CHILD WELL-BEING AND ETHNIC DIVERSITY IN AFFLUENT SOCIETIES by DONALD J. HERNANDEZ, Ph.D. Professor Department of Sociology Hunter College and The Graduate Center City University of New York Email: Donald.Hernandez@hunter.cuny.edu Phone: (914) 633-3268 Child Well-Being: An International Seminar Cleveland, Ohio, February 6, 2014 Schubert Center for Child Studies, Case Western Reserve University, Haruv Institute, Hebrew University, Jerusalem Springer Publishers, Dordrecht, Heidelberg, NY, London Acknowledgements: Victoria L. Blanchard and Suzanne Macartney
Slide 2. First-Ever Study Developing Internationally Comparable Estimates of Number and Circumstances of Children in Immigrant Families ● UNICEF – Innocenti Research Centre ● Eight affluent countries ● Number of children in immigrant families ● Circumstances in the areas of: … Economics … Education … Health … Culture … Civic Participation
Slide 3. All Children are Entitled to Rights in the U.N. CRC, Regardless of Ethnic Origin, National Origin, Language, and Race U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child affirms a child ’ rights to: ● Adequate Standard of Living ● Education directed toward the development of child ’ s fullest potential ● Highest available standard of health ● Child ’ s own cultural identify and use of his or her own language
Slide 4. Eight Affluent Countries in IRC Project and Global Rank by Number of Immigrants Rank Study Country 1 st USA 3 rd Germany 5 th France 9 th United Kingdom 11 th Australia 16 th Italy 25 th Switzerland 27 th Netherlands
Slide 5. “ Non-Western ” Population as Percent of Total Population circa 2000 and Projected 2050 50% 100% 7% Germany 2000 18% 2050 9% Netherlands 17% England and 9% 25% Wales 31% USA 50% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 6. Children in Immigrant Families as Percent of All Children 50% 100% Italy 10% United Kingdom 16% France 17% Netherlands 22% USA 25% Germany 26% Australia 33% Switzerland 39% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 7. Children in Immigrant Families with LMIC Origins as Percent of Children in All Immigrant Families 50% 100% Germany 10-13% Australia 31-50% France 46-78% Switzerland 50% 54% Italy United Kingdom 61-63% Netherlands 66-77% USA 75-76% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 8. U.N. CRC: All Children have the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living Sources of Income: ● Money income earned by employed parents ● Money income from government programs ● Other goods/services from government programs Housing is a major cost in family budgets: ● Overcrowded housing
Slide 9. European Union Basic Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy Concerning Employment “ Employment is a key part of the integration process and is central to the participation of immigrants, to the contributions immigrants make to the host society, and to making such contributions visible. (Council of the European Union, 2004)
Slide 10. Children with LMIC and Native Origins, Difference in Percent with Father Employed -50% (LMIC < Native) (LMIC > Native) +50% Germany -32% Netherlands -26% France -23% United Kingdom -13% Switzerland -11% Australia -6% USA -3% Italy 2% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 11. Children with LMIC and Native Origins, Difference in Percent with Mother Employed -50% (LMIC < Native) (LMIC > Native) +50% France -37% Germany -36% Netherlands -33% United Kingdom -23% USA -15% Switzerland -9% Australia -8% Italy 9% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 12. European Union Basic Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy Concerning Money Income and Social Transfers “ Access for immigrants to institutions, as well as to public and private goods and services, on a basis equal to citizens and in a non-discriminatory way is a critical foundation for better integration. (Council of the European Union, 2004)
Slide 13. Children with Immigrant and Native Origins, Percent Poverty Reduction Due to Social Transfers (Smeeding, Wing, and Robson, forthcoming) -50% (Immigrant < Native) 0 -38% France -24% -30% United ¡Kingdom -15% Immigrant Native -12% Australia -12% -7% Germany -7% -1% USA -2% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 14. Children with Immigrant and Native Origins, Poverty Rate Based on Market Income and Including Social Transfers (Smeeding, Wing, and Robson, forthcoming) 50% 100% 15% Germany 8% Immigrant 19% France 6% Native 20% Australia 13% 29% United Kingdom 16% 33% USA 20% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 15. Children with Immigrant and Native Origins, Difference in Poverty Rate Based on Market Income and Social Transfers (Smeeding, Wing, and Robson, forthcoming) -50% (Immigrant < Native) (Immigrant > Native) +50% United Kingdom 13% -50% (Immigrant < Native) 0 USA 13% France 12% Germany 7% Australia 6% Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 16. European Union Report on Immigrant Integration: Focus on Housing “ In order to successfully integrate and participate in all aspects of life, migrants must be provided with basic rights in terms of access to … housing. ” “ As part of the action programme to combat social exclusion, the Commission has commissioned a study on access to decent housing for migrants … . ” (European Commission, 2006)
Slide 17. Children with LMIC and Native Origins, Difference in Percent Living in Overcrowded Housing (more than 1 person per room) -50% (LMIC < Native) (LMIC > Native) +50% Australia 3% Italy 21% United Kingdom 22% France 42% USA 43% Switzerland NA Netherlands NA Germany NA Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 18. U.N. CRC: All Children have the Right to Education Directed Toward Developing the Child ’ s Fullest Potential ● Children ’ s educational achievement is strongly influenced by parent education level ● PreKindergarten enrollment ● Reading and mathematics test scores
Slide 19. European Union Basic Principles for Immigrant Integration Policy Concerning Education “ Efforts in education are critical in preparing immigrants, and particularly their descendants, to be more successful and more active participants in society. ” (Council of the European Union, 2004)
Slide 20. Children with LMIC and Native Origins, Difference in Percent with Father Completing Less Than High School -50% (LMIC < Native) (LMIC > Native) +50% United Kingdom -10% Australia -6% Italy 19% USA 33% France 33% Germany 34% Switzerland 35% Netherlands NA Source: Prepared by Donald J. Hernandez from UNICEF-IRC project on children and immigrant families.
Slide 21. High-quality Prekindergarten is highly cost-effective for Improving Educational Attainment ● Chicago Child-Parent Centers ● Long-term society return was $8.24 for every $1.00 invested in the first 4-6 years of school
Slide 22. PreKindergarten Enrollment in the U.S. and Germany ● 53% USA, in native-born family USA, in immigrant family ● 44% Total ● 40% Indochina ● 36% Mexico and Central America Germany ● 84% German Citizens ● 78% Not German Citizen
Slide 23. Children Proficient in 4th Grade Reading and Mathematics: ELL Status, 2011 100 Percent in Fourth Grade at or above 90 80 70 Proficient Level 60 44 50 Dual Language 40 Learner 30 14 20 7 10 0 Reading Mathemati cs
Slide 23. Children Proficient in 4th Grade Reading and Mathematics: ELL Status, 2011 100 Percent in Fourth Grade at or above 90 80 70 Dual Proficient Level Language 60 44 Learner 50 37 40 30 English 14 Only 20 7 Learner 10 0 Reading Mathemati cs
Slide 24. Language and Culture: Rights under the CRC and the E.U. Principles of Immigrant inclusion ● CRC: Children are entitled to rights without distinction with regard to their language ● CRC: Children have the right to their own culture and use of their own language ● EU: Settlement society language is indispensable to integration ● EU: The practice of diverse cultures and religions is guaranteed under the Charter of Fundamental Rights
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