Hmong Population Research Project
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Transcript of Hmong Population Research Project
Hmong Population Research Project
The Economic Status of the Hmong:
Evidence from the 1990 U.S. CensusFaculty Forum Presentation
14 November 2001
Hmong Population Research Project
Supported by the UWEC Office of University Research:
Faculty/Student Research Collaboration grants
TRIP grant
Summer Extramural Grant Development Program
Hmong Population Research Project
Wayne Carroll, Economics
Tua Lor
Elina Camane
Hmong Population Research Project
“The New Immigrants”
• Immigrants and refugees from countries with living standards very different from the U.S. have made up a larger share of immigration in recent decades.
• Assimilation is more difficult for these “New Immigrants” than for immigrants from Europe and many other regions.
• Hmong immigrants epitomize the “New Immigrants.”
U.S. Census Data on the Hmong
• 1980 – According to the Census Bureau, the nation’s Hmong population was 5,204.
• 1990 – Detailed information on the Hmong are available.
• 2000 – Data on Hmong populations have been released. Other detailed information will be released next fall.
Three Census sources
• 100% counts (“short form”) – provide the most accurate data on population, race, household structure, and homes.
• Tabulations from the “long form” – detailed tables based on a one-sixth sample of the population.
• Public Use Microdata Samples (PUMS) – detailed data from the “long form” at the individual level, providing a 5% sample of the population.
The 1990 Census question on “race”:
Hmong Population Growth
Hmong Population Growth
Other11%
California52%
Minnesota19%
Wisconsin18%
1990U.S. Hmong population:
90,082
Hmong Population Growth
Other11%
California52%
Minnesota19%
Wisconsin18%
California38%
Other17%
Wisconsin20%
Minnesota25%
1990U.S. Hmong population:
90,082
2000U.S. Hmong population:
169,428
Population Growth by State
1990 2000
California 46,892 65,095
Minnesota 16,833 41,800
Wisconsin 16,373 33,791
North Carolina 708 7,093
Michigan 2,257 5,383
Colorado 1,202 3,000
Oregon 438 2,101
Georgia 320 1,468
Washington 741 1,294
Massachusetts 248 1,127
U.S. Total 90,082 169,428
A Tale of a Few Cities1990 2000
Fresno, CA 18,321 22,456
Twin Cities 16,435 40,606
Merced, CA 6,458 6,148
Sacramento, CA 5,673 16,261
Stockton, CA 4,628 5,653
Milwaukee metro 3,404 8,078
Appleton metro 2,157 4,741
Wausau 1,968 4,453
La Crosse 1,933 2,282
Eau Claire 1,601 1,920
Green Bay 1,410 2,957
Economic Status
Economic status: Income Labor force participation Employment status Occupation
depends on: Education English fluency Years in U.S. Age? Gender?
Educational attainment
• In 1990 about 50% of Hmong adults reported that they had no education.
• About 31% of Hmong adults reported in 1990 that they had at least a high-school education, compared with 75% in the general population.
English language skills
A household is “linguistically isolated” if no adult in the household speaks English “very well.”
In 1990 almost 64% of Hmong households were linguistically isolated.
Year of entry to the U.S.(based on the 1990 Census)
Before 1975 0.57%
1975 - 1979 21%
1980 - 1981 27%
1982 - 1984 7%
1985 - 1986 9%
1987 - 1990 36%
Economic Status
Economic status: Income Labor force participation Employment status Occupation
depends on: Education English fluency Years in U.S. Age? Gender?
Median household income in 1989
Hmong General population
California $15,978 $35,798
Minnesota $11,934 $30,909
Wisconsin $10,767 $29,442
Income distribution in 1989: Hmong vs. general population
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
less than
$5,000
$5,000-
$9,999
$10,000-
$14,999
$15,000-
$24,999
$25,000-
$34,999
$35,000-
$49,999
$50,000-
$74,999
$75,000-
$99,999
$100,000
or more
General Population
Hmong Population
Sources of income in 1989
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
wages and salaries public assistance other income
CA
MN
WI
Determinants of earnings
Young workers (age<40)(Mean earnings = $9,348)• Age: One year adds
$652***• Year of entry: one year
adds $169*• Education: one year adds
$234***• Gender and language not
significant
Determinants of earningsYoung workers (age<40)(Mean earnings = $9,348)• Age:
One year adds $652***• Year of entry:
One year adds $169*• Education:
One year adds $234***• Gender and language
not significant.
Old workers (age>40)(Mean earnings = $11,741)• Year of entry:
One year adds $430*• Gender:
Men earn $3,305*** more than women on average.
• Age, education, and language are not significant.
Labor force participation rates in 1990
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
16-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-44 45-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75+
Hmong male
Hmong female
male
female
Determinants of labor force participation
The likelihood that a Hmong adult was in the labor force in 1990 was higher for:
• men than women
• those who had been in the U.S. longer
• those who had more education
• those who spoke English well
Determinants of labor force participation
In labor force Not in labor force
Gender 67% are men 44% are men
Average year of entry to U.S.
1980 1982
Average years of schooling
9.4 5.6
Speak English well
70% 38%
Employment status in 1990
The unemployment rate equals the percentage of the labor force who are unemployed.
• Unemployment rate among Hmong men: 20%
• Unemployment rate among Hmong women: 22%
• Unemployment rate for general population: 5.4%
Determinants of employment status
• The probability of being unemployed was smaller if a worker had been in the U.S. longer.
• Age, gender, educational attainment, and English fluency were not significant.
Most common occupations in 1990
Men:
9% Cleaning and building service occupations
8% Machine operators and tenders
7% Fabricators, assemblers, hand working
4% Cooks
4% Other precision production
3% Writers, artists, entertainers, athletes
3% Other food service
Most common occupations in 1990
Men:
9% Cleaning and building service occupations
8% Machine operators and tenders
7% Fabricators, assemblers, hand working
4% Cooks
4% Other precision production
3% Writers, artists, entertainers, athletes
3% Other food service
Women:10% Fabricators, assemblers,
hand working occupations9% Textile, apparel, and furnishings machine operators8% Administrative support positions6% Other precision production 5% Cooks5% Cashiers5% Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants
Future research
Detailed economic and demographic data from the 2000 Census will be released next year, making possible:
• Comparisons of data from 1990 and 2000.
• Analysis of the economic progress and assimilation of the Hmong in the U.S. during the last ten years.
Expected findings in 2000 Census data
• Rapid growth among younger Hmong adults in: Income Labor force participation Employment Educational attainment
• Movement into higher-paying occupations• Hmong still lagging significantly behind the
general population in economic status