New Americans in New Mexico

The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in the Land of Enchantment (Updated January 2012)

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Immigrants and their children are growing shares of New Mexico’s population and electorate.

• The foreign-born share of New Mexico’s population rose from 5.3% in 1990, to 8.2% in 2000, to 9.9% in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. New Mexico was home to 205,141 immigrants in 2010, which is nearly the total population of Montgomery, Alabama.

• 33.9% of immigrants (or 69,511 people) in New Mexico were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2010—meaning that they are eligible to vote.

• 8.7% (or 81,494) of registered voters in New Mexico were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2008 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

Nearly half of all New Mexicans are Latino or Asian.

• The Latino share of New Mexico’s population grew from 38.2% in 1990, to 42.1% in 2000, to 46.4% (or 958,592 people) in 2010.  The Asian share of the population grew from 0.9% in 1990, to 1.1% in 2000, to 1.2% (or 24,791 people) in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Latinos accounted for 34.2% (or 289,000) of New Mexico voters in the 2008 elections, and Asians 1.7% (14,000), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  The number of Latino and Asian voters was more than double the margin of victory (125,590 votes) by which Barack Obama defeated John McCain in New Mexico.
• In New Mexico, 85.2% of children with immigrant parents were U.S. citizens in 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.

• In 2009, 90.7% of children in Asian families in New Mexico were U.S. citizens, as were 94.7% of children in Latino families.

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add tens of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs to New Mexico’s economy.

• The 2010 purchasing power of Latinos in New Mexico totaled $20 billion—an increase of 305.2% since 1990. Asian buying power totaled $1.3 billion—an increase of 607.1% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.

• New Mexico’s 37,195 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $6.5 billion and employed 50,021 people in 2007, the last year for which data is available.  The state’s 3,321 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $1.1 billion and employed 10,739 people in 2007, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.
  

Immigrants are integral to New Mexico’s economy as workers and taxpayers.

• Immigrants comprised 12.2% of the state’s workforce in 2010 (or 118,037 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Unauthorized immigrants in New Mexico paid $101.5 million in state and local taxes in 2010, according to data from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, which includes:

• $8.7 million in state income taxes.
• $8.7 million in property taxes.
• $84.2 million in sales taxes.

• Unauthorized immigrants comprised roughly 5.6% of the state’s workforce (or 50,000 workers) in 2010, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

• If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from New Mexico, the state would lose $1.8 billion in economic activity, $809.1 million in gross state product, and approximately 12,239 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

Immigrants are integral to New Mexico’s economy as students.

• New Mexico’s 2,898 foreign students contributed $57.9 million to the state’s economy in tuition, fees, and living expenses for the 2009-2010 academic year, according to NAFSA: Association of International Educators.
  

Naturalized citizens excel educationally.

• In New Mexico, 21.5% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2009 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 11.5% of noncitizens.

• The number of immigrants in New Mexico with a college degree increased by 53.9% between 2000 and 2009, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.

• In New Mexico, 79% of children with immigrant parents were considered “English proficient” as of 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.

• The English proficiency rate among Asian children in New Mexico was 88.1%, while for Latino children it was 91.1%, as of 2009.

Published On: Wed, Jan 11, 2012 | Download File