Latinos Coming to America
Question: Were you born in the US or in another country?
Question: How many years have you lived in the US?
0-12 years
US
40%
Another*
country
45%
13-24 years
34%
60%
25-36 years
More than
36 years
Note: Asked of Latinos.
*Includes those born in Puerto Rico.
14%
7%
Note: Asked of Latinos born outside the US, including those from Puerto
Rico.
Questions: How important is it for Latinos to... very important, somewhat important, not too important,
or not at all important?
...Change so that they blend into the larger society
as in the idea of a melting pot
Very important
53%
31%
...Maintain their distinct cultures
Very important
Somewhat
important
68%
20%
8% Not too important
Don’t know 1% 7%
Not at all important
Somewhat
important
Not too important
5%
2%
4%
Don’t know
Not at all important
Note: Asked of Latinos.
Note: Asked of Latinos.
Question: [Asked of Latinos agreeing to participate in the survey]
Would you prefer to be interviewed in English or Spanish?
Question: What language do your children usually speak with
their friends? Only Spanish, more Spanish than English, both
equally, more English than Spanish, or only English?
English
Spanish
Total Latino
51%
Mexican
Puerto Rican
57%
49%
43%
71%
29%
Only Spanish
11%
More Spanish
than English
9%
Both
Cuban
63%
37%
More English
than Spanish
Central/South
American
60%
40%
Only English
Note: Total Latino includes all Latino respondents.
31%
18%
31%
Note: Asked of Latinos with children under 18.
Source: All data on this page are from a survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
8 Public Perspective, May/June 2000
In Search of a Better Life
Question: Which of the following three reasons best describes
why you came to the United States. Did you come...?
Question: Do you think there is more opportunity to get ahead
in the United States, more in the country you came from, or is it
about the same?
More
opportunity in
the US
Country you
came from
1%
7%
Same
92%
To find a better job/
other economic reasons
53%
28%
To join family members
To escape political
oppression or dictatorship
13%
Note: Asked of Latinos born outside the US, including those from Puerto
Rico.
Note: Asked of Latinos born outside the US, including those from Puerto
Rico.
Question: In recent years, has your personal financial situation
gotten better, gotten worse, or stayed about the same?
Question: Do you feel confident that life for your children will
be better than it has been for you, or don’t you feel this way?
Worse
12%
Better
52%
36%
Yes, life will be
better for
children
Same
74%
22% No
12%
4% Don’t know
Note: Asked of Latinos.
Note: Asked of Latinos.
Question: Overall, would you say... is better in the US, better in the country you came from,
or about the same?
Better in...
United States
70%
Treatment of the poor
The amount of political freedom
65%
The quality of the schools
The moral values of the society
57%
35%
The friendliness and openness of the people
28%
The strength of the family
26%
Relations between different races
24%
Country you
came from
Same
7%
22%
8%
24%
24%
16%
34%
30%
33%
38%
50%
35%
23%
38%
Note: Asked of Latinos born outside the US, including those from Puerto Rico.
Source: All data on this page are from a survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
Public Perspective, May/June 2000
9
The Ties That Bind
Questions: ...Will you tell me for each [statement]... whether it is something you personally
agree with or disagree with?
Percent responding agree
Relatives are more important than friends
67%
Total
Latinos
82%
It is a mother’s special responsibility to provide her children
with proper religious training
Total
67%
Latinos
81%
It is better for children to live in their parents’ home until they
get married
Total
45%
Latinos
Elderly parents should live with their adult children
Total
Latinos
64%
Even if a child believes his parents are wrong, he or she should
obey without question
Total
57%
Latinos
57%
Some equality in marriage is a good thing, but in general the
husband should have the final say in family matters
Total
74%
49%
Latinos
27%
38%
Question: Now I am going to read a list of things that some people do. For each, thinking
about your own values and morals, I’d like you to tell me whether you think it is acceptable
or unacceptable. How about... divorce?
Total
Divorce is
acceptable
66%
Latinos
33% Unacceptable
2%
Don’t know
Divorce is
acceptable
57%
41% Unacceptable
2%
Don’t know
Source: All data on this page are from a survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
10 Public Perspective, May/June 2000
Greater Latino Support for Government
Question: How much of the time do you trust the government in Washington to do what
is right—just about always, most of the time, or only some of the time?
Total
Latinos
Most of the
time
Most of the
time
21%
Some of the
time
67%
Just about
always 27%
21% 25%
Don’t know
Never (vol.)
27%
51%
Some of the
time
Just about 19%
always
21%22%
Don’t know Never (vol.)
Question: Would you say you favor a smaller federal government with fewer services, or a
larger government with many services?
Total
Larger
36%
Latinos
58%
Smaller
Larger
28%
67%
Smaller
26%
Don’t know
26%
Don’t know
Question: Which of the following two statements comes closer to your own view...?
The government in Washington should do everything possible to
improve the standard of living of all Americans
Total
Latinos
57%
64%
This is not the government’s responsibility; each person
should take care of themselves
Total
Latinos
38%
32%
Source: All data on this page are from a survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
Public Perspective, May/June 2000
11
Differences Within
Total
Total
Latino
Mexican
Puerto
Rican
47%
49
40%
58
36%
61
60%
39
49%
49
32%
66
70
26
54
41
52
43
54
38
70
27
42
48
53
43
38
58
36
60
48
46
52
45
34
63
66
30
83
14
83
14
84
15
87
11
86
11
16
82
22
75
21
76
17
78
17
82
21
76
32
37
31
40
18
42
40
16
43
46
12
42
49
22
30
37
23
39
Cuban
Central/South
American
Question: Do you think abortion should be legal in
all cases, legal in most cases, illegal in most cases, or
illegal in all cases?
Legal
Illegal
Question: Do you favor or oppose the death penalty
for persons convicted of murder?
Favor
Oppose
Question: If someone is terminally ill, is in great pain
and wants to kill themselves, should it be legal for a
doctor to help them commit suicide, or not?
Yes
No
Question: Do you think the government should
provide health insurance for Americans without insurance, or is this something the government should not
do?
Should
Should not
Question: Which comes closer to your opinion about
college admissions: Colleges and universities should
sometimes take a student’s racial and ethnic background into consideration when they decide which
students to admit; Colleges and universities should
select students without considering their racial or
ethnic backgrounds?
Consider
Don’t consider
Question: Do you favor or oppose offering government financial aid or “vouchers” to pay parents some
of the cost of sending their children to private or
parochial schools, or haven’t you heard enough to say?
Favor
Oppose
Don’t know
Note: Total Latino includes all Latino respondents.
Source: Survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
12 Public Perspective, May/June 2000
Latinos Are Politically Diverse
Question: In politics today, do you consider yourself a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else?
n
ica
l
b
pu
Re
Total
26%
In
37%
15%
33%
Puerto Rican 17%
Cuban
em
t
29%
Total Latino 16%
Mexican
D
o
cra
Central/South 12%
American
t
n
ica
l
b
pu
Re
Total
33%
Total Latino
37%
Mexican
23%
17%
Puerto Rican
21%
27%
Cuban
29%
39%
en
33%
52%
34%
p
de
d
en
Question: Did you vote [in 1998] for the Democratic candidate
or the Republican candidate?
D
42%
ra
t
46%
26%
68%
68%
76%
40%
56%
Central/South 16%
American
35%
em
oc
81%
Note: Total Latino includes all Latino respondents.
Note: Asked of US citizens who voted in 1998. Total Latino includes all
Latino respondents.
Question: Overall, which party, the Democrats or the Republicans, do you trust to do a better job in coping with the main
problems the nation faces over the next few years?
Question: Which party do you think has more concern for
Latinos—the Democratic party, the Republican party, or is there
no difference?
ns
ica
l
b
pu
Re
Total
Total Latino
Mexican
37%
28%
31%
Puerto Rican 17%
Cuban
36%
Central/South
American 18%
D
em
o
cra
ts
er/ l.)
ie th (vo
N oth
B
ns
il ca
b
pu
e
R
Total 7%
D
em
oc
ra
ts
o ce
N eren
iff
D
42%
16%
54%
9%
Total Latino 10%
44%
38%
52%
8%
Mexican 11%
42%
39%
64%
43%
59%
Note: Total Latino includes all Latino respondents.
9%
9%
11%
Puerto Rican 6%
Cuban 19%
Central/South 9%
American
34%
52%
47%
34%
33%
37%
45%
39%
Note: Total Latino includes all Latino respondents.
Source: All data on this page are from a survey by The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University, June 30-August 30, 1999.
Public Perspective, May/June 2000
13