Survey: Latinos hopeful for future
Although more than half of Latinos -- whether born in the U.S. or not -- worry that they or someone close to them could be deported, they are generally pleased with the quality of their lives and optimistic about their children's futures, a survey shows.
The 2007 National Survey of Latinos by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center showed that while many are uneasy about immigration issues, seven in 10 Latinos said their quality of life was "excellent" or "good."
And Latinos have a positive outlook on the future. A majority said they believe their children will have better jobs and make more money.
"Human beings are complicated organisms and have lots of different feelings about lots of different things," Pew Hispanic Center Acting Director Paul Taylor said.
Elgin-based Centro de Informacion Acting Director Jaime Garcia said Latinos tend to focus on the present.
"It's a cultural thing -- you always look at today, and then tomorrow will take care of itself," he said. "It's the 'mañana' thing."
Meanwhile, about 54 percent of Latinos in the survey believe discrimination in schools and at work is a major problem, down from 58 percent in 2006. But the number is higher than the 44 percent who felt so in 2002.
The survey was based on telephone interviews with about 2,000 adult Latinos across the country, about a third of whom are U.S.-born.
Most Latinos believe language is the main cause of discrimination, followed by immigration status, income and education, and skin color.
About half of U.S.-born Latinos and 72 percent of foreign-born Latinos say Congress' failure to enact immigration reform has negatively affected their lives, the survey said.
Three-quarters of all Latinos have mixed views on immigration.
Foreign-born, Spanish-dominant Latinos are most likely to believe there are too many immigrants in the country but also more apt to say illegal immigration benefits the economy, compared to bilingual and English-dominant Latinos, whether foreign- or native-born.
Garcia speculated that Spanish-dominant Latinos who emigrate might feel more competition from fellow immigrants. On the other hand, English-dominant Latinos are likely more removed from their culture of origin and less connected to new immigrants, he said.
Most Latinos surveyed oppose workplace raids and support issuing driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Foreign-born Latinos are more likely to oppose these measures than U.S.-born Latinos.
A proposal to allow illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses in Illinois passed the House but has stalled since.
Latinos and non-Latinos alike are mostly against local police taking an active role in immigration enforcement, and believe it should be a matter left to federal authorities, the survey shows.
Worries about deportation often stem from rumors about impending raids and changes to immigration law, Garcia said. "There is a lot of misinformation," he said.