2006-20072006-2007Travis CountyTravis County

Immigrant Immigrant AssessmentAssessment

Presentation to Travis County Commissioners’ Court

June 5, 2007

The Assessment Process: Why Now?

Demographic change in Travis County:

• Between 1990 and 2005, the foreign-born population grew by 230% (about 45,000 to 148,000)

Stakeholders discovered a common interest to explore needs of and conditions for foreign-born residents:

• Catholic Charities of Central Texas

• City of Austin Commission on Immigrant Affairs

• Community Action Network

• Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service

The Assessment Process: Developing the Approach

The TCHHS/VS Research and Planning Division stewarded the process, conducting primary and secondary research

Advised and supported by a Steering Committee representing diverse sectors and organizations

Goal: Develop a process and create a product that are

accurate, balanced, and inclusive

Issue areas included:

The Assessment Process: Exploring the Issues

Profile of Foreign Born in Travis County

Immigration Policy, Process and Legal Rights

Public Safety

The Economic Safety Net

Housing

Health

Education

Workforce

Goals of each section:

The Assessment Process: Exploring the Issues

Describe the characteristics of Travis County’s foreign-born population

Provide a picture of national trends vis-à-vis immigrant issues

Consider the relative well-being of immigrant residents within the context of the community’s goals

Include the experiences and perspectives of local immigrant residents

To describe the County’s immigrant population, we wanted to know …

Demographic Overview: Selected Report Highlights

How has Travis County and its immigrant population grown?

Where do Travis County immigrants originate from and what languages do they speak?

Where do they fall on the socioeconomic and educational attainment spectrum?

Where do immigrants live in Travis County?

How has Travis County and its immigrant population grown?

Growth in Travis County Population by Nativity, 1990-2005

  1990 2000 2005Total

Growth

Native Born 531,327 689,659 718,110 35%

Foreign Born 45,080 122,621 148,239 229%

Total Population 576,407 812,280 866,349 50%

Percent of Travis County Foreign-Born 8% 15% 17% -

Sources: U.S. Census 1990 & 2000; American Community Survey, 2005

Foreign Born Population by Region of Origin, Travis County 2005

Asia24%

South America

3%

Canada2%

Africa3%

Caribbean3%

Mexico51%

Europe7%Central

America7%

Note: "Oceania" excluded because it comprises 0.1% of the population.Source: American Community Survey, 2005

Where do Travis County immigrants originate from?

Languages Spoken at Home Other Than English Population Age 5 Years and Over, Travis County 2005

Spanish or Spanish Creole, 199,363

Tagalog, 2,463

Urdu, 1,935

Persian, 1,519 Gujarathi, 1,657

Japanese, 2,153

German, 2,517 Hindi, 2,567

Vietnamese, 7,500

Other languages, 7,177

Chinese, 6,924

Korean, 6,019

French (including Patois, Cajun), 5,595

Portuguese or Portuguese Creole, 1,177

African languages, 1,757

Other Asian languages, 3,772

Note: "Other languages" refers to those comprised of less than 1,000 speakers.Source: American Community Survey 2005.

What languages do Travis County immigrants speak?

Distribution of Individual Income Levels, Native- and Foreign-Born

Population Age 15+, Travis County 2005

9%19%

18%

18%21%

29%

27%

18%12%

8%13% 8%

Native Born Foreign Born

$75,000 or more

$50,000 to $74,999

$25,000 to $49,999

$10,000 to $24,999

$1 to $9,999 or loss

No Income

Where do Travis County immigrants fall on the income spectrum?

Source: American Community Survey, 2005

Educational Attainment Levels, Native-Born and Foreign-Born Populations Age 25+

Travis County, 2005

8%

36%

18%

16%

29%

14%

30%

19%

15%

15%

Native Born

Foreign Born

Less than high schoolHigh school graduateSome college or associate's degreeBachelor's degreeGraduate or professional degree

Where do Travis County immigrants fall on the education spectrum?

Source: American Community Survey, 2005

Source: TCHHS/VS R&P analysis of Census 2000.

Where do Travis County immigrants live?

In Summary: Overarching Themes

Immigrants are part of and impact the Travis County community.

Immigrants exhibit diversity in culture, socio-economic

characteristics, and experiences in the U.S.

Some immigrant sub-populations have higher needs and

encounter greater challenges.

Immigration systems, and the laws and policies related to them

are complex, changing and frequently unclear.

Federal, state, and local authorities often disagree on who is

responsible for the immigration issue.

What’s Next?

Begin a community conversation by …

Offering questions to spark dialogue.

Inviting the community to reflect on this information

and construct their own responses.

Planning a community forum (June 29, 2007).

2006-2007 Immigrant Assessment Partners and Supporters

Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service, Research & Planning Division

Community Action Network

Catholic Charities City of Austin Commission on

Immigrant Affairs

2006 Immigrant Assessment

Steering Committee

To Obtain Copies …

The Immigrant Assessment is available for online

viewing and downloading:

www.co.travis.tx.us

For more information, questions or comments,

please contact HHS/VS Research & Planning staff:

Rachel Coff: 854-3413 or rachel.coff@co.travis.tx.us

Korey Darling: 854-4275 or koren.darling@co.travis.tx.us