Hmong Population Research Project

1
Hmong Population Research Project

• The Economic Status of the Hmong
• Evidence from the 1990 U.S. Census
• Faculty Forum Presentation
• 14 November 2001

2
Hmong Population Research Project

• Supported by the UWEC Office of University
  Research
• Faculty/Student Research Collaboration grants
• TRIP grant
• Summer Extramural Grant Development Program

3
Hmong Population Research Project

• Wayne Carroll, Economics
• Tua Lor
• Elina Camane

4
Hmong Population Research Project
5
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.

6
U.S. Census Data on the Hmong

• 1980 According to the Census Bureau, the
  nations 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.

7
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.

8
The 1990 Census question on race
9
Hmong Population Growth
10
Hmong Population Growth
1990 U.S. Hmong population 90,082
11
Hmong Population Growth
1990 U.S. Hmong population 90,082
2000 U.S. Hmong population 169,428
12
Population Growth by State
13
Population Growth by State
14
A Tale of a Few Cities
15
Economic Status

• Economic status
• Income
• Labor force participation
• Employment status
• Occupation
• depends on
• Education
• English fluency
• Years in U.S.
• Age? Gender?

16
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.

17
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.

18
Year of entry to the U.S.(based on the 1990
Census)
19
Economic Status

• Economic status
• Income
• Labor force participation
• Employment status
• Occupation
• depends on
• Education
• English fluency
• Years in U.S.
• Age? Gender?

20
Median household income in 1989
21
Income distribution in 1989 Hmong vs. general
population
22
Sources of income in 1989
23
Determinants of earnings

• Young workers (agelt40)
• (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

24
Determinants of earnings

• Young workers (agelt40)
• (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 (agegt40)
• (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.

25
Labor force participation rates in 1990
26
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

27
Determinants of labor force participation
28
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

29
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.

30
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

31
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
  occupations
• 9 Textile, apparel, and furnishings machine
  operators
• 8 Administrative support positions
• 6 Other precision production 5 Cooks
• 5 Cashiers
• 5 Nursing aides, orderlies, and attendants

32
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.

33
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