Report finds Latinos gloomy over economy (from The Desert Sun)

Interesting findings as the presidential election approaches. -Dr. Louie F. Rodriguez
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The Desert Sun
September 18, 2008
Report finds Latinos gloomy over economy

Nicole C. Brambila
The Desert Sun

One in two Latinos say their situation is worse now than a year ago, according to a poll released today.

The news comes on the heels of multi-billion government bailouts, low consumer confidence and an increasingly shaky Wall Street.

In 2007, just 42 percent of all Latinos said their situation had worsened, according to the poll conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center.

Among the report’s findings:

• 15 percent say that finding and keeping a job is difficult because they are Latino
• 81 percent say immigration enforcement should be done by the federal government, not local law enforcement.
• 76 percent disapprove of workplace raids and 70 percent disapprove of criminal prosecution for employers who hire undocumented workers.
• 10 percent say police and other authorities have stopped them and asked about their immigration status.
• The majority of Latinos worry about deportation, 57 percent.

The poll of 2,015 Latinos – 44 percent of who report they are registered to vote – was conducted June 9 through July 13.

This gloomy outlook is most prevalent among immigrants, 63 percent of whom say their situation has worsened in the past year as the down turn in the economy and rising unemployment has hit Latinos especially hard and the federal government steps up enforcement.

Founded in 2001, the Pew Hispanic Center conducts research on Latinos and their impact in the United States to foster education. The Center does not take policy positions.

To read the full report, go to www.pewhispanic.org.