Mayor Thomas M.Menino CITY OF BOSTON people all the imagine March 2011 New Bostonians Series Colombian Immigrants in Boston imagine allthepeople: thousands moretoleavethecountry. of peopleandactedasacatalystfor conflict hasbothdisplacedthousands gions. Thesituationsurroundingthis particularly overcoca-growingre civil conflictoverterritorialcontrol, civilians inthecountry’sdecadesold increasing actsofviolencetargeting to emigrationfromColombiaarethe reside. Anothercontributingfactor centers, wherethebulkofColombians unemployment reached18%inurban in itsunemploymentrate.By2001, gross domesticproductandasurge both asignificantdropinColombia’s and 2001,whichcorrespondedwith of thisnumbermigratedbetween1999 country anddidnotreturn.Nearlyhalf million Colombianslefttheirhome that between1996and2003,1.6 instability inColombia.Itisestimated years duetopoliticalturbulenceand it hasincreasedmarkedlyinrecent primarily economicallymotivated, dating backtothe1960s,whenitwas has beenasignificantsocialforce Though emigrationfromColombia Colombians inBoston - tion forColombianemigrantsandcon long beenthemostpopulardestina Venezuela andtheUnitedStateshave Massachusetts. coast toNewYork, NewJersey, and nificant numbersmovinguptheeast begun todispersenationally, withsig States. From thereColombianshave Colombians arrivingintheUnited been anaturaldestinationformany of itscloseproximitytoBogota,has tinue tobesotoday. Florida,because 1

- - - imagine population share 39% of Colombians Results from the 2005-2007 American Boston’s foreign-born population Community Survey (ACS)2 show that include Vietnam, El Salvador, Cape 10 are between the there are approximately 584,000 for- Verde, Jamaica Brazil and Mexico. eign-born individuals from Colombia According to the 2000 Census, living in the United States.3 Besides ages of 20 and 34. Boston’s Colombian immigrants, the U.S. and Venezuela, other popula- though scattered throughout the city, tion global destinations for Colom- are mostly concentrated in the neigh- bian immigrants are Spain, Ecuador, borhood of East Boston, where 58% 4 Panama and Canada. of the city’s foreign-born Colombians The top destinations for immigrants reside. There are also significant num- from Colombia moving to the U.S. are bers of foreign-born Colombians in the states of Florida (which accounts Allston-Brighton and Jamaica Plain. for 34% of the country’s Colombia- While we can look at the most recent born population), New York (18%), ACS for estimating the total Colom- New Jersey (12%), California (6.6%) bian population, the most reliable and Texas (5.7%). The Common- cross-tabular data for relatively small wealth of Massachusetts ranks sixth, groups, such as the foreign-born comprising 3% of the country’s total communities in Boston in the 2000 Colombian population.5 Census.11 In 2000, 51% of Colombian There are over 7,200 Colombians immigrants in Boston are male. Over living in Boston. 6&7 According to the 60% of all Colombian immigrants in 2005-2007 ACS, Colombians make Boston are either married (49%) or up the seventh-largest share of im- divorced/separated (13%). Close to migrants in Boston - about 4.3%. 8&9 39% of all Colombians in Boston are Comparatively, the Chinese constitute between the ages of 20 and 34. The the largest segment of the city’s for- vast majority of Colombian immigrants eign-born population (8.6%), Haitians (80%) are not naturalized U.S. citizens; (8.5%) rank second and the Domini- 20% are citizens by naturalization. can Republic rank third (7.9%). The other top countries of origin among

Share of Colombian Population by State

14%

NewFlorida 33% 2% New YorkJersey 2% FlNeworid Jerseya 3% MassachusettsCalifornia 3% PTexasennsylv

RhodeMassachusetts Island 6% aani CGeorgiaonnecticut

OtConnecticuther States 7% Illinois

18% Other States 12%

Source: ACS 2005-2007, BRA Research Division Analysis population

2 educational attainment Forty-two percent of Colombians Of the 40% of Colombian immigrants Fifty-eight percent in Boston have not completed high to have attended college, 19% have school. This percentage is higher than completed at least a bachelor’s de- that of all foreign-born residents (34%) gree, compared with 27% of the entire of Colombian and more than double the proportion foreign-born population and 40% for the native-born population (16%). of the native-born. With respect to immigrants have More than a quarter (28%) of Colom- advanced degrees, only 5% of Colom- bian immigrants have received a bians living in Boston hold a graduate/ received at least high school diploma with no further professional degree or higher, com- schooling. pared with 12% of all foreign-born and 17% of the native-born. a high school diploma.

Educational Attainment for Population 25 Years and Older

35 ColombiansDominicans Foreign-BornForeign-Born Native-Born

30

25

20

15

10

5

0 8th Grade8th Grade or LessSomeSome High HSSchool HSHigh Diplom Schoola SomeSome CoCollegellege AssociatAssociatee BachelorBachelor GraduatGraduatee or Less Diploma

Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) 5%, BRA Research Division

3 imagine occupations

Over 40% of Colombians residing In total, 57% of Colombian immigrants in Boston who are in the labor force participate in the labor force, com- work in service occupations.12 The pared with 60% of the total foreign- next highest occupational category born population and 65% of the native- is technical, sales and administrative born population.13 The unemployment support occupations (19%), followed rate among the Colombian-born labor by managerial and professional occu- force in Boston is 7%, similar to the pations (17%) and production occupa- unemployment rate among the overall tions (12%). foreign-born labor force (7.1%) and about one percentage point lower than Colombian immigrants are over-repre- the rate among the native-born popu- sented in service occupations, which lation (7.8%)14. accounts for only 25% of jobs for all foreign-born workers. The high level An estimated 55% of Colombia-born of participation in service occupations immigrants in Boston work for a pri- is likely driven by the relatively low lev- vate, for-profit company. An additional els of educational attainment among 4.6% work for a private, nonprofit orga- Colombians in Boston. Conversely, nization. A total of 3.8% are employed Colombians are underrepresented in by the public sector (local, state and managerial and professional occupa- federal government). tions when compared with the overall foreign-born workforce, 26% of whom work in managerial and professional positions, and in technical, sales and administrative support occupations, which also comprise 26% of Boston’s foreign-born workforce.

Occupations of Boston’s Colombian Population

50 ColombiansDominicans Foreign-BornForeign-Born Native-BornNative-Bor

40

30

20

10

0 Service Technical, Installation, Managerial Production Community & Arts, Design, Other Sales & Maintenance, and Occupations Social Services Entertainment, Administration Construction, Professional Sports & Media Support Extraction & Transportation

Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) 5%, BRA Research Division occupations

4 self-employed

An estimated 4.3% of Colombian im- migrants in Boston are self-employed. This compares with a rate of 5.8% for the entire foreign-born labor force and 6.1% for the native-born labor force.15

Share of Self Employed

Colombian Foreign-Born Native-Born

4.0%

3.0%

2.0%

1.0%

0.0%

Source: U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) 5%, BRA Research Division

5 imagine

More than 584,735 7,174 Colombians in Boston Colombians live in the U.S. Occupations contributing

40% Service $133 million Main destinations for annual spending Colombian immigrants: 19% Technical, Sales & Administrative Support U.S $124 million Managerial & to the regional product Venezuela 17% Professional $35 million Spain 12% Production in state and federal taxes

Gender 7% Installation, Maintenance, 1,084 indirect jobs Construction, Extraction for the local economy & Transportation 2% Other 49% 2% Community and 51% Social Services 1% Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports & Media

Female

Male Marital Status Employment Status Age 50%

40% 60%

35% 50% 21% 30% 40% 25% 40% 20% 30% 15% 20% 39% 10% 10% 5%

0% 0 Now Widowed Divorced Separated Never Employed Unemployed Not in Labor Married Married Force

0-19 20-34 35+

6 Boston’s Colombians by Census Tract

A r l i n g t o n M e d f o r d R e v e r e E v e r e t t

C h e l s e a B e l m o n t S o m e r v i l l e

C a m b r i d g e Charlestown

W a t e r t o w n East Boston

Central

Allston/Brighton

Back Bay/ Beacon Hill South Boston

Fenway/ Kenmore South End

N e w t o n B r o o k l i n e

North Harbor Dorchester Roxbury Islands Jamaica Plain

South Dorchester

West Roxbury Mattapan Roslindale

Percentage of Foreign-Born Colombians by Census Tract Shown for ecumene only Q u i n c y

10.1 - 15.7 Hyde Park 5.1 - 10 M i l t o n 2.1 - 5 0.1 - 2 D e d h a m 0

Data Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary File 3.

0 B r a1 i n t r e e 2 Miles W e s t w o o d C a n t o n

7 imagine spending Consumer spending Colombian immigrants contribute to Beyond the contributions Colom- the local economy through their labor bian-born immigrants living in Boston and subsequent consumer spending. make to the city, state and national on the part of economies, they continue to play a The total value of their contributions vital role in the economy of their home are estimated using a Regional Eco- Boston’s Colombian country by sending back remittances nomic Model (REMI) that calculates of over $8 million each year. This the value of goods and services con- breaks down to an average of approx- immigrants generates sumed on each dollar spent. imately $256 per month sent back by Colombian immigrants spend, from each Colombian household.19 This $124 million in gross their after tax earnings, over $133 mil- trend is also witnessed throughout lion in Boston annually.16 These annual the U.S. and beyond, with Columbi- state product, expenditures contribute over $124 mil- ans living abroad contributing $3.93 lion towards the gross state product billion, or 2.9% of GDP, to Colombia’s $35 million in and almost $36 million in state and economy in 2006.20 federal taxes.17 In total, these expen- taxes, and 1084 ditures indirectly support 1,084 jobs in the Massachusetts economy.18 indirect jobs.

8 standard of living

Approximately 16% of Colombians have achieved a middle class stan- dard of living,21 compared with 38% of Boston’s native-born population and 25% of all foreign-born.

Education and English Proficiency in the Colombian Population (25+)22

Education/English Proficiency # of Colombian % Colombian % Foreign-Born % Native-Born

Lack H.S. Diploma & English Proficient 485 15.6% 16.9% 14.5%

Lack H.S. Diploma & Limited English Proficiency 830 26.7% 17.2% 1.1%

Have H.S. Diploma & Limited English Proficiency 596 19.2% 11.3% 0.7%

Lack H.S. Diploma OR Limited English Proficiency 1911 61.5% 45.4% 16.3%

U.S. Census 2000, Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) 5%, BRA Research Division

9 imagine

1 From the Global Migrant Origin Database 3 The “foreign-born” population includes at the Development Research Center on all people who are born outside the U.S., Migration, Globilisation and Poverty: http://www. naturalized citizens, and non U.S. citizens. migrationdrc.org/research/typesofmigration/ The “native-born” population includes all people global_migrant_origin_database.html born in the United States, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Island Areas and persons born abroad 2 The ACS is a yearly survey conducted by by American parents. BRA Research Division. the U.S. Census Bureau intended to allow (2009). communities to see how they are changing in the years between decennial censuses. The 4 World Bank, Research and Data, Remittances ACS is based on a sample of the population. Data 2007 http://siteresources.worldbank. While the data in this document are reported as org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934- specific numbers and percentages, all results 1199807908806/Colombia.pdf from the ACS are subject to sampling error. The data in this report are from the 2005-2007 ACS 3 5 American Community Survey, 2005-2007, year averages. These data are the combination American Fact Finder, BRA Research Analysis of 3 distinct years which reduces the level of (2009) sampling error. For more information on the 6 ACS, please see: http://www.census.gov/acs/ American Community Survey, 2005-2007, www/index.html American Fact Finder, BRA Research Analysis (2009) endnotes

10 7 The ACS’s American Fact Finder website and mathematical; education, training, and calculations. reports that there are an estimated 7,271 library; architecture and engineering; financial Colombians in Boston. However, the American operations; legal; healthcare practitioner and 18 BRA Research Division. (2009). REMI Fact Finder website reports a total population for technical; management, professional, and calculations. Boston that is lower than the currently accepted related; and life, physical, and social science 19 population total for the city (600,980 compared occupations. Technical, sales & administration Orozco, M. (2002), Remittances, Costs, and to 608,352 respectively). We adjusted the total support occupations include healthcare Market Competition, presentation of the Federal number of immigrants in each group in order to support; office and administrative support; Reserve Bank of Chicago. account for lower total number of Bostonians and sales and related occupations. Service 20 World Bank, Research and Data, Remittances estimated by the ACS. While our adjusted occupations include building and grounds Data 2007, http://siteresources.worldbank. estimate using the 2005-2007 ACS for foreign- cleaning and maintenance; food preparation org/INTPROSPECTS/Resources/334934- born Colombians in Boston is 7,271, the margin and serving related; personal care and service; 1199807908806/Colombia.pdf of error for this statistic at the 90% confidence and protective service occupations. Installation, interval is ± 1,472. Meaning, the actual maintenance, construction, extraction & 21 A family income four times the poverty population size of Colombians in Boston is likely transportation occupations include installation, line is used as a proxy for the middle-class to be between 5,799 and 8,743. Throughout maintenance, and repair; construction; standard of living. The actual income needed to this report we will report the adjusted population extraction; and transportation and material achieve this standard depends on the number estimate provided by the 2005-2007 ACS for moving occupations. Other occupations include of people in the family. For a two person foreign-born Colombians in Boston. These fishing and hunting, and forest and logging family the income would need to be at least population counts are estimates, however. workers; military specific occupations; and $44,856, which is at the 43rd percentile for all For more information on American Fact Finder occupations not elsewhere classified. The three families. Massachusetts Institute for a New please see: http://factfinder.census.gov/home/ remaining categories - production occupations; Commonwealth. (2005). The Changing Face of saff/main.html?_lang=en community and social service occupations; Massachusetts. arts, design, entertainment, sports and media 8 American Community Survey, 2005-2007, occupations – are each occupational groups 22 The Limited English Proficient includes American Fact Finder, BRA Research Analysis unto themselves. immigrant adults who do not speak English (2009). at all or who do not speak it well. The English 13 Defined as the share of the working-age Proficient includes immigrant adults who 9 There are community leaders and local population that is either currently employed speak only English, speak it very well or speak activists who dispute U.S. Census statistics or seeking work. U.S. Department of Labor, it well. In MassINC’s The Changing Face of suggesting they undercount the immigrant Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2005). Massachusetts report, the authors used these population. While this may be true, it is difficult same definitions, but labeled the two categories to estimate how this varies from community to 14 These unemployment data are from the 2000 language challenge and no language challenge, community. As a result, the Census is still the Census. It should be noted that unemployment respectively. most reliable source for understanding basic rates are subjected to a much greater demographic characteristics. level of fluctuation over time than the other demographic data in this report. 10 American Community Survey, 2005-2007, American Fact Finder, BRA Research Analysis 15 There is no agreement among researchers (2009) regarding the reasons for variations in the self employment rates among different immigrant 11 Cross tabulations of the ACS for relatively groups. Reasons cited include human and small groups can lead to making generalizations financial capital of individual immigrants, about subsections of that group from a very high rates of solidarity and social capital in small sample and may not be reliable. As a some immigrant communities, as well as the result, in this report we will use 2000 Census opportunity structure encountered by immigrant data for all cross-tabulations of the Colombian entrepreneurs. community, while using the 2005-2007 adjusted ACS estimates to express the total population. 16 Total gross income of Colombians totaled $175 million in 2007. Adjustments were 12 The current research breaks all occupations made for remittances assuming a monthly into one of eight general categories: managerial transfer of $256 per household. This amount and professional occupations; technical, sales, is in accordance with Orozco, M. (2002), and administration support occupations; Remittances, Costs, and Market Competition, service occupations; installation, maintenance, presentation of the Federal Reserve Bank of construction, extraction, and transportation Chicago. occupations; production occupations; community and social service occupations; 17 Colombians generate over $7 million in arts, design, entertainment, sports and state income taxes, $2 million in state sales media occupations; and other occupations. taxes paid, and more than $26 million in Managerial and professional occupations federal income taxes. Boston Redevelopment include business operations; computer Authority (BRA) Research Division. (2009). REMI

11 Produced by the BRA Research Division Álvaro Lima, Director of Research Mark Melnik Nanette Dyer Blake

For more information: http://www.bostonredevelopmentauthority.org/Research/Research.asp

Map by the digital Cartography & GIS Alla Ziskin