CLACLS
Center for Latin American, Caribbean & Latino Studies
IS SPANISH-ENGLISH BILINGUALISM
TRULY AN ECONOMIC BENEFIT
IN NEW YORK?
Center for Latin American,
Caribbean & Latino Studies
Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
Room 5419
New York, New York 10016
Lionel Chan
Ph.D. Candidate in Linguistics
212-817-8438
[email protected]
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/lastudies
Latino Data Project - Report 47 - November 2012
The Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies is a research institute that
works for the advancement of the study of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latinos in
the United States in the doctoral programs at the CUNY Graduate Center. One of its major
priorities is to provide funding and research opportunities to Latino students at the Ph.D.
level.
The Center established and helps administer an interdisciplinary specialization in Latin
American, Caribbean and Latino Studies in the Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies program.
The Latino Data Project was developed with the goal of making information available
on the dynamically growing Latino population of the United States and especially New
York City through the analysis of extant data available from a variety of sources such as
the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Institute for Health, the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
and state and local-level data sources.
All Latino Data Project reports are available at http://web.gc.cuny.edu/lastudies/
For additional information you may contact the Center at 212-817-8438 or by e-mail
at [email protected].
Staff:
Laird W. Bergad, Distinguished Professor, Latin American and Puerto Rican Studies,
Lehman College, Ph.D. Program in History, Executive Director, CLACLS
Teresita Levy. Assistant Professor, Latin American and Puerto Rican Studies,
Lehman College, Associate Director
Laura Limonic, Administrative Director
Marcela González, Research Associate
Lawrence Capello, Research Associate
Justine Calcagno, Quantitative Research Associate
Copyright @ 2012
Center for Latin American, Caribbean and Latino Studies
Room 5419
Graduate Center
City University of New York
365 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10016
212-817-8438
[email protected]
http://web.gc.cuny.edu/lastudies
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
3
Proponents of additive bilingualism in the United States often claim that maintenance of a native/home language in addition to learning English results in many benefits, one of which is economic
(Tse, 2001). Under this assumption, bilingual speakers have more career opportunities and possibly
higher earning-potential than their monolingual English-speaking counterparts. This report explores
if there is truly a trend in income levels for Latinos who speak both English and Spanish compared
to those of Latinos who speak English only. For the purposes of this report, Latinos who speak both
Spanish and English are referred to as “bilingual Latinos”, while Latinos who speak English only are
“monolingual Latinos”. Using the 2009 American Community Survey census data, two fundamental
variables in this investigation included “Speaks English” and “Language Spoken at Home”. From
these variables, “bilingual Latinos” in this report are defined as those who self-report speaking Spanish at home and rating their English ability as “well” or “very well,” while “monolingual Latinos” are
those who self-report speaking “English only”. Another primary variable used in this investigation is
“Total Personal Income.”
Among the major racial and ethnic groups in New York City, Latinos earned on average, the
lowest income levels when compared to other ethnic and racial groups (Non-Hispanic Whites, NonHispanic Blacks and Asians). Specifically, the median total personal income for Latinos was
$18,000 (see Figure 1).
Figure 1
Median Personal Income by Race/Ethnicity (in US$), 2009
45000
40000
38000
35000
30000
25000
25000
25000
20000
18000
15000
10000
5000
0
Non-Hispanic Whites
Latino Data Project Report 47
Non-Hispanic Blacks
Asians
Latinos
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
4
Upon closer examination, the comparison is striking when observing that Latinos earned less in
total personal income than the highest earning group (Non-Hispanic Whites) with a median difference of $20,000.
When taking into account language variables to analyze the income levels of Latinos, one notices
a minor difference between bilingual Latinos and monolingual Latinos (see Figure 2). Overall, bilingual Latinos appear to have had an advantage over monolingual Latinos in terms of median total
personal income: $30,000 and $25,000, respectively. Under this broad interpretation and without
considering other variables, bilingual Latinos enjoy an economic advantage.
Figure 2
Median Income by Language, 2009
35000
30000
30000
25000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
English-only Monolinguals
English-Spanish Bilinguals
Incorporating other variables such as place of birth and educational attainment gives a clearer
picture of the possible impact of language on Latino income attainment. When comparing the median total personal income of bilingual Latinos based on place of birth, we see that foreign-born bilingual Latinos earned less than domestic-born bilingual Latinos, $25,000 and $30,000 respectively.
See Figure 3. Bilingual Latinos who were born in the U.S. appear to have an earning advantage
over their foreign-born counterparts.
Latino Data Project Report 47
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
5
Figure 3
Median Income for Bilingual Latinos by Place of Birth, 2009
35000
30000
30000
25000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
Domestic-Born Latinos
Foreign-Born Latinos
In general, educational attainment is one of the strongest predictors of income. A breakdown of
Latinos bilinguals and monolinguals by educational attainments is essential to understand the income patterns of Latinos. See Figure 4.
Figure 4
Median Income for Latinos by Educational Attainment, 2009
50000
45000
45000
40000
35000
30000
24000
25000
20000
15000
12000
10000
5000
0
Did not finish High School
Latino Data Project Report 47
Has at least a HS diploma
Has at least a Bachelor's Degree
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
6
In keeping trend with general population, Latino income is positively associated with higher educational attainment. The question then becomes to what extent does bilingualism impact income with
respect to educational attainment. Overall, among all Latinos who did not complete high school,
monolinguals earned significantly less than bilinguals, namely $10,000 and $14,000. Among domestic-born Latinos specifically, this same distinction was present, although the difference in income was
somewhat less substantial. See Figures 5 and 6
Figure 5
Median Income of Latinos who did not finish HS by Language, 2009
16000
14000
14000
12000
10000
10000
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
English-Only Monolinguals
Latino Data Project Report 47
Spanish-English Bilinguals
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
7
Figure 6
Median Income of Domestic-Born Latinos without HS Diploma by Language, 2009
14000
12000
10000
11200
9400
8000
6000
4000
2000
0
English-Only Monolinguals
Spanish-English Bilinguals
These figures suggest that for Latinos who did not complete high school, bilingualism does present an economic advantage.
In contrast, bilingualism does not appear to be an economic advantage for Latinos who do
hold a high school diploma and for those who hold a Bachelor’s Degree. In 2009 monolingual Latinos who completed high school earned more than their bilingual counterparts. Specifically, monolingual Latinos with a high school diploma earned $27,400 while bilingual Latinos with a high school
diploma earned $26,000. This difference in income is even more significant for Latinos who have
attained a Bachelor’s degree: monolinguals earned $52,600 while bilinguals earned $45,000. This
distinction also holds when comparing domestic-born Latinos who have completed a four-year college degree: the median total personal income for these domestic-born monolingual Latinos was
$55,000, while their bilingual counterparts earned only $47,850. See Figures7 and 8.
Latino Data Project Report 47
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
8
Figure 7
Median Income of Latinos who Completed High School, 2009
70000
60000
52600
50000
45000
40000
30000
English-Only Monolinguals
27400
Spanish-English Bilinguals
26000
20000
10000
0
Achieved HS Diploma
Achieved Bachelor's Degree
Figure 8
Median Income of Domestic-Born Latinos who Completed High School, 2009
70000
60000
55000
50000
47850
40000
30000
28000
English-Only Monolinguals
28000
Spanish-English Bilinguals
20000
10000
0
Achieved HS Diploma
Latino Data Project Report 47
Achieved Bachelor's Degree
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
9
Overall these figures suggest that in 2009 bilingualism provided higher earning potential only for
Latinos who had not completed high school, regardless of place of birth. Conversely, for those who
held a high school diploma, bilingualism did not seem to imply such an advantage for earning potential. In sum, educational attainment appears to be an important factor that mediates the role of bilingualism on the income of Latinos.
This finding was consistent across the three major Latino nationality groups in New York City,
namely Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Mexicans (see Figures 9 through 11). In each group, bilingual Latinos who had not completed high school outperformed their monolingual counterparts in median total personal income. For those who have achieved a Bachelor’s Degree or higher, however,
the reverse was found: monolinguals earned more than bilinguals.
Figure 9
Median Income for Mexicans by Educational Attainment, 2009
70000
60000
55000
54000
50000
40000
English-Only
Monolinguals
30000
20000
25200
16000
24000
Spanish-English
Bilinguals
18300
10000
0
Did not finish HS
Latino Data Project Report 47
Achieved HS Diploma
Achieved Bachelor's Degree
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
10
Figure 10
Median Income for Puerto Ricans by Educational Attainment, 2009
70000
60000
54000
50000
45500
40000
30000
27500
English-Only Monolinguals
27400
Spanish-English Bilinguals
20000
9400
10000
11100
0
Did not finish HS
Achieved HS Diploma
Achieved Bachelor's Degree
Figure 11
Median Income for Dominicans by Educational Attainment, 2009
70000
60000
50000
45120
40000
40000
30000
26300
20000
10000
English-Only Monolinguals
25000
Spanish-English Bilinguals
17000
9100
0
Did not finish HS
Latino Data Project Report 47
Achieved HS Diploma
Achieved Bachelor's Degree
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
11
Finally, to gain a clearer picture, it is imperative to understand the role of educational attainment with respect to occupations and income (see Figures 12 and 13). Thus, in examining median
total personal income in 2009, it is necessary to separate occupations into two separate categories:
those that do not require a Bachelor’s degree and those that do. Under this analysis, bilingual Latinos generally earned more than monolingual Latinos in occupations that do not require a Bachelor’s
Degree (construction related-jobs, secretary/receptionist, waiters/bartenders, janitors). The only exception was waiters/bartenders: in this field alone, monolinguals outpaced bilinguals in median total
personal income. On the other hand, bilingual Latinos earned less than monolingual Latinos in occupations that do require a Bachelor’s Degree (architects, civil engineers, physicians, and lawyers).
Figure 12
Median Income for Latinos in Professions that do not Require a College Degree, 2009
35000
30000
30000
27000
25000
25000
23250
22000
21700
20000
18000
15500
Monolinguals
15000
Bilinguals
10000
5000
0
Receptionists
Construction-related Jobs
Latino Data Project Report 47
Waiters/Bartenders
Janitors
November 2012
Is Spanish-English Bilingualism Truly an Economic Benefit?
12
Figure 13
Median Income for Latinos in Professions that Require a College Degree, 2009
200000
180000
180000
160000
135000
140000
128000
120000
100000
76100
80000
60000
88000
Monolinguals
75000
Bilinguals
55000
48500
40000
20000
0
Architects
Civil Engineers
Physicians
Lawyers
The most striking difference was found within the occupation of lawyers. Bilingual Latino lawyers
earned considerably less than monolingual Latino lawyers (almost $100,000) in 2009. In analyzing
bilingualism in terms of occupations based on educational attainment, these findings further support
the claim that bilingualism was an economic benefit in New York City primarily for Latinos who had
not completed high school.
In conclusion, the economic benefits of Spanish-English bilingualism are highly mediated by
the effects of educational attainment. For those who lacked a four-year college degree in 2009, bilingual Spanish-English Latinos generally possessed an advantage in obtaining higher incomes than
monolingual English-only Latinos. On the other hand, bilingual Latinos who held at least a Bachelor’s degree in 2009 earned less than their monolingual counterparts. These findings were also confirmed when classifying occupations into two categories: jobs that typically require a Bachelor’s degree and those that do not. For occupations that require a four-year college degree (architects, civil
engineers, physicians, and lawyers), bilingual Latinos earned less than monolingual Latinos. Conversely, bilingual Latinos earned more than monolingual Latinos for occupations that do not typically
require a Bachelor’s degree (janitors, construction workers, waiters, receptionists and secretaries).
Latino Data Project Report 47
November 2012