Immigration Issue Reaching ‘Critical Mass’ by RICK MARTINEZ Racial/Ethnic Populations in N.C
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• Northeast Partnership • Regulations Inhibit Head Helps Self, p. 5 School Choice, p. 9 Health-Care Innovation, p. 7 C A R O L I N A Airlines and Markets, p. 17 Statewide Edition A Monthly Journal of News, Analysis, and Opinion from December 2005 • Vol. 14, No. 12 the John Locke Foundation www.CarolinaJournal.com JOURNAL www.JohnLocke.org Immigration Issue Reaching ‘Critical Mass’ By RICK MARTINEZ Racial/Ethnic Populations in N.C. Contributing Editor RALEIGH Group 1990 2002 % t both the federal and state levels, the policy and rhetorical battle Total Pop. 6,632,448 8,320,146 +25.4 on immigration is, in the words Total White 5,036,958 6,178,210 +22.6 Aof one North Carolina member of Con- gress, reaching “critical mass” as it pits White 4,975,409 5,774,440 +16.1 those who support strict enforcement of Non-Hispanic current laws against those who advocate Black 1,446,367 1,793,697 +24.0 sweeping immigration-law reform. Non-Hispanic During the 1990s, North Caro- lina had the fastest growing Hispanic American Indian 80,825 106,454 +31.7 population of any state in the nation, Asian 53,102 140,491 +164.5 growing from 76,726 in 1990 to 378,963 in 2000. That’s an increase of 393 percent. Total Hispanic 76,745 444,463 +479.1 Four years later, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the Hispanic population at Hispanic immigrants line up for services at the Mexican consulate on Source: U.S. Census, 1990 and 2002 517,617. Six Forks Road in Raleigh (Photo by Don Carrington) Illegal immigration, primarily from Mexico, is responsible for the ma- population estimates. No major His- legislation that would have allowed troduced a bill that would have denied jority of that growth. The Washington panic advocacy group has disputed some illegal immigrant students to pay state services to illegal aliens. D.C.-based Pew Hispanic Center has es- Pew’s calculations. in-state tuition at the state’s 16 universi- Both measures died, but the debate timated that 300,000 people — roughly The rapid influx of illegal immi- ties played itself out on talk radio and certainly hasn’t. High-profile arrests of 65 percent of North Carolina’s Latino grants has created tensions in North letters to the editor pages in the state’s population — are illegal immigrants, Carolina. Earlier this year a heated pub- major newspapers. Additionally, State based on the Census Bureau’s latest lic reaction against General Assembly Sen. Hugh Webster (R-Alamance) in- Continued as “Immigration” Page 2 Influx of Hispanic Immigrants Hitting Schools Hardest By KAREN WELSH new residents settled in the state,” con- ago when, in 2002, statistics showed those being illegal immigrants. Contributing Editor cluded a study by the Federation for attendance in the Limited English The problem has become so acute RALEIGH American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Proficiency/English Language Learn- that officials have named it one of the massive influx of immigrants, in Washington D.C. “The equivalent of ing instruction programs jumped 494 major challenges facing county govern- both legal and illegal, into North adding five Raleighs…[t]his large-scale percentage points within 10 years. ment across the state. Carolina has thrust thousands population growth is bringing traffic, And the numbers keep climb- “Hispanic and Latino residents Aof non-English speaking students into pollution, overcrowded schools and ing. The United States Census Bureau are transforming county services,” said the public school system, leaving lo- lack of affordable housing in the state, estimates that the Latino population a report taken from the Long-Range cal teachers and administrators with a decreasing quality of life and straining increased by 138,654 in North Carolina Planning and Visioning Project after the daunting task in their efforts to educate vital natural resources.” between the 2000 Census and July 1, 2004, this expanding population. FAIR’s Immigration Impact Report from 378,963 to 517,617, a gain of nearly “In the last 10 years, 1.4 million also said the trend was seen some years 37 percent, with an estimated 300,000 of Continued as “Influx” Page 3 Do lobbyists have too much influ- 80ence on legislation in N.C.? The John Locke Foundation NONPROFIT ORG. Contents 200 W. Morgan St., #200 U.S. POSTAGE Raleigh, NC 27601 PAID RALEIGH, NC State Government 3 PERMIT NO. 1766 Washington Watch 6 Education 8 Higher Education 12 Yes 73 % Local Government 16 No 16 % Not Sure 11 % Books & the Arts 20 Opinion 24 Parting Shot 28 John William% Respondents Pope Civitas in June Institute Civitas Poll, Institute November Poll 2005 CAROLINA C A R O L I N A North Carolina JOURNAL JOURNAL Immigration Issue Reaching ‘Critical Mass’ Continued from Page 1 well, or at all. Richard Wagner Conclusions drawn from the Pew Editor illegal immigrant workers at Piedmont profile may differ, but one impact is International Airport, Seymour Johnson undeniable. The explosive population Don Carrington Air Force Base and Cree Incorporated growth and limited English proficiency Executive Editor by Immigration and Customs Enforce- skills of the illegal immigrant are seri- ment agents kept the volatile issue in ously challenging North Carolina’s pub- Paul Chesser, Michael Lowrey the news. lic schools. North Carolina is required to Donna Martinez On the federal level, U.S. Rep. educate illegal immigrant children as a Associate Editors Sue Myrick from North Carolina’s 9th result of a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court rul- Congressional District plans to introduce ing that each state has the responsibility Chad Adams, Shannon Blosser, legislation to tighten U.S–Mexico border Andrew Cline, Roy Cordato, of educating every resident child regard- security. Last month she authored a bill Bob Fliss, David Hartgen, less of legal status. The ruling has some Lindalyn Kakadelis, George Leef, that would withhold federal highway school districts busting at the seams. Maximilian Longley, Karen Palasek, funds to North Carolina and five other Latino school enrollment in North Marc Rotterman, R.E. Smith Jr., states that accept federal taxpayer ID The Mexican flag flying over the Mexican Carolina increased 600 percent between Jack Sommer, John Staddon, numbers as proof of residence when consulate on Six Forks road, signifying the 1993 and 2003 school years, according George Stephens, Jeff Taylor, issuing driver’s licenses. that the consulate is Mexican soil (Photo to the Department of Public Instruction. by Don Carrington) Michael Walden, Karen Welsh, In September, she introduced bills In 2003-04, the most recent year for which Hal Young that would make a DWI conviction a A labyrinth of regulations prohibits an data are available, Hispanic students Contributing Editors deportable offense for illegal aliens, and effective compilation of demographic numbered 88,335 out of 1,342,806 K-12 increase the fine for knowingly hiring and economic data. students in the state. Jenna Ashley Robinson, undocumented workers from the cur- Though not providing evidence on Using Pew’s estimates that 65 Paul Messino, Brian McGraw rent $250 to $10,000 per alien. Critics percent of those children are undocu- Editorial Interns the cost vs. benefit debate, the Pew His- say Myrick’s gubernatorial ambitions panic Center’s Rakesh Kochhar, Roberto mented, the illegal student count would have spurred her recent legislative activ- Suro and Sonya Tafoya investigated the number roughly 57,400. The John Locke ity, but she says it is because she feels North Carolina immigrant in their study, Foundation, publisher of Carolina Jour- a “critical mass” to do something has “The New Latino South: The Context nal, calculates that it costs taxpayers, Published by finally been reached among members and Consequences of Rapid Population on average, $8,500 per year to fund the The John Locke Foundation of Congress. Growth,” published this summer and operational and capital costs of edu- 200 W. Morgan St., # 200 As the political battle roils around available at www.pewhispanic.org. cating a child in North Carolina. That Raleigh, N.C. 27601 them, illegal immigrants continue to The research translates into an (919) 828-3876 • Fax: 821-5117 flock to North Carolina for the same team examined expenditure of ap- www.JohnLocke.org reason thousands of legal U.S. residents North Carolina, proximately $487 do: employment opportunities. Jobs in Arkansas, Ala- “If it weren’t for immi- million annually to Jon Ham construction, agriculture, textile, manu- bama, Georgia, grants, there wouldn’t be educate illegal im- Vice President & Publisher facturing, maintenance, services, and South Carolina, migrant children, hospitality are the attraction, accord- and Tennessee an agriculture industry in a cost that will John Hood ing to Dr. Nolo Martinez of the Center continue to grow Chairman & President because of their for New North Carolinians at UNC- pronounced His- North Carolina.” as the population Greensboro. Many of those economic panic population increases. Bruce Babcock, Herb Berkowitz, sectors have become dependent on Paula Gupton Page John Carrington, Sandra Fearrington, increases in the The question immigrant labor, he said. Most notable Jim Fulghum, William Graham, 1990s. N.C. Farm Bureau North Carolinians Lee Kindberg, Robert Luddy, is agriculture, the largest sector, which Not surpris- are debating is William Maready, J. Arthur Pope, is responsible for $62.6 billion of annual ingly, most illegal fundamental: Is it Assad Meymandi, Tula Robbins, economic activity. Others agree with his immigrants are poor by American worth it? David Stover, Jess Ward, assessment. standards. The average annual earn- According to those who cite the Andy Wells “If it weren’t for immigrants, there ings for an illegal Hispanic worker in Latino community’s growing economic Board of Directors wouldn’t be an agriculture industry in these six southern states was $16,000 in might, the answer is yes.