Latino immigrants in Charlotte

On a day when the nation is focused on immigration, it seems fitting to discuss some of the data I’ve been gathering for my grant on Latino immigration to Charlotte. For example, in 2000 Latinos accounted for 12.5% of births here, which increased to 18% for 2004 (2005 birth data is not yet available, but should reach 1 in 5, while white non-Hispanic births will account for less than half). About 62% of the mothers are Mexican. Somewhere around 9% of the total population is Latino.

Also interesting is that Latino women have healthier babies—there are fewer incidences of low birth weight, and fewer premature babies than non-Latinos.

With the aid of my GIS programmer wife, I’m going to (well, she’s going to) make some cool maps with all this and other data, which is at the zip code level.

I have no idea how well organized the Day Without an Immigrant is here, though Latino leaders (such as at the Latin American Coalition) are urging people not to skip school or work.