1.5 million Dominicans live in the U.S.: Pew study

NEW YORK.- A new report by the Pew Center on United States’ Latino population confirms that  1.5 million Dominicans live in the nation, or 2.9% of the total population.


The study notes that the statistic is valid until 2011, an was also confirmed by the 2010 Census, which found that Dominicans are the fifth largest Hispanic population in the U.S., while the 33.5 million Mexicans continue at first place (64.6%).

The Pew Center said the data is based on its survey of the Latino community in the U.S. conducted in 2011.

Mexicans are followed by Puerto Ricans with around 5 million, but doesn’t explain why that group was included since they are U.S. citizens by birth.

The report said 14 Latino subgroups have emerged including Argentinians, Nicaraguans, Spaniards and Venezuelans.
 

It adds that more than half of the Dominicans (56%) were born in the Dominican Republic compared with 36% for all other Hispanics, which account for 13% of the entire U.S. population.

 Key facts include:

• Immigration status. More than half of the Dominicans (56%) in the United States are foreign born compared with 36% of Hispanics and 13% of the U.S. population overall. A majority of immigrants from the Dominican Republic (64%) arrived in the U.S. in 1990 or later. Less than half of Dominican immigrants (48%) are U.S. citizens.
• Language. A majority (56%) of Dominicans speak English proficiently.² The other 44% of Dominicans ages 5 and older report speaking English less than very well, compared with 34% of all Hispanics.
• Age. Dominicans are younger than U.S. population and slightly older than Hispanics overall. The median age of Dominicans is 28; the median ages of the U.S. population and all Hispanics are 37 and 27, respectively.
• Marital status. Dominicans ages 15 and older are less likely to be married (35%) than Hispanics overall (43%) or the U.S. population overall (48%).
• Fertility. Less than one-in-ten (7%) Dominican women ages 15 to 44 gave birth in the 12 months prior to this survey. That was similar to the rate for all Hispanic women—8%—and the overall rate for U.S. women—6%. More than half (59%) of Dominican women ages 15 to 44 who gave birth in the 12 months prior to the survey were unmarried. That was higher than the rate for all Hispanic women—47%—and the overall rate for U.S. women—38%.
• Regional dispersion. About eight-in-ten Dominicans (78%) live in the Northeast, and nearly half (48%) live in New York.
• Educational attainment. Dominicans have higher levels of education than the Hispanic population overall but lower levels than the U.S. population overall. Some 16% of Dominicans ages 25 and older—compared with 13% of all U.S. Hispanics and 29% among the entire U.S. population—have obtained at least a bachelor’s degree.