertradeunions),theymaystillbeexperiencinga

higherwagefloorduetotheeffortsoftheunionthroughoutthesector.

0

5

10

15

20

25

Year 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Avg.

HourlyWage,

USD=100

Year


11/18


Finally,particularlyintheLasVegasmetropolitanarea,avarietyofdifferentsocialand

economicorganizationshaveeasedthetransitionforimmigrants. Forexample,there

areanumberofMexicanhometownassociationsinLasVegasthatareorganized

aroundthestateoforiginofMexicanimmigrants. Thelargestassociationiscomprised

ofimmigrantsfromstateofMichoacn,whilesmallerclubsrepresentMexican

immigrantsfrom

the

states

of

Jalisco,

Zacatecas,

Chihuahua,

Durango,

and

several

other

Mexicanstates.33

Likewise,theGuatemalanUnityCommittee(COMUGUA)isthe

principalassociationforGuatemalanimmigrantsworkinginLasVegas.34

Insomecases,

hometownassociationshavecoordinatedtheiractivitieswiththeCatholicChurch(and

itscharitableinstitutions,suchtheCatholicLegalImmigrationServices)andother

religiousorganizations. Throughtheiractivities,immigrantassociations,theCatholic

Church,andotherreligionsorganizationsnotonlypreventtheculturalisolationof

peoplefromMexicoandCentralAmerica,buttheyalsohelpindividualsgetintocontact

withconsularofficialsandprovideotherformsofsocialassistance(e.g.,classesin

English,counseling,etc.).35

Inaddition,avarietyofretailbusinessesmarketfoodand

otherproductstoLatinAmericanimmigrants,whilemanyfinancialinstitutionsprovidea

securemeans

for

individuals

to

send

remittances

to

their

country

of

origin.

Collectively,

theimmigrantclubs,religionsorganizations,retailbusiness,andotherinformal

networksrepresentsocialcapitalthathasreducedsocialisolationand,tovarying

degrees,helpedLatinAmericanimmigrantsmakethetransitiontoworkingandlivingin

LasVegasandinNevadamoregenerally.

Conclusion

ThisreporthascontributedtotheresearchonthepoliticaldemographyofNevadaby

investigatingtrendsintheLatinopopulationinthestate. Thefindingssuggestthatthe

Latino

population

experienced

steady

growth

since

1980,

although

annual

growth

rates

slowedsomewhatbetween2008and2010. Inaddition,thefindingssuggestthatthe

Latinpopulationisarelativelyyoungpopulation,withclosetohalfofthegroup(48%)

aged24yearsoldoryounger. Aswithotherminoritypopulationgroupsinthestate,

LatinosareconcentratedinClarkandWashoecounties,withthevastmajorityinClark

andresidingintheLasVegasmetropolitanarea.

ThefindingsalsounderscorethatimmigrationfromMexicoandotherpartsofCentral

AmericacomprisesalargeshareofNevadasLatinopopulation. Atpresent,

approximately42%ofallLatinosinNevadaareforeignborn,withovertwothirdsinthis

grouporiginatinginMexico,andmuchsmallergroups(ofrecentimmigrants)fromEl

Salvador

and

Guatemala.

The

factors

that

are

associated

with

out

migration

from

these

countriesincludechallenginglabormarketconditions,exacerbatedbythelegacyofhigh

fertilityrates,theeffectsoftradeliberalizationonagriculturalandmanufacturing

employment,stagnationinrealwages,andthefailureofgovernmentpolicytopromote

betterlinkagebetweenlaborproductivityandwagesettlements.


12/18


Atsametime,NevadahasremainedattractivetoimmigrantsfromMexicoandother

partsofLatinAmericabecauseofarelativeabundanceofjobsthatarewellmatchedto

levelsofeducationattainmentandskillamongimmigrants. Thisincludesemployment

inservices,wholesaleandretailtrade,and(historically)inconstruction. Nevadaisalso

attractiveduetotheaveragelevelofremunerationinsectorswhereimmigrantstendto

work,alongwiththeeffectsofvariouscivicandreligiousgroupsthathavetendedto

reducethe

social

isolation

of

Latin

American

immigrants

in

the

state.

Lookingforward,immigrationflowsfromLatinAmericatoNevadaarelikelytocontinue

overtheshort tomediumterm,althoughgrowthratesmaybelowerthaninthemid

2000s. TheGreatRecessionclearlyresultedinlargedislocationsamongimmigrant

workersinresidentialconstruction,hospitality,andotherassociatedsectors,but

economicrecoveryinthesebranchesoftheNevadaneconomyhasnowresumed. In

addition,despitetherecentimprovementinfertilitytrends,overalleconomicconditions

inMexico,ElSalvador,andGuatemalacreateongoingincentivesforindividualsto

engageinmigrationtotheU.S. Takentogether,thesetrendssuggestthatanyrecent

reductioninnetmigrationflowsfromMexicotoNevadawasonlytemporaryandis

unlikelyto

persist.


13/18


ENDNOTES1Inthisreport,wefollowtheconventionanduseLatinoandHispanicinterchangeably.

2 SeeThomasWright,JohnP.Tuman,andMaryamT.Stevenson. ImmigrationandEthnicDiversityin

Nevada,inDmitriShalin(ed.)TheSocialHealthofNevada:LeadingIndicatorsandQualityofLifeintheSilverState.UNLV:CenterforDemocraticCulturePublications,2012,http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/social_health_nevada_reports/44 ,accessedMay28,2013.

3Throughoutthisreport,weutilizethefollowingdatafiles. Forthe2000and2010Census,wedraw

upon:U.S.CensusBureau,2000Census. FileDP1. ProfileofGeneralDemographicCharacteristic:

Census2000SummaryFile(SF1),Nevadahttp://factfinder2.census.gov/

faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=bkmk AccessedFebruary22,2013;2000

Census. QTP9.HispanicorLatinobyType:2000Census. GeographicArea,ClarkCounty,

http://factfinder.census.gov,accessedMay1,2007; 2010Census. FileDP1. ProfileofGeneral

PopulationandHousingCharacteristics: 2010DemographicProfileData,Nevada,

http://factfinder2.census.gov,AccessedFebruary22,2013;2010Census. FileDP1. ProfileofGeneral

PopulationandHousingCharacteristics: 2010DemographicProfileData. Geography:ClarkCountyhttp://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices,AccessedFebruary22,2013. Foroneyear

estimatesfrom2011,weusetheAmericanCommunitySurvey:U.S.CensusBureau,2011American

CommunitySurvey,1yearEstimates. FileS0506,SelectedCharacteristicsoftheForeignBorn

PopulationbyRegionandBirth:LatinAmerica. Geography:Nevadahttp://factfinder2.

census.gov/faces/tableservies ,AccessedFebruary22,2013;and2011AmericanCommunitySurvey,

1yearEstimates. FileB010011. SexbyAge(HispanicorLatino). Geography:Nevada

http://factfinder2.census.gov/faces/tableservices,AccessedFebruary22,2013.

4AccordingtodatafromtheAmericanCommunitySurvey(ACS),in2011,Latinosaccountedfor27.1%

ofNevadaspopulation. Itshouldbenotedthatwhenwediscusstrendsovertime,wegenerallymake

useofthedecennialcensusdatatoavoidproblemswiththecomparabilitybetweendifferentcensus

figuresandestimatesreportedbytheACS. AccordingtotheU.S.CensusBureau,itisnotadvisableto

comparedataontheHispanicoriginpopulationfromthe2011ACStodatafromthe2000Census:

TheACSquestiononHispanicoriginwasrevisedin2008tomakeitconsistentwiththeCensus2010

Hispanicoriginquestion.Anychange,comparedwithCensus2000,maybeduetodemographic

changes,questionnairechanges,differencesinACSpopulationcontrols,and/ormethodological

differencesinthepopulationestimates. (U.S.CensusBureau,"AmericanCommunitySurvey: Guide

toDataUsers,HispanicOrigin."http://www.census.gov/acs/www/guidance_for_data_users/

comparing_2011/,accessedApril17,2013)Forthisreason,whenwecomparechangesovertime

(before2008),weemploydatafromthe2000and2010Census. Foroneyearestimatesforthemost

recent

data

available,

we

employ

the

ACS

data.

5Approximately51.3%oftheLatinopopulationismale,while48.7%isfemale. Theproportionofmen

andwomenintheforeignbornpopulationfromLatinAmericainNevadaisthesame. SeeU.S.Census

Bureau,2011AmericanCommunitySurvey,1yearEstimates. FileB010011. SexbyAge(Hispanicor

Latino). Geography:Nevada.

6Beginningwiththe2010Census,theU.S.CensusBureaushiftedsomeofthemoredetailedquestions


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onHispanicsandtheforeignbornpopulationtotheACS(whichisbasedonalargevoluntarysample

butnotacompletepopulationcount). Forthisreason,wereporttheACSdata(from2011)inthis

sectionbecauseitprovidestheonlyestimateforthisgroup. SeeU.S.CensusBureau,American

CommunitySurvey: History,http://www.census.gov/history/www/programs/demographic/

american_community_survey.html AccessedApril17,2013

7Inthesameyear,immigrantsfromMexicorepresented32.5%ofNevadastotalpopulation.

8SeeJeffreyS.PasselandDVeraCohn,U.S.UnauthorizedImmigrationFlowsAreDownSharplySince

MidDecadePewHispanicCenter,WashingtonD.C.,2011. Certainly,thisfindingisconsistentwithour

calculationsfromtheACSdata. Between2007and2010,thenumberofpeopleborninMexicoand

residinginNevadafell. Wewillelaboratemoreonstatetostateandinternationalmigrationtrendsin

aseparatereport. ItshouldbenotedthatourresultsarepreliminaryandonlyfortheMexican

population,withoutanyadjustmentsforimmigrationstatus,whilePasselandCohnexaminethe

unauthorizedpopulationintheentirestate,withoutadjustmentsforthecountryoforiginofthe

immigrant.

9See,JeffreyS.Passel,DVeraCohn,andAnaGonzalezBarrera, NetMigrationfromMexicoFallsto

ZeroPerhapsLess,PewHispanicCenter,WashingtonD.C.,2012.10

See,ThomasWrightandJesseDinoMoody,TheSalvadorans,inJerrySimichandTomWright(eds.)

ThePeoplesofLasVegas:OneCity,ManyFaces,Reno:UniversityofNevadaPress,2005,247267,andJohnP.TumanandDawnGearhart,TheGuatemalans,inJerrySimichandTomWright(eds.)MorePeoplesfromLasVegas:OneCity,ManyFaces,Reno:UniversityofNevadaPress,2010,213230.11

See,DavidP.Lindstrom,EconomicOpportunityinMexicoandReturnMigrationfromtheUnited

States,Demography,33,no.3(1996): 357374;DouglasS.MasseyandKristinE.Espinosa,What's

DrivingMexicoU.S.Migration?ATheoretical,Empirical,andPolicyAnalysis,AmericanJournalofSociology102,no.4(1997): 939999;DouglasS.MasseyandFernandoRiosmena,Undocumented

MigrationfromLatinAmericainanEraofRisingU.S.Enforcement,AnnalsoftheAmericanAcademyofPoliticalandSocialScience,630(2010): 294321;DouglasS.Massey,JorgeDurand,andNolanJ.Malone,BeyondSmokeandMirrors:MexicanMigrationinanEraofEconomicIntegration,NewYork:RussellSageFoundation,2002;andMathewJ.CreightonandFernandoRiosmena,Migrationandthe

GenderedOriginofMigrantNetworksAmongCouplesinMexico,SocialScienceQuarterly,94,no.1(2013):7999.

12ThepercentagesarecalculatedfromdataonagestructureofthepopulationinMexicofromthe

1970 2010Mexicancensus. SeeInstitutoNacionaldeEstadsticayGeografa(INEGI),CensoGeneraldePoblacinyVivienda1970. Aguascalientes,Mexico:INEGI,1970;http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/proyectos/ccpv/cpv1970/default.aspx ;InstitutoNacionaldeEstadsticayGeografa

(INEGI),CensoGeneraldePoblacinyVivienda1980. Aguascalientes,Mexico:INEGI,1980.http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/proyectos/ccpv/cpv1980/default.aspx ;InstitutoNacionalde

EstadsticayGeografa(INEGI),CensoGeneraldePoblacinyVivienda1990. Aguascalientes,Mexico:INEGI.1990.http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/proyectos/ccpv/cpv1990/default.aspx ;Instituto

NacionaldeEstadsticayGeografa(INEGI),CensoGeneraldePoblacinyVivienda2000.


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Aguascalientes, Mexico:INEGI,2000. http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/Proyectos/

ccpv/cpv2000/default.aspx ;InstitutoNacionaldeEstadsticayGeografa(INEGI). 2010.CensoGeneraldePoblacinyVivienda2000. Aguascalientes,Mexico:INEGI,2010. http://www.inegi.org.mx/est/contenidos/proyectos/ccpv/cpv2010/Default.aspx . AllfilesINEGIfilesaccessedApril5,2013.

13Onthe

longer

term

trends,

see

John

P.

Tuman,

Labor

Markets

and

Economic

Reform

in

Latin

America:AReviewofRecentResearch,LatinAmericanResearchReview,35,no.3(2000):173187,andJohnP.Tuman,ReshapingtheNorthAmericanAutomobileIndustry:Restructuring,CorporatismandUnionDemocracyinMexico,LondonandNewYork:Routledge,2003. Thetermformalsectorreferstoworkthatiscountedandmeasuredingovernmentemploymentsurveysandinreportingfor

governmentsocialsecuritycontributionsandnationalincomeaccounts.

14See,LandySanchezandEdithPacheco,RuralPopulationTrendsinMexico:DemographicandLabor

Changes,InternationalHandbooksofPopulation,3(2012):155168.15

Thezeroto14yearsoldageshareofthepopulationinMexicoandElSalvadorhasdeclinedrecently,

whichwill

eventually

reduce

pressure

on

labor

markets

as

more

people

move

into

retirement.

In

Guatemala,thereductioninthe014agesharehasbeenslight(indeed,fully43%ofthepopulationin

2011wasstillinthe014agerange).Forcomparisonpurposes,itshouldbenotedthatonly20%ofthe

U.S.populationwas15andunderintheyear2010. Estimatesareobtainedfrom:WorldBank.2013.

WorldDevelopmentIndicators. DataSeries:Population015(%population), Onlinestatisticaldatabase.http://databank.worldbank.org/,accessedFebruary24,2013.

16See,JonathanFoxandLibbyHaight,MexicanAgriculturalPolicy:MultipleGoalsandConflicting

Interests,inJonathanFoxandLibbyHaight(eds.)SubsidizingInequality:MexicanCornPolicySinceNAFTA,Washington,D.C.:WoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterforScholars,2010,950.

17Between1999and2008,someofthevolatilityinmanufacturingemploymentintheMexican

maquilasectorwasexacerbatedbyindustrialrelocationoflowwageexportassemblyfromnorthern

MexicotoChina. Therecentriseinfuel,shipping,andunitlaborcostsinChinahasreversedsomeof

thistrend.

18 MiguelFlores,MaryZey,CinthyaCaamal,andNazrulHoque,NAFTA,IndustrialConcentration,

EmploymentVolatility,Wages,andInternalandInternationalMexicanMigration:19902009,in

NazrulHoqueandDavidA.Swanson(eds.)OpportunitiesandChallengesforAppliedDemographyinthe21stCentury(AppliedDemographySeriesVolume2),NewYork:Springer,2012,15572.19

See,TumanandGearhart,TheGuatemalansandWrightandMoody,TheSalvadorans.Asnoted,

LatinosborninCubaalsoconstituteoneofthetopfiveLatinogroupsinNevada. Althoughsome

CubanswhohavecometoNevadaarepoliticalrefugees,thevastmajorityofrecentimmigrantsappear

tobemotivatedbyeconomicconsiderations.

20ThestagnationinrealwageshasbeenobservedinthedynamicsectorsofMexicanmanufacturingas

well,includingtheMexicanautomobileindustry(seeTuman,ReshapingtheNorthAmericanAutomobileIndustry: RestructuringCorporatismandUrbanDemocracyinMexico). Itisinterestingto


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notethatwagereturnsforlowerskilledlaborhaveimprovedinthepastfewyears(see,NoraLustig,

LuisF.LopezCalva,andEduardoOrtizJuarez,TheDeclineinInequalityinLatinAmerica: HowMuch,

SinceWhenandWhy,TulaneDepartmentofEconomicsWorkingPapers,No.1118,November2011,

http://econ.tulane.edu/RePEc/pdf/tul1118.pdf,accessedMay29,2013).

21Indeed,severalstudieshavenotedthenegativerelationshipbetweenlaborproductivityandreal

wagesettlementsinMexico(forareview,seeJamesCypherandRalDelgadoWise,Restructuring

Mexico,RealigningDependency:HarnessingMexicanLaborPowerintheNAFTAEra,inJonShefner

andMariaPatriciaFernndezKelly(eds.)GlobalizationandBeyond:NewExaminationsofGlobalPowerandItsAlternatives,StateCollege:PennsylvaniaStateUniversityPress,2011).22

See,Lustig,OrtizJuarez,andLopezCalvaTheDeclineinInequalityinLatinAmerica: HowMuch,

SinceWhenandWhy.

23See,Lindstrom,EconomicOpportunityinMexicoandReturnMigrationfromtheUnitedStates,

Masseyand

Espinosa,

What's

Driving

Mexico

U.S.

Migration?

A

Theoretical,

Empirical,

and

Policy

Analysis,andSanchezandPacheco,RuralPopulationTrendsinMexico:DemographicandLabor

Changes,

24See,TumanandGearhart,TheGuatemalans.

25See,Lindstrom,EconomicOpportunityinMexicoandReturnMigrationfromtheUnitedStates,

andMassey,Durand,andMalone,BeyondSmokeandMirrors:MexicanMigrationinanEraofEconomicIntegration.26

See,TumanandGearhart,TheGuatemalans.

27See,Wright,Tuman,andStevenson,ImmigrationandEthnicDiversityinNevada.

28AuthorstabulationandanalysisofQuestionK19intheLNS,Haveyoulivedinanotherstateinthe

USpreviously?and(ifyes),whichstatewasthat? TheanalysisadjustedforonlythoseMexican

bornrespondentswhowereresidinginNevadaatthetimeofthesurvey(MexicanborninNevada=

262;seeTable3). Alimitationofthedataisthatthesurveyitemdoesnotallowustosortoutwhich

staterespondentsresidedinimmediatelybeforelivinginNevada. Anadditionallimitationisthat

respondentscouldselectmorethanonestate;still,giventhatalmostthreefourthsreported

California,thisisaminorlimitation.

29Although

comparable

data

for

El

Salvador

and

Guatemala

are

not

available,

other

studies

have

pointedtoalargewagegapbetweeneachofthesetwocountriesandtheU.S.;TumanandGearhart,

TheGuatemalans.

30DataforthiscomparisonaretakenfromNevadaDepartmentofEmployment,Trainingand

Rehabilitation. 2012. NevadaOccupationalEmploymentandWages(2012),StatewideOccupational

WageEstimatesAllIndustries SOC472061(ConstructionLaborer)http://www.nevadaworkforce


17/18


.com/admin/uploadedPublications/2857_OES_WAGE_Statewide_2012.xls ,andSecretaradelTrabajoy

PrevisinSocial,SalariodeCotizacinalIMSSporSectordeActividadEconmicaPesosporda

Construccin,http://www.stps.gob.mx/bp/secciones/conoce/areas_atencion/areas_atencion

/web/menu_infsector.html ,accessedApril5,2013. Ofcourse,thisisabroadaveragethatdoesnot

adjustforspecificoccupationswithinconstruction.

31See,JohnP.Tuman,LatinAmericanMigrantsintheLasVegasValley:CivicEngagementandPolitical

Participation,Washington,DC:WoodrowWilsonInternationalCenterforScholars,2009.32

JeffreyWaddoupsandVincentEade,HotelsandCasinos:CollectiveBargainingduringaDecadeof

Instability,LaborandEmploymentRelations(LERA)CollectiveBargaining:InstitutionalThreatsandOpportunitiesforRenewal,forthcoming.33

See,Tuman,LatinAmericanMigrantsintheLasVegasValley:CivicEngagementandPoliticalParticipation.

34See,TumanandGearhart,TheGuatemalans.

35Researchfindsnoevidencethatmembershipinanimmigrantassociationcreatedabarrierto

assimilationornaturalizationamongimmigrantsinNevadaandtheU.S.;seeKennethFernandez,John

P.Tuman,andMaryamStevenson,Transnational TiesandPoliticalBehaviorofLatinAmerican

Immigrants. PaperpresentedattheWesternPoliticalScienceAssociation,SanAntonio,Texas,2011.


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BrookingsMountainWestEstablishedin2009asapartnershipbetween

the

Brookings

Institution

and

the

University

of

Nevada,LasVegas(UNLV),BrookingsMountain

West(BMW)seekstobringhighquality

independentandinfluentialpublicpolicy

researchtothecriticalissuesfacingthe

dynamicmetropolitanareasoftheMountain

Westregion.Inthis,thenewinitiativebuilds

upontheworkofBrookingsMetropolitan

PolicyProgram,whichfocusesonhelping

metropolitanareasgrowinrobust,inclusive,

andsustainablewaysthroughattentiontothe

fundamentaldrivers

of

prosperity

such

as

innovation,infrastructure,humancapital,and

qualityofplace,aswellasregionalgovernance.

Alongthoselines,BMW,alongwithpartners

throughouttheMountainWest,takesadeep

interestinsuchareasasinfrastructure

improvement,economicgrowth,demographic

change,environmentalimpact,alternative

energy,andrealestateinvestment.Asthe

MountainWestemergesasanewAmerican

Heartland,itwillplayanincreasinglysignificant

rolein

shaping

national

policy

discussions.

BMWprovidesaforumforthisdialogueand

offersknowledgebasedpolicysolutionstohelp

improvethequalityoflifeintheWest.

Learnmoreat:

http://brookingsmtnwest.unlv.edu/

AcknowledgmentsThe

authors

are

indebted

to

Robert

Lang,

Mark

Muro,andWilliamE.Brown,Jr.,atBrookings

MountainWest,allwhoprovidedinvaluable

insights.AlexandraNikolich,Brookings

MountainWest,offeredvaluableeditingand

designexpertise.

AbouttheAuthorsJohnP.Tuman(Ph.D.,UniversityofCalifornia;

Los

Angeles;

M.A.,

University

of

Chicago;

B.A.,

UniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley)isChairand

AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofPolitical

Science;Chair,LatinAmericanStudiesProgram

Committee;andDirector,InstituteforLatin

AmericanStudies,UniversityofNevada,Las

Vegas.HeistheauthorofReshapingtheNorthAmericanAutomobileIndustry:Restructuring,CorporatismandUnionDemocracyinMexico(Routledge/Continuum, 2003),TheNorthAmericanAutoIndustryBeyondNAFTA:Productivity

and

Industrial

Relations

(Center

for

Strategic&InternationalStudies,2000),and

LatinAmericanMigrantsintheLasVegasValley:CivicEngagementandPoliticalParticipation(WoodrowWilsonInternational

CenterforScholars,2009).

DavidF.Damore,AssociateProfessor,DepartmentofPoliticalScience,Universityof

Nevada,LasVegasisaNonresidentSenior

FellowinGovernanceStudiesattheBrookings

Institution.He

is

also

developing

curriculum

for

therecentlycreatedBrookingsMinorinPublic

Policyofferedincoordinationwiththe

BrookingsMountainWest.Dr.Damores

researchinterestsarethestudyofcampaigns

andelectionsandpublicpolicyatthestateand

nationallevels.Dr.DamoreearnedhisPh.D.

fromtheUniversityofCalifornia,Davis(2000),

hisM.A.fromtheUniversityofGeorgia(1995),

andhisB.A.fromtheUniversityofCalifornia,

SanDiego(1992)allinPoliticalScience.

MariaAgredaisaUNLVgraduatewithadegree

inPoliticalScienceandJournalism,witha

minorinLatinAmericanStudies.

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