PUBLIC ENGAGERS: NEWSFEED

Will Too Much Debt Fuel A Double-Dip Recession?

Francie Grace — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:33:22 -0500

That was the question raised by President Obama during an interview in China (one of our biggest creditors), as cartoonists seized the opportunity to comment on America's looming national debt. "It is important," said Mr. Obama, "to recognize that if we keep on adding to the debt, even in the midst of this recovery, that at some point, people could lose confidence in the U.S. economy in a way that could actually lead to a double-dip recession."

More pressure on this issue is coming from the newly unveiled $848 billion Senate health care bill, which includes a number of tax increases, and is estimated by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to have the potential to slash federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade.

Some lawmakers aren't so sure. The Washington Post quotes Sen. Judd Gregg (R, NH) as saying the bill "may claim to be deficit-neutral, [but] it uses sleight-of-hand budgetary tricks by assuming unrealistic tax increases and Medicare cuts that members of Congress will not be willing to follow through on."

Where do you stand? There's never been a more important time to keep up with the issues and let policymakers know your views on which options they should pursue. To learn more, compare the health care proposals and check out the Citizen's Survival Kit and FacingUp.org, our web site and curriculum dedicated to helping citizens get the facts and participate in solutions to America's federal budget deficit and national debt problem.

College and high school students have yet another opportunity to get involved and have their voices heard, by participating in our Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances contest for essays and video presentations on the deficit and national debt. There are prizes of $500 each for the best entries, which are due by December 11th; click here for details.

Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances is made possible by a grant from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Listening To Young Americans On The Deficit

Francie Grace — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:12:12 -0500

You wouldn't think the bottom line on the $1.6 trillion federal budget deficit and $11.9 trillion national debt crisis could be summed up in a single sentence, but when the right words whizzed by, the Wall Street Journal's David Wessel was quick to point them out. Words to remember, in a speech by Douglas Elmendorf, director of the Congressional Budget Office: "The country faces a fundamental disconnect between the services the people expect the government to provide, particularly in the form of benefits for older Americans, and the tax revenues that people are willing to send to the government to finance those services."

These words underscore the fact that no matter how complicated and increasingly urgent this problem is, it is one which can be understood by most Americans – who can then consider, debate, and decide on options for the best way to reduce the deficit before its sheer weight makes many decisions for us.

Through PublicAgenda.org, FacingUp.org and our Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances interactive curriculum for college students, we've been helping people understand the problem, why it matters, and how to get involved in the process of charting a path to fiscal health. This fall, we extended the reach of the Facing Up curriculum to include high school and middle school students, who have been using our learning materials as part of the University of Virginia's Youth Leadership Initiative program.

Through that partnership, we also got a chance to hear more about how young people feel about the fiscal crisis which is shaping all of our futures. In a mock election held to give students a chance to speak out on a range of issues, 77 percent favored a balanced budget; an increase in the age for Social Security eligibility was supported by 64 percent; and increasing payroll taxes was favored by 53 percent. Reducing Social Security benefits was opposed by 69 percent.

We'll be hearing a lot more about these issues beginning on Monday, when we start accepting entries for the Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances contest for students, with $500 prizes for the best essays and best multimedia presentations on the federal budget deficit and national debt and what ought to be done about it. The contest has two divisions - one for college students, and another for high school students – and all will have a chance to comment on and discuss each other's ideas.

December 11 is the entry deadline; click here to see the full contest rules. Students Face Up to the Nation's Finances, a nonpartisan curriculum available at FacingUp.org, is available to users free of charge thanks to a grant from the Peter G. Peterson Foundation.

Choices for the Future

Scott Bittle — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:35:00 -0500

You know you're in for a bout of grim reading when the international agency charged with worrying about how we power the planet starts off its fact sheet with a question like this: "Why is our current energy pathway unsustainable?"

That's the message from the International Energy Agency, which issued its World Energy Outlook report, the organization's annual examination of the big picture. That picture itself hasn't changed all that much. The fundamental challenge is still to meet surging worldwide demand for energy while at the same time coming up with ways to avoid global warming and keep energy relatively affordable.

Basically, the IEA says everything depends on whether or not world leaders get serious about climate change, very soon.

If we do nothing, then worldwide energy demand is projected to soar by 40 percent by 2030. The vast majority of that increase is going to come in the developing world, as people in China, India and throughout Asia see their standard of living rise. Even keeping up with that demand would require investing another $26 trillion. And unless things change, most of that energy is going to come from fossil fuels, which means "dire consequences for climate change" and air pollution, the IEA said.

On the other hand, if world leaders committed to fighting climate change with cap-and-trade policies, increased energy efficiency, and greater use of renewable energy, that would cost another $10.5 trillion (on top of the $26 trillion). But energy demand growth could be cut in half, and greenhouse gases would decline.

Not that the prospects for this look particularly good right now. Most observers say hopes for a real deal out of next month's Copenhagen climate conference are fading, one major reason being that the United States still hasn't figured out what it wants to do. There's a chance the Obama administration will put something in place on its own even if Congress doesn't act, but in any case, it's unlikely a deal with be struck without American leadership.

Chances are you've never heard of the IEA. While the agency has enormous influence among policymakers, and while there are bitter disputes over its estimates, it barely registers with the public. But despite the IEA's wonky tone and elite audience, the report has one great strength when it comes to getting the public involved: it focuses on choices and alternatives.

The world has decisions to make about energy. Everything we've learned about how people get engaged in making policy decisions shows that choices are essential. Nothing's perfect, and there are always tradeoffs to everything. Setting those options out fairly to the public is critical to building public support for change.

The IEA actually lays out the cost of those alternatives for policymakers. We can only hope that policymakers will turn around and do the same for the public.

Invitation To A Health Care Reform Dialogue

Francie Grace — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:43:07 -0500

On too many issues, the political discussion provides more heat than light, and the public doesn't have a chance to deliberate over the choices for solving problems. That certainly applies to health care reform, an area in which opinion is split, often in contradictory ways.

A Gallup poll last month found 54 percent who said it's a government responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage, and 41 percent who said the opposite. At the same time, 25 percent said they expected to support the final health care bill, 33 percent expected to oppose it, and 39 percent said it all depends on decisions yet to be made about the legislation.

So here's an invitation for citizens to step up and be part of the debate: the National Issues Forum Institute (NIFI) is holding an online deliberation on health care. Here's the link to use to join the deliberation: http://nifi-healthcare.dialoguecircles.com - - you can also forward this URL to colleagues and others who might want to join in, or post it on your Twitter feed or Facebook site. To get ready, you can check out our Citizen's Survival Kit and NIFI's health care workbook, based on research by the Kettering Foundation.

Still Number One

Scott Bittle — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:30:36 -0500

As if anyone needed proof that immigration will remain a major issue, a new international survey reports that some 700 million people worldwide say they would move to another country if they could. Not surprisingly, the largest single group, one-quarter, say their first choice would be to come to the United States.

We can't speak to the view of those overseas, but we can certainly talk about the immigrants who are already here. In our survey of immigrants, A Place to Call Home, we found a powerful endorsement of life in America. More than seven in 10 say that if they could do it all over again, they'd still come to the United States. Just as many say they intend to make the United States their permanent home.

The reasons are simple enough: immigrants buy into American society. Three-quarters say the United States is "a unique country that stands for something special." Strong majorities also rate the U.S. as better than their birth country on a range of dimensions, including making a good living, having a trustworthy legal system and providing education and health care.

With all the ups and downs of our international reputation, with all the challenges we face, people still want to come to America. And the ones who have already come here, want to stay. That's a powerful endorsement – and in fact, you couldn't ask for a better one.

The "Awkward Age" – America's Human Resources Challenge

Francie Grace — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:41:25 -0500

The term used to be applied to early adolescence, but there's a new tricky phase of life: people from their late 50s to late 60s: healthier and longer-lived than previous generations, and many wanting or needing to stay in the workforce. So says Public Agenda's Andrew Yarrow, in a Baltimore Sun Op Ed with a lot of great links to organizations that are helping both older workers and the economy, with job training programs and opportunities for those who'd like to share their experience with others a few years behind them in their careers. Click here to check out the full article.

The Best Idea Yet on Climate Change

Scott Bittle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:51:59 -0500

At one of the last preliminary meetings leading up to the international climate change conference, a U.N. official called on the diplomats to craft "simple, clear options for politicians" at Copenhagen.

An excellent idea, but they've left it until pretty late in the day. And when they've created these clear options, they might want to let the public in on them, too.

If Public Agenda's work in public engagement has taught us anything, it's that people need options. That's how most people make decisions, by weighing alternatives and considering tradeoffs. And that's what has been missing from much of the debate so far. Most people have been confused more than engaged, and that doesn't help when it comes to making the choices needed: not just whether we switch away from fossil fuels, but to what alternatives, and how quickly?

Those choices might also be useful in Washington, where a Senate committee is supposed to vote on a major climate change bill. But the Democrats are divided and the Republicans may not even show up, so the fate of the bill remains uncertain. This comes back to tradeoffs, too.

Filling in the knowledge gaps and explaining the options for change may be the most important element in solving our energy problems. Because if world leaders still need to have the options laid out before making a decision, imagine how the public feels.

Supporting Teacher Talent

Peiting Chen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:40:10 -0500

At the same time, only ten percent say student performance on standardized tests would be an "excellent" measure of teacher success.

The findings, which include an exploration of attitudes toward unions, are part of a national study designed to provide a comprehensive and nuanced look at the question of whether different generations bring different aspirations, concerns and perspectives to teaching.

Supporting Teacher Talent: The View From Generation Y is the second in a series of three reports funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.

Click here to see the first report in this series, Teaching For A Living: How Teachers See The Profession Today, released on Oct. 19, 2009.

Chilly Reception for Climate Change Bill?

Scott Bittle — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:47:56 -0500

The Senate environment committee is supposed to vote on a landmark bill to fight climate change this week. But the legislation's fate is in doubt as Democrats remain divided and Republicans may not even show up. The core of the struggle comes over the crucial part of any proposal to deal with energy and global warming: making tradeoffs. We've got resources to help you work through the choices senators are wrestling with, including Who Turned Out the Lights? Your Guided Tour to the Energy Crisis, the new book by Public Agenda's Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson. Click here to learn more.

Supporting Teacher Talent: The View From Generation Y

Francie Grace — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:55:25 -0500

New research by Public Agenda and Learning Point Associates examining the views of Generation Y teachers shows that 71 percent are open to financial incentives for teachers who consistently work harder and put in more time and effort. Just ten percent say student performance on standardized tests would be an "excellent" measure of teacher success. The study, examining whether different generations bring different aspirations, concerns and perspectives to teaching, is the second in a series of three reports funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.

Young Teachers Assess Old Views and Traditional Methods

Peiting Chen — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:57:52 -0400

Stimulated, But Worried (With Good Reason)

Francie Grace — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 -0400

There was both joy and skepticism on Wall Street, as third quarter GDP figures showed growth in the U.S. economy for the first time in over a year, a 3.5 percent annual rate expansion fanned by government stimulus spending seen as suggesting an end to the recession.

One group not seen stocking up on party hats is the economists. "The economy has emerged with gusto from the deepest recession since World War II," Unicredit Markets economist Harm Bandholz told Reuters. "The short-term prospects for the economy remain good."

"Short-term" is, indeed, the watchword, and Reuters underscores it with the words of economist Chris Low: "The economy is entirely dependent on federal deficit spending at the moment… Once the government steps aside, growth is likely to fall back to a one to two percent rate of growth."

So the long-term problem of the federal budget deficit and escalating national debt remains, and will have to be dealt with before the long-term is allowed to play out. That's a message you've heard here before – but here are a few new tidbits to help you wrap your mind around the issue and get involved in making the spending choices that are determining our present and shaping our future:

Lessons from the land of the rising sun: Japan, which has tried government deficit spending as an economic cure for a lot longer and to the point where its gross public debt is now twice the size of its $5 trillion economy (U.S. debt is nearly 98% of GDP), is now being treated to analysts wondering about the yen, with one suggesting its bond-financing strategy could falter within three to five years.

The merging of two titan issues: deficit reduction and health care. Democrats rallying for the latest version of the health care bill said the Congressional Budget Office estimated the coverage-related cost at $894 billion over the next ten years. Christina Romer, the head of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, in a speech Monday, was emphatic that it would be "fiscally irresponsible not to do health care reform" and stressed that "we are also on track to meet the president's promise that health care reform will not add one dime to the deficit."

The Prosperity Index. Finland's #1. Click here to see how we're doing. Then check out our resources on this topic – the Citizen's Survival Kit and the Facing Up web site and curriculum for citizens and students – and get started. Each of us is able to both understand what's at stake and do something about it.

The Smart Approach to a Smart Grid

Scott Bittle — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:08:17 -0400

Don't feel bad if your eyes glazed over this story reporting the Obama administration is going to put $3.4 billion behind an upgraded electrical grid – the so-called "smart grid." But it may match the Senate climate change hearings as the most important energy story of the day – and it's no less important when it comes to getting the public on board.

As a discussion topic, the electrical grid combines the excitement of municipal water and sewer systems with the seductive allure of the tax code. Yet our current grid is aging, increasingly overloaded, and not up to the challenges we're going to face.

Here are a few of the things the country won't be able to do unless we upgrade the grid:

Expand wind and solar power. The best places for wind farms, for example, are on the Great Plains, but not that many of us live on the prairie. We need better long-distance lines to carry the power to where it’s needed. Plus, the grid needs to be able to deal with the peaks and valleys in power generation that occur naturally when the wind dies off or the sun goes down.

Move to electric cars. If people are going to start driving cars like the Chevy Volt or the Nissan Leaf, that means less use of oil but more demand on our electricity grid. That means an increase in demand, and maybe making electric charging stations as common as gas stations are now.

Just keep up with demand. Even if relatively little changes about how we get our energy, the country is going to demand more and more of it over the next 20 years. Right now the power grid is already running close to capacity in certain parts of the country, like Southern California and the New York-Washington corridor. A better grid will help avoid summer blackouts and other potential problems.

The "smart grid" would combine the communications power of the Internet with the brute force capacity of the current network. For example, right now the utility knows how much power you’re using, but not necessarily why you’re using it. A smart grid would allow the utility to know much more precisely what was causing a surge in demand, and shift resources to meet it. And technology at your business or home would know the grid was approaching capacity and be able to make its own adjustments, cutting back on the electricity you could afford to give up (say, adjusting your thermostat) while keeping the essential stuff.

Plus, upgrading the grid is about as bipartisan as energy policy gets, with backing ranging from environmental groups to business leaders. So why should the public care? Can't we leave this to the professionals, the power companies and the engineers?

The problem is that upgrading the grid is going to touch a lot of people very closely. Local groups frequently resist new power lines or power plants in their neighborhood. People aren't used to the idea of the power company playing Big Brother with their energy use.

The smart grid is like just about every other aspect of energy policy: it touches people too closely to take public opinion for granted. Policies that seem like no-brainers to the experts can still run afoul of the public if they're not handled right. That's completely avoidable. But it means someone has to take the time to explain the options to people and help them weigh the choices. We've made a start on doing that.

Because if you want people to plug in the smart grid, you've got to take the time to get them to buy in first.

The Number That Matters Most for the Climate Change Debate

Scott Bittle — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:30:12 -0400

As the Senate holds hearings on a major climate change bill this week, you're going to hear a lot of numbers: 20 percent reduction in greenhouse gases, 350 parts per million, and $100 per household. But the best number to focus on may be this one: 55.

Students in the Dominican Republic on 350 Day, part of an international campaign calling for action to reduce greenhouse gases.

That's the percentage of Americans who say they've heard "nothing at all" about cap and trade legislation, according to the Pew Research Center. That didn't get as much attention as another finding in the same survey, that fewer Americans say there's "solid evidence" of global warming, but it may be just as significant to the debate.

In another Pew survey, only 23 percent correctly identified cap-and-trade as having to do with energy and the environment. That jives with the low knowledge levels Public Agenda found in our own research.

That means the public is still a long way from being fully engaged in this issue. You don't have to be an expert to play a role in these decisions, but you do need some basic knowledge in order to follow the discussion. Right now, despite the efforts of activists, we've still got a way to go, and there are still lots of ways this debate can stall or get hijacked.

But there are easy ways to get up to speed on hard choices. The public can play a real part in this debate – if we give them what they need.

Public Engagement: Many Religions, One Community

Francie Grace — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 13:24:34 -0400

"Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain," a PBS film about a Medieval period of unusual interaction between Muslims, Jews and Christians, is now being used by Public Agenda and the group 20,000 Dialogues for a project to help Americans engage in discussions about interfaith understanding. We have free training materials for civic and religious groups interested in hosting dialogues on the past, present and future of interfaith relations. Click here for more information and for assistance in doing this in your own area.

Inflation On Campus

Francie Grace — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:54:20 -0400

Dig deeper! Tuition and fees are up by about 6.5 percent at public four-year colleges, which are struggling with state budget cuts, and by about 4.4 percent at private colleges, hit by stock market losses in their endowments. The report from the College Board comes as our research shows a majority believes a college degree is both an indispensable ticket to the middle class and increasing numbers of people believe college is financially out of reach for many qualified students. To learn more, see our studies on this issue: Squeeze Play, Campus Commons, The Iron Triangle and Sharing The Dream.

Teaching for a Living

Peiting Chen — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:59:00 -0400

Two out of five of American K-12 teachers appear disheartened and disappointed about their jobs, according to Public Agenda's Teaching for a Living study, conducted with Learning Point Associates and released in association with Education Week.

The research, designed to learn more about how to support and retain the most promising teachers, focuses on questions like why people become teachers, what are their frustrations, and what reforms they think would improve their work.

Our findings include a cluster analysis revealing three distinct groups of teachers: the “Disheartened,” the “Contented,” and the “Idealists.”

This is the first in a series of three reports funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Joyce Foundation.

Click here to see the second report, Supporting Teacher Talent: The View From Generation Y, released Nov. 2, 2009. For more information, please contact Public Agenda communications manager Melissa Feldsher at mfeldsher@publicagenda.org or 212-686-6610, extension 50.

On Energy, It Takes More Than 'Eureka'

Scott Bittle — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:56:56 -0400

The Wall Street Journal has a big energy section today on "five technologies that could change everything." The Journal backs it up by posing this point:

"Admit it: When you think about our need to be less reliant on nonrenewable, greenhouse-gas-emitting sources of energy, part of you wishes, hopes, believes that technology will come to the rescue."

It's certainly a common enough view – the fact that Americans have faith in technology is nothing new. But surprisingly it's not necessarily a majority. In Public Agenda's Energy Learning Curve, we found 41 percent who believed technology will solve the global warming problem "without requiring major sacrifices." But 48 percent said society would have to make major sacrifices to solve the problem.

That also depends on your definition of sacrifice. Actually bringing any energy technology to market, even the ones we have now, even the ones that sound like "magic bullets," requires some tradeoffs, as you can see in these stories about renewable energy and in the controversy over solar plants in the California desert.

Getting the technology to work is only part of the problem. Whatever choices we make have to be economically viable and publically acceptable. And that's always the hard part.

Teaching for a Living: Voices From The Classroom

Scott Bittle — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:28:49 -0400

Two out of five of America’s teachers appear disheartened and disappointed about their jobs, according to new research released by Public Agenda and Learning Point Associates in association with Education Week. The new report probes why people become teachers, their frustrations, and what reforms they favor. We find teachers fall into three groups: the Disheartened, the Contented and the Idealists. Find out more about what this may mean for our schools in Teaching for a Living, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Joyce Foundation.

Beyond the Plateau on Math Scores

Scott Bittle — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:52:56 -0400

The latest edition of the "nation's report card" shows that math scores failed to improve for the first time since 1990, and you don't have to have great math skills to know that isn't good enough. But how do we move skills forward?

The National Assessment of Educational Progress reported this week that fourth-grade math skills have been flat since 2007, after more than 17 years of steady if limited progress. That's prompted a lot of debate over whether this means the federal No Child Left Behind law has stalled, what this may mean for the standards movement in general, and how we teach math in the public schools.

Those are all critical points. Based on Public Agenda's research, we'd suggest one more factor to think about: parents.

Overall, we've found that parents see standards as "necessary, but not sufficient" in raising student achievement. But we've also found a troubling complacency among parents about math and science achievement, in particular. Parents say they're generally satisfied with the math education their children get, and their concern about math and science achievement declined since the mid-1990s. To be fair, that was during a period when NAEP math scores were rising. But parents certainly didn't share the urgency of business and academic leaders, who worry that the U.S. has a lot further to do, and is in danger of losing its edge in math and science.

Our work also suggests ways of closing that urgency gap. In Kansas City, where our public engagement team has worked with local groups on math and science education, we found it helps to"speak the language of opportunity," pointing out the connection between math skills and getting ahead in life.

The other question the new scores raise is how well teachers are performing when it comes to math. NAEP did an intriguing analysis this time based on the training of math teachers: whether they had an undergraduate degree in math or in education.

According to NAEP's analysis, fourth-graders whose teachers reported having an undergraduate major in education scored higher than those with teachers who reported having a minor or not having a degree in education. Eighth-graders with teachers who had an undergraduate major or minor in math scored higher than students whose teachers did not have a major or minor in math.

Our 2007 Lessons Learned survey of first-year teachers had an interesting counterpoint to this. We asked elementary school teachers if they felt "confident and well-prepared" to teach different subjects. This isn't a measure of how well teachers are actually trained – just where they feel confident and where they feel shaky.

There wasn't much difference in reading and math, with 64 percent saying they were "very confident" teaching reading and writing and 61 percent very confident in math. In math, there wasn't any statistically significant difference between alternative certification teachers and those who were traditionally trained (although the alternative certification teachers had unique concerns in other areas, like not getting enough support overall).

For more elementary school teachers, the weak area turned out to be not math, but science, where only 38 percent said they were very confident.

Q14. (From Lessons Learned) How confident and well-prepared are you in each of the following subject areas. (First,) How confident and well-prepared are you in ...?

READ FOR FIRST ITEM, THEN AS NECESSARY: Are you very confident and well-prepared, somewhat confident and well-prepared, not too confident and well-prepared, or not at all confident and well-prepared?

		Very	Somewhat	Not too	Not at all	DK/Ref.	(N)
a. Math	Total	61%	31%	4%	1%	2%	(440)
b. Science	Total	38%	48%	10%	1%	3%	(440)
c. Reading and Writing	Total	64%	30%	4%	*	2%	(440)

Afghanistan & The War On Terror

Francie Grace — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:44:27 -0400

Is Afghanistan a war of necessity or a war of choice? That's the frame that Council on Foreign Relations president Dr. Richard Haass suggests be used in thinking about U.S. foreign policy decisions. Speaking at the Maxwell School/Public Agenda Policy Breakfast, Haass argued that a war of necessity must be both a matter of vital national interest and one with no viable alternative. Haas also talked about the war to win hearts and minds of potential terror trainees. "How do we break the recruiting train?" he asked. "How do we persuade young men to make a much different career choice?" Click here to see video of the event.

Climate Change, Blackadder, and Percentages of Mystery

Scott Bittle — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:37:56 -0400

The battle over climate change has been joined in the Senate, and judging from the first day, it's not only going to be as heated as health care, it's also going to be just as obscure.

The first news stories, for example, tell us that the Senate version of a global warming bill introduced this week wants to cut carbon dioxide emissions by 20 percent from 2005 levels, compared with 17 percent in the House bill.

This puts us in mind of a scene from the old British TV comedy Blackadder, a must-see for lovers of truly fine sarcasm. One of the characters confidently tells Blackadder that a princess' eyes are said to be even more blue than the "famous Stone of Galveston." "So what you're telling me, Percy," Blackadder says witheringly, "is that something you have never seen is slightly less blue than something else you have never seen."

Don't worry; it's not just Congress. The international climate conference in Copenhagen is already shaping up as an argument between those who think we should cut greenhouse emissions 17 percent to 23 percent, versus those who think we need to cut them up to 40 percent (from 1990 levels).

These are perfectly valid, even vital targets for scientists and political leaders to argue about. But this is policymaking for elites, not the public. As far as most people are concerned, these dueling percentages don't mean much; you might as well be asking about the relative blueness of the stone of Galveston.

The problem is, of course, that the average person has no particular stake in the stone of Galveston, but they do have a huge stake in where their energy comes from. People need electricity. They need transportation. And right now they get most of that energy from fossil fuels, which are both in limited supply and linked to global warming.

What people need to grapple with this problem isn't a debate over percentages; they need basic facts, like what our energy needs are likely to be. And we’re talking fundamentals here: Coal contributes to global warming (at least the way we use it now) but nuclear, solar, wind, and geothermal don’t. Our surveys show that substantial numbers of Americans don’t have even this minimal level of knowledge under their belts. They also need choices about what to do next. They need to be able to weigh alternatives realistically. What would it actually take to switch away from fossil fuels? How long would it take? How much would it cost?

These are the questions that will help the public, and the answers are critical to how they will respond to any proposal. Energy is a problem with multiple dimensions: how much it costs, whether our sources are secure, and what it does to the environment. Our Energy Learning Curve™ shows that the public's worried about all these issues, and price and security are even bigger concerns than global warming.

You're not going to ease those concerns with percentages. You're going to ease them by laying out what's reasonable and what's not, and what the tradeoffs might be. Unless we start talking about the problem in those terms, we might end up with percentages that don’t mean anything, not merely because they're confusing but because the public won't be willing to do what's needed to make them real.

How Economic Insecurity is Pressuring Social Security

Scott Bittle — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:02:30 -0400

Here's a measure of both how important Social Security is and the problems it faces: the program will actually run a deficit over the next two years because fewer people are paying in and more are applying for benefits.

Of course, over the long term, that's the fundamental problem facing Social Security. As the baby boomers retire, there aren't going to be enough people paying into the program to support those who are getting benefits. But this is a specific short-term issue, as the "Great Recession" pushes more older people out of the workforce and into early retirement. And, of course, higher unemployment means fewer people are paying taxes in general and Social Security taxes in particular.

It makes perfect sense for more older workers to file early; times are tough and Social Security is, well, secure. But this is a taste of what's to come. On paper, when Social Security spends more on benefits than it takes in by taxes, the system digs into its trust fund, built up during the years when far more people were paying in than drawing out. But the trust fund itself exists only "on paper," since the government has been borrowing from Social Security and Medicare to make its annual deficits look smaller.

That means the government will have to pay the trust fund back, and it will. There's no question that the benefits will be paid. The problem is that the government will have to pay it back out of general revenue, which means either the deficit gets worse or other programs get squeezed. We've already started seeing this dynamic with Medicare, and now Social Security is feeling the squeeze sooner than anticipated. That's why our long-term fiscal problems really need to be dealt with soon: the long term is arriving sooner than you'd think.

School Days, School Years

Scott Bittle — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:53:06 -0400

The Obama administration has been making noises about a longer school year, and the Associated Press takes the opportunity to examine whether American students need to spend more time in class. We can't say whether or not that will improve student achievement, but we can say it goes to one of American parents' big concerns about their children.

The president called on school systems to hold longer school days and extend school into the summer as well. It's not a new idea, and students in many countries have longer school years than Americans (although American students have a longer school day than many).

When we examined parents' attitudes about out of school time, however, academics proved to be only part of the picture. The summer months proved to be the most difficult time for parents to find things for their kids to do, and low-income and minority parents were even more worried about this. Low-income and minority parents were also more interested in academics during summer and after-school work than other parents.

The Don't Knows: Proof the Health Care Debate Isn't Working for the Public

Scott Bittle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:05:05 -0400

This has to count as one of the most damning survey figures we've seen recently: the CBS News/New York Times poll today finds 46 percent of the public doesn't know enough about the health care reform plans to have an opinion.

That's after all the town halls and the presidential events, after all the viral rumors and the earnest fact-checking, after all the obsessive bloviating and arm-twisting on health care that has dominated Washington for months. After all that, we still end up with nearly half of Americans saying they don't know whether it’s a good idea or not. Even more, 59 percent, say the health care reforms are "confusing."

And it isn't as if the public hasn't been trying to figure this out: three-quarters in the CBS/Times survey say they've heard or read at least something about health care reform, and 33 percent say they've heard "a lot." That's a significant number. Other surveys like the Pew News Interest Index also show high levels of public attention to health care.

This is what failure to engage the public looks like. We're not talking about the ability to gather a crowd for or against – obviously the American political system has that honed to an art. But real public engagement is more than that. The whole point is for the public to be able to come to firm conclusions about what their choices are, which approach they prefer, and what they're willing to do to accomplish it. Clearly, that hasn't happened here.

There's lots of blame to go around. Proponents haven't been able to agree among themselves, much less be clear with the public. Opponents have been content to roadblock discussion rather than propose alternatives. The media coverage has been mostly about the high-volume political tactics rather than the real options for change. And there are few chances for the public to actually compare plans side-by-side, much less the big picture problems behind them.

That's not the same as saying a bill won't pass – that depends as much on the dynamics in Congress as on public opinion. A reform bill could very well pass. But how well that reform plan fares in the real world, where sick people wrestle with insurance jargon and doctors and hospitals try to figure out how they make a living, is another story. Passing legislation isn't the end of the tale, it's the beginning. And how that story comes out will depend on how well the public has thought through want it wants from the health care system – exactly the sort of thinking that politicians and the media have failed to help along over this brutal, disheartening debate.

Climate Change, Act I: Huddle At The U.N.

Scott Bittle — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:40:44 -0400

This has been "Climate Week" at the United Nations, bringing world leaders, experts, advocates and celebrities together to help set the stage for negotiations later this year on a new treaty for greenhouse gas reduction. But with the deadline for the Copenhagen conference drawing near, are leaders and the public anywhere near each other in discussing this problem?

Kind of. But there's a long way to go.

One of the issues for the public is that energy is a "triple threat" problem. Climate change is certainly part of the challenge, but so are energy prices and energy security. Naturally enough during "climate week" there's been a lot of focus on public opinion about global warming, and in Public Agenda's Energy Learning Curve™ study, seven in 10 survey participants said that they worry about global warming at least "somewhat."

But even more were worried about price (89 percent) and that we're too dependent on oil (83 percent). Even more telling is the intensity of their concern. Some 57 percent worry "a lot" about prices and 47 percent worry a lot about oil dependence, but only 32 percent say they worry a lot about global warming. That's 25 points behind prices.

But there's good news for leaders on climate change, because while the public may be more worried about other things, they end up backing many of the same solutions. There's broad consensus that the country should pursue, especially alternative energy, conservation and incentives to become more efficient. There's a lot of support for solutions – it's just that the public's reasons may be different those of the climate activists.

For more on this subject, check out Facing The Challenges Of Climate Change: A Guide For Citizen Thought And Action and Climate Change: Is It Getting Hot In Here? in our Citizen's Survival Kit.

A Sign Of Hope On HIV/AIDS

Francie Grace — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:29:08 -0400

There's a potential milestone in the fight against HIV, with word that for the very first time, a vaccine has been found to provide a small but measurable protective effect against the disease.

The results in the vaccine study are said to be barely significant on statistical grounds, and their real importance may be as a basis for further research on the way the immune system works in connection with HIV.

Participants in Public Agenda's recent study, Impressions Of HIV/AIDS In America: Building Public Support For Workable Solutions To End The Epidemic, voiced a lot of support for putting more resources behind the search for a vaccine.

Jonathan Rochkind, lead author of the report, says that similar to what we have seen in research on other topics – for example, energy – this focus group study also suggests the public puts a lot of faith in science and technology as a solution to many problems, including disease.

But in our focus groups, we also heard more than a few participants voicing skepticism about the search for a vaccine, saying that if a vaccine isn't on the way, it must be because of either lack of funds, or reluctance from drug companies.

Another important point was voiced by most of the experts – scientists, activists, community leaders, directors of public health organizations and state lawmakers – who were interviewed for our study. While nearly all supported ramping up efforts to develop a vaccine, most also cautioned against an "all eggs in one basket" single-minded emphasis on the race for a vaccine and advocated for a focus on the groups which have been found to be most at risk.

The consensus among the experts was that the greatest impact right now in the war against HIV/AIDS would be found by delivering more access to health care, more information about the spread of disease and more testing for HIV/AIDS in those high-risk communities, all adding up to a better score on prevention.

Click here to take a look at our report.

School Of Hard Shocks: Should Everyone Go To College?

Francie Grace — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:13:34 -0400

Jean Johnson, director of Public Agenda's Education Insights research unit, was among those discussing this question at a September Urban Institute forum in Washington, D.C. Click here to read our story on this event and here to listen to the audio webcast of the diverse perspectives on this topic. National Public Radio education correspondent Claudio Sanchez is the moderator and subjects on the agenda include the availability of alternative paths for students who don't go to college; the prospects for public colleges, with battered budgets and overflowing applicant lists, and concerns about students who do not graduate.

A Place to Call Home

Peiting Chen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:03:58 -0400

Immigrants are holding fast to their belief that America remains the land of opportunity, according to a new Public Agenda study. Majorities of immigrants report they become comfortable in the United States quickly, even as ties to their birth country have become stronger since we last surveyed immigrants in 2002.

Concerns about discrimination have remained stable, but the economy is taking a toll on immigrants' satisfaction in the United States, and increasing numbers say practical concerns are important reasons to pursue citizenship. The report also includes special examinations of the attitudes of Hispanic and Muslim immigrants.

This report was prepared for the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Immigration 2009 Topline

Peiting Chen — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:31:55 -0400

Introduction: Views On Immigration

Part One: The Right Move

Part Two: Fitting In

Part Three: Common Threads,
Different Voices

In Their Own Words

Survey Questions & Answers

Views of the U.S.

Life as an immigrant

Parents and children

Interactions with the government

Views on discrimination

Legal status and citizenship

Immigration policy

Charts & Graphs

Methodology

Funding & Acknowledgments

Download Full Report (PDF)

News Releases

Full Survey Results

A Place To Call Home: What Immigrants Say Now About Life In America is based on a telephone survey, utilizing both landline and cellular telephones (click here for more on the methodology of this study and the characteristics of our sample). Respondents include a representative sample of 1,138 foreign-born adults, 18 years and older who currently live in the United States and came to the United States at the age of five or older. The study employed a hybrid, stratified design that combined random digit dialing and listed sample to increase the incidence of households with foreign-born adults from South Asian, East Asian, Middle Eastern and Central/South American heritage. Interviews were conducted between April 23 and June 7, 2009.

Results of less than 0.5 percent are signified by an asterisk. Results of zero are signified by a dash. Responses may not always total 100 percent due to rounding. Combining answer categories may produce slight discrepancies between numbers in these survey results and numbers in the report.

Participants in "A Place To Call Home"	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries

	1138	202	194	158	269	140	175

1. Overall, would you say that you are extremely happy, somewhat happy or generally disappointed with life in the United States?
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%


Extremely happy	34	40	35	45	32	40	24
Somewhat happy	53	53	50	38	56	52	54
Generally disappointed	10	5	12	14	6	7	18
Don’t know	1	1	2	2	1	*	*

2. What do you think is the most important problem facing the United States today? [BASE: Open-ended.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Aspects of the economy	42	48	40	38	43	45	37
Unemployment	20	16	14	11	21	29	15
Decaying social values /other social problems	6	4	12	11	4	2	8
Government/legislation	5	4	2	4	7	1	11
Health care /insurance affordability/availability	3	1	6	*	1	1	7
War/want peace	2	1	1	2	1	4	*
Aspects of foreign relations	3	1	*	2	1	2	4
Immigration problems/policies	2	-	*	8	4	2	3
Discrimination/racism	2	*	5	3	2	2	*
Terrorism	2	4	*	*	4	-	3
Education	1	2	2	6	*	1	*
Language	1	-	2	-	1	*	-
Other	2	5	5	1	1	1	2
None/no problems	4	12	5	6	1	2	5
Don't know	5	2	6	6	7	6	2

3. As things stand now, is it MOST likely:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

That the United States will be your permanent home?	70	77	71	81	63	68	71

That someday you will go back to live in the country where you were born?	17	16	11	15	21	19	16

That you will move someplace else to live?	3	3	1	2	3	6	3

Don’t know	10	4	15	3	13	7	10

4. If you could do it again, would you choose:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

To come to the United States	71	75	74	82	68	75	65
To stay in the country where you were born	19	16	14	4	26	18	25
To pick a different country to live in	6	5	5	9	4	6	8
Don’t know	3	4	8	4	2	1	3

5. When you arrived in the United States, how long did it take before you felt comfortable here and a part of the community?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

1 to just under 2 years	47	56	33	50	57	48	46
2 to just under 5 years	30	24	37	35	23	31	30
5 to just under 10 years	9	5	11	4	10	10	8
10 years or more	5	9	11	4	2	4	3
I have never felt like I fit in	5	2	7	5	4	4	6
Don’t know	3	4	1	1	2	2	4

6. When you first came to this country, did you have a good amount of money to get you started or did you come with very little money in your pocket?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A good amount of money	20	38	22	37	12	6	34
Very little money	76	60	75	60	81	91	62
Don’t know	2	2	2	3	4	1	3

7. Which of these two statements comes closer to your own view?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States is a unique country that stands for something special in the world	76	87	76	82	80	70	76

The United States is just another country that is no better or worse than any other	20	8	17	13	19	29	18

Don’t know	3	4	7	4	*	1	4

8. How much do you think America’s elected officials care about the issues facing immigrants—do you think they care a lot, a little or not at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Care a lot	26	40	37	44	15	13	37
A little	53	37	47	36	66	65	40
Not at all	15	17	3	6	16	19	18
Don’t know	6	6	13	13	3	3	6

9. Which comes closer to your view, even if neither is exactly right:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

It is possible to be successful in the United States if you work hard, even if you do not have connections to help you	63	73	58	63	63	63	63

In order to be successful in the United States you need to have connections to people who can help you	35	26	38	36	35	36	37

Don’t know	1	2	4	*	2	1	*

10. Different countries have their own advantages and disadvantages. For each of the following items that I read, please tell me if you think the United States or your home country does a better job when it comes to that item, or if they are about the same?¹	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Having more opportunity to earn a good living…

The United States	88	91	80	85	87	96	82
Home country/the country where you were born	2	2	5	1	4	*	3
They’re about the same	9	6	13	14	8	2	15
Don’t know	1	1	2	*	*	2	*

Having a legal system you can trust…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	70	83	68	67	77	70	61
Home country/the country where you were born	5	*	11	13	1	-	11
They’re about the same	23	15	18	16	19	28	28
Don’t know	2	1	3	4	3	2	1

Making good health care available…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	67	72	64	64	70	76	54
Home country/the country where you were born	15	9	16	26	15	4	28
They’re about the same	16	18	15	7	12	19	16
Don’t know	2	1	4	2	3	1	1

Having a good education system	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	62	67	71	63	54	63	60
Home country/the country where you were born	14	11	14	18	21	5	18
They’re about the same	23	21	13	18	23	31	21
Don’t know	1	*	2	1	2	*	*

Being a good place to raise children…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	55	40	69	61	47	66	43
Home country/the country where you were born	18	18	10	25	19	8	34
They’re about the same	25	38	20	10	29	26	22
Don’t know	2	4	1	3	5	-	1

Having a free and independent media as well as forms of free expression…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	55	65	87	70	54	41	45
Home country/the country where you were born	9	7	4	9	7	9	15
They’re about the same	34	27	7	20	36	47	40
Don’t know	2	1	2	1	2	3	*

Having a higher standard of morality…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	49	49	58	52	45	47	47
Home country/the country where you were born	16	22	10	14	17	11	25
They’re about the same	31	25	25	25	32	40	25
Don’t know	4	4	5	9	5	1	4

Letting people practice the religion they choose…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The United States	44	43	68	69	35	36	41
Home country/the country where you were born	5	5	2	6	5	-	14
They’re about the same	50	51	26	24	58	64	44
Don’t know	1	1	3	1	2	1	1

11. On this list of items, please tell me how important each thing is for immigrants to do:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

To respect people from different racial or ethnic backgrounds…

Extremely important	83	86	74	78	84	89	81
Somewhat important	13	6	19	18	14	10	16
Not important	2	7	3	3	1	*	3
Don’t know	1	1	4	1	-	*	*

To work and stay off welfare…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Extremely important	63	62	61	74	70	56	66
Somewhat important	25	19	24	20	16	29	30
Not important	7	14	4	3	10	10	1
Don’t know	5	5	10	3	3	4	3

To volunteer some time to community services…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Extremely important	50	63	32	50	56	58	42
Somewhat important	42	32	60	38	39	37	43
Not important	6	4	3	11	5	3	13
Don’t know	2	1	6	1	1	1	2

12. Thinking about the people you know and spend time with, how many would you say come from your home country—a lot, some, very few or none?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A lot	51	45	46	29	44	72	38
Some	21	28	26	32	21	12	25
Very few	24	24	26	24	30	14	31
None	3	3	2	10	1	1	6
Don’t know	1	*	*	5	3	1	*

13. In the past year, about how often have you telephoned family or friends in your home country—at least once a week, a few times a month, a few times a year or less than that?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

At least once a week	40	50	25	28	40	53	31
A few times a month	28	31	36	22	24	24	34
A few times a year	15	9	22	22	22	15	6
Less than that	15	8	18	21	14	7	30
Don’t know	1	1	-	*	-	2	*

14. How often do you send money to family living in your home country? Do you do this regularly, once in a while or not at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Regularly	18	14	9	1	24	23	16
Once in a while	44	55	41	20	47	52	31
Not at all	37	31	46	78	28	24	53
Don’t know	1	-	3	1	1	*	*

15. In your view, is it easy or hard for new immigrants to get a good job or do well in this country without learning English?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Very easy	4	3	3	1	3	4	6
Somewhat easy	10	13	8	10	6	6	18
Somewhat hard	32	37	30	39	32	39	19
Very hard	52	44	55	46	58	51	52
Don’t know	2	2	4	3	1	*	5

16. When you first came to the United States to live, did you already know how to speak English well, did you know a little, or did you not speak English at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Already knew how to speak English well	24	61	19	37	6	-	55
Knew a little	31	33	60	34	21	25	24
Did not speak English at all	45	4	21	27	73	75	21
Don’t knowl	*	1	*	2	-	-	-

17. Which do you speak MOST of the time in your home—English or your native language, or do you speak them both about the same? [BASE: Asked of those who knew a little English or did not speak English at all when they came to the United States.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

English	14	16	14	35	13	5	39
Native language	64	46	58	23	67	81	34
Both about the same	21	38	28	42	19	15	27
Some other language	*	-	-	-	*	-	-

18. Have you ever taken classes to improve your English skills or not? [BASE: Asked of those who knew a little English or did not speak English at all when they came to United States.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, have taken English classes	70	72	81	81	66	66	72
No, have never taken English classes	30	28	19	19	34	34	28

19. How well would you say you speak English now? Do you think it is excellent, good, fair or poor? [BASE: Asked of those who knew a little English or did not speak English at all when they came to United States.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Excellent	13	28	9	28	15	5	25
Good	22	42	33	49	15	15	31
Fair	38	29	42	20	36	42	28
Poor	26	*	14	3	31	36	15
Don’t know	*	*	1	-	1	-	*

20. Would you say you can read a newspaper or book in English very well, pretty well, just a little or not at all? [BASE: Asked of those who knew a little English or did not speak English at all when they came to United States.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Very well	28	62	20	58	27	17	51
Pretty well	20	19	39	17	18	13	21
Just a little	39	18	41	23	38	49	21
Not at all	13	-	*	1	16	20	7
Don’t know	*	-	-	-	-	-	*

21. Do you think that the United States should expect all immigrants who don’t speak English to learn it, or should this be left up to each individual to decide for themselves?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

United States should expect all immigrants to learn English	56	65	52	86	52	44	70

Should be left up to each individual to decide	40	30	41	12	46	52	28

Don’t know	3	3	8	1	1	4	2

23. When it comes to students who are new immigrants, is it more important for the public schools:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

To teach them English as quickly as possible, even if this means they fall behind in other subjects	74	74	74	88	72	75	70

To teach them other subjects in their native language even if this means it takes them longer to learn English	21	19	21	10	22	21	25

Don’t know	5	7	5	2	6	5	5

24. Are you the parent of any of these children who are under 18 years old or not? [BASE: Asked of those who have children under age 18 in household.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, parent of child/children under 18 years old	74	74	89	84	66	72	74

No, not a parent of child/children under 18 years old	26	25	11	16	33	28	26

24a. Do you have any children who went to elementary, middle and/or high school in the United States? [BASE: Asked of those who live alone or who have no children under the age of 18 in their household.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Yes	38	20	32	56	42	36	47
No	62	80	68	44	58	64	53

25. Were any of these children born in the United States or not? [BASE: Asked of those who have children under age 18 in households or who have children who went to elementary, middle or high school in the United States.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, children born in the United States	79	79	70	61	80	86	78

No, children not born in the United States	20	21	30	39	20	14	20

Don’t know	1	-	-	-	-	-	3

26. How likely do you think it is that any of these children would want to live in your home country? [BASE: Asked of those who have children under age 18 in household.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Very likely	7	16	3	5	1	8	7
Somewhat likely	16	19	5	17	17	20	10
Somewhat unlikely	16	19	10	28	20	13	19
Very unlikely	58	44	72	43	54	57	62
Don’t know	4	2	11	7	4	2	2

27. Overall, how well would you say your child speaks English? [BASE: Asked of all parents of children under the age of 18 in household]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Excellent	67	82	72	82	57	57	78
Good	21	14	20	7	25	24	21
Fair	8	1	7	-	13	15	-
Poor	1	2	-	6	2	-	1
Don’t know	2	2	1	5	2	4	*

27a. Overall, how well would you say your child speaks English? [BASE: Total respondents who have children who went to elementary, middle, or high school in the U.S.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Excellent	84	82	78	88	77	89	89
Good	14	18	22	12	22	7	9
Fair	1	-	-	-	1	4	1
Poor	*	-	-	-	-	-	1
Don’t know	-	-	-	-	-	-	-

28. Would you say that overall, your child’s friends are more likely to be children of immigrants, children whose parents are from the United States or both about equally? [BASE: parents of children under the age of 18 in household]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Children of immigrants	8	4	7	2	18	5	11
Children whose parents are from the United States	14	26	18	30	4	1	34
Both about equally	76	70	67	64	76	94	55
Don’t know	1	*	8	3	-	-	-

29. Would you say that overall, your child tends to associate with other children from your home country or not? [BASE: Asked of parents whose child’s friends are more likely to be children of immigrants]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes	68	82	92	58	47	64	82
No	26	18	8	42	53	7	18
Don’t know	6	-	-	-	-	29	-

30. Is your child currently enrolled in elementary, middle or high school? [BASE: Asked of parents of children under the age of 18 in household]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Elementary	30	42	34	18	50	24	22
Middle	33	34	26	34	16	47	24
High school	28	17	33	32	27	25	36
Not applicable/in day care/not in school	9	7	6	16	8	5	18
Don’t know	*	1	-	-	-	-	-

31. Thinking about the education your child is getting, do you think it is better, worse or about the same as the education you got at his/her age? [BASE: Asked of parents of children under the age of 18 in household who are currently enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Better	75	72	80	66	63	85	65
Worse	8	13	6	10	21	4	5
The same	16	14	12	23	16	11	30
Don’t know	1	-	2	-	-	1	*

31a. Thinking about the education your child got at his/her elementary, middle or high school, do you think it was better, worse or about the same as the education you got at his/her age? [BASE: Total Respondents who have children who went to elementary, middle, or high school in the U.S.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Better	65	80	69	52	81	75	43
Worse	10	5	3	8	7	6	18
The same	21	13	28	13	8	11	37
Don’t know	2	2	-	27	2	-	1

32. Do you think public schools today do an excellent, good, fair or poor job of teaching your child to speak English as quickly as possible, or don’t you know enough to say? [BASE: Total parents of children under 18 in household whose child is currently enrolled in elementary, middle, or high school]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Excellent	26	37	23	43	16	37	2
Good	35	26	47	24	33	35	38
Fair	11	7	10	4	28	11	2
Poor	2	1	*	20	2	1	*
Child born here/already spoke English	8	11	3	4	3	6	20
Don’t know enough to say	18	19	17	5	18	12	38

32a. Do you think your child’s elementary, middle or high school did an excellent, good, fair or poor job of teaching your child to speak English as quickly as possible, or don’t you know enough to say? [BASE: Total Respondents who have children who went to elementary, middle, or high school in the U.S.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Excellent	40	64	42	38	60	57	12
Good	22	3	33	21	29	18	18
Fair	6	-	17	2	1	15	1
Poor	*	-	-	-	*	-	-
Child born here/already spoke English	17	23	6	8	3	6	39
Don’t know enough to say	14	10	2	30	6	4	30

34. About how many years has it been since you had to deal with the U.S. Immigration Services directly—has it been less than a year, between 1 and 10 years or more than 10 years?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Less than a year	15	26	16	6	12	7	24
Between 1 and 10 years	32	39	34	30	45	30	17
More than 10 years	38	30	38	49	26	43	43
I have no experience with the USCIS or another government agency	9	3	7	8	14	12	5
Don’t know	5	2	5	7	3	6	9

35. As far as you remember, was your experience dealing with government immigration services an overall positive one, an overall negative one, or somewhere in the middle? [BASE: Asked of those who have dealt with government immigration services.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Overall positive experience	58	51	34	58	66	67	60
Overall negative experience	7	17	10	6	5	3	6
Somewhere in the middle	31	31	44	34	27	27	30
Don’t know	4	1	11	2	2	3	3

36. In general, do you think that government immigration workers: [BASE: Asked of those who have dealt with government immigration services 10 years ago or less.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Are usually respectful and do their best to help new immigrants	68	87	72	56	64	61	68

Are usually disrespectful and don’t go out of their way to help new immigrants	20	9	13	24	31	23	18

Don’t know	9	4	14	19	5	9	14

37. In your experience, how hard is it to get information and answers about immigration and naturalization issues from the government? [BASE: Asked of those who have dealt with government immigration services 10 years ago or less.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Very easy	21	26	14	22	10	16	45
Somewhat easy	36	42	47	42	41	32	23
Somewhat hard	26	21	18	25	21	46	18
Very hard	13	8	15	10	22	6	15
Don’t know	3	3	7	1	6	1	*
Refused	*	*	-	-	-	-	-

38. Would you say there is a great deal of discrimination against immigrants in the United States today, some, only a little or none at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A great deal of discrimination	22	4	4	8	31	32	25
Some	40	41	45	43	41	43	33
Only a little	22	30	28	12	15	21	25
None at all	11	23	14	28	8	3	15
Don’t knowl	4	2	8	8	6	1	3

39. And now thinking only of immigrants from your home country, would you say that there is a great deal of discrimination against people from your home country in the United States today, some, only a little or none at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A great deal of discrimination against people from your home country	15	2	1	7	11	34	9
Some	28	30	30	22	23	39	18
A little	28	43	35	17	25	22	27
None at all	22	21	22	43	25	3	44
Don’t know	6	4	11	10	14	1	2

40. And how much discrimination have you personally experienced simply because you are an immigrant—a great deal of discrimination, some, only a little or none at all?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A great deal of discrimination	9	10	9	7	11	7	12
Some	16	15	27	25	15	16	9
Only a little	35	36	35	15	34	39	33
None at all	38	37	25	47	39	37	46
Don’t know	1	2	3	5	*	-	-

41. And in the past five years, would you say you have been discriminated against more, less or about the same as before? [BASE: Asked of those who came to the United States to live five years ago or earlier and have personally experienced any discrimination.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

More	17	16	7	12	16	32	8
Less	44	49	51	39	39	46	36
The same	37	32	39	37	43	22	55
Don’t know	1	1	2	12	2	-	*

42. Thinking about the last time you were discriminated against, where did it happen? [BASE: Asked of those who have personally experienced any discrimination.] [BASE: Answers are open ended.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

At work	37	49	22	37	41	49	24
In your community	20	14	20	17	10	20	32
Don’t know	11	22	31	6	5	3	8
At school	8	5	10	7	8	6	13
Other	5	*	6	2	7	2	10
On the street	4	*	1	-	1	9	4
At someone’s house	3	1	2	13	2	5	*
At a store (mall, market, gas station, etc.)	3	5	2	9	3	5	*
Restaurant	2	-	1	*	6	*	3
Government office (welfare office, Social Security office, etc.)	1	-	1	6	3	*	-
Looking for a job/during an interview	1	-	1	1	2	-	3
Medical provider (doctor’s office, clinic, hospital, etc.)	1	-	1	-	2	1	-
Public transportation (bus, subway, train, etc.)	1	1	*	1	*	-	4
Airport	*	3	-	*	*	-	-
Immigration offices/center/courts	*	-	*	*	*	*	-
In a park	*	*	*	-	-	-	-
Don’t Know	11	22	31	6	5	3	8

43. In the past five years, have you been stopped by police or other authorities and asked about your immigration status? [BASE: Asked of those who came to the United States to live five years ago or earlier.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes	5	2	1	1	2	9	7
No	95	98	99	94	97	91	93
Don’t know	*	-	-	5	-	-	-

44. Regardless of your immigration or citizenship status, have you had more difficulty finding or keeping housing, or has it been about the same?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

More difficulty	7	4	15	3	5	7	8
About the same	84	94	76	85	85	85	83
Don’t know	7	2	10	8	6	7	9

45. Have you ever had trouble getting a job because you did not have the correct papers or a valid visa?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes	22	14	19	6	15	31	22
No	77	83	76	89	84	69	78
Don’t know	1	2	4	2	1	-	*

46. Think about immigrants who obey the laws and are here LEGALLY. Since September 11th, do you feel that [BASE: Asked of those who came to the United States to live in 2000 or earlier] :	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The government has not changed how it treats legal immigrants?	37	53	22	50	33	31	49

The government is giving legal immigrants a harder time?	51	36	54	41	53	64	40

Don’t know	12	11	23	9	14	5	11

47. Do you feel that the government has become a lot stricter about enforcing immigration laws since September 11th, a little stricter, has there been no change, or don’t you know enough to say [BASE: Asked of those who came to the United States to live in 2000 or earlier] ?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A lot stricter	55	47	40	39	74	62	47
A little stricter	21	15	21	26	15	28	21
No change	8	23	14	20	2	3	6
Don’t know enough to say	16	15	24	15	9	7	27

48. Some immigrants have gotten all of their documents together and become legal residents. Other immigrants are still preparing their documents and are considered undocumented. Are you a legal resident, or are you an undocumented immigrant?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Legal resident	81	93	98	94	82	59	91
Undocumented immigrant	15	6	1	2	14	33	6
Don’t know	3	*	1	4	3	6	3

49. Are you currently a U.S. citizen or not? [BASE: Asked of those who said they are a legal resident.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, U.S. citizen	56	59	60	80	45	47	66
No, not a citizen	44	41	40	20	55	53	34
Don’t know	*	-	-	-	-	-	*

50. What year did you become a U.S. citizen?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

1980 or earlier	17	6	6	22	10	3	38
1981-1990	16	13	37	7	24	5	8
1991-1999	25	34	16	35	21	30	24
2000-2004	16	29	19	14	12	20	9
2005-2009	15	15	9	17	15	23	13
Don't know	11	2	11	5	17	19	8

51. Are you also a citizen of another country or not, or are you not sure? [BASE: Asked of U.S. Citizens.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, also a citizen of another country	33	8	10	51	36	50	43
No, not a citizen of another country	54	78	71	36	56	25	51
Not sure	13	13	19	10	5	25	5
Don’t know	1	-	-	3	3	-	-

52. Are you currently in the process of becoming a U.S. citizen, is it something you plan to do in the future, or is it something you do not plan to do? [BASE: Asked of non-citizens]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

In the process of becoming a U.S. citizen	18	26	9	66	14	9	30
Plan to do in the future	69	48	71	21	73	83	60
Do not plan to do	10	21	10	4	11	8	4
Don’t know	4	5	10	9	1	-	6

53. Which of these best describes what becoming a U.S. citizen (meant/means) to you? [BASE: Asked of citizens, those in the process of becoming a citizen, and those who are planning to become a citizen in the future.]	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

A dream come true	33	31	35	36	30	31	38
Something necessary	46	40	38	40	53	56	43
Something practical	17	27	17	21	14	12	18
Something not so important	1	1	3	*	1	*	1
Don’t know	2	1	7	3	1	*	1

54. There are many reasons that people choose to become citizens. For each reason I read, please tell me if it (was/is) a major reason, a minor reason or not something you (thought about when you were becoming a citizen/would think about if you thought about becoming a citizen).	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

To have equal rights and responsibilities…

Major reason	80	66	68	81	82	87	81
Minor reason	8	18	16	8	5	3	5
Not a reason at all	9	11	9	7	7	9	9
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	-	-	-
Don’t know	2	2	4	3	*	*	5

To get the right to vote…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	78	62	59	77	84	85	84
Minor reason	12	25	30	10	8	7	4
Not a reason at all	9	11	10	8	7	6	11
Do not want to be a citizen	1	2	1	-	-	-	1
Don’t know	1	1	*	5	*	2	*

To have better legal rights and protections in the United States…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	78	64	69	80	72	92	75
Minor reason	10	23	15	6	12	3	12
Not a reason at all	9	9	10	7	13	5	11
Do not want to be a citizen	1	2	1	-	-	-	1
Don’t know	2	2	5	6	3	1	2

To show a commitment and pride in being an American…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	71	66	56	68	70	76	77
Minor reason	14	22	24	11	14	8	11
Not a reason at all	13	9	14	15	14	15	9
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	-	-	-
Don’t know	3	2	5	5	2	1	4

So you would not have to worry about your immigration status…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	69	60	49	67	72	87	63
Minor reason	13	20	22	17	10	6	16
Not a reason at all	14	16	22	11	13	7	19
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	-	-	-
Don’t know	3	2	6	5	5	-	3

To make it easier to get certain jobs…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	69	46	59	70	69	86	62
Minor reason	13	28	18	15	10	7	14
Not a reason at all	15	23	18	11	18	6	21
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	1	-	-
Don’t know	2	2	4	3	2	*	2

To make it easier to travel in and out of the United States…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	65	55	48	68	68	78	60
Minor reason	17	23	23	16	13	12	20
Not a reason at all	15	20	22	11	13	8	18
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	-	-	-
Don’t know	2	1	4	4	1	1	2

To make it easier to bring other family members to this country…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	49	28	38	35	56	69	38
Minor reason	17	27	24	24	15	11	15
Not a reason at all	32	41	33	37	27	19	46
Do not want to be a citizen	*	2	1	-	-	-	-
Don’t know	2	2	4	4	2	1	*

To qualify for government programs like Medicaid or food stamps…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Major reason	36	28	36	19	35	48	28
Minor reason	20	23	21	22	20	19	19
Not a reason at all	41	46	36	54	42	32	50
Do not want to be a citizen	1	2	1	-	-	-	1
Don’t know	3	2	7	4	3	1	2

55. Please tell me if you agree or disagree with each of the following:	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Immigrants who speak English well have a much easier time in the United States…

Strongly agree	81	81	77	84	84	80	80
Somewhat agree	14	15	16	12	13	14	14
Somewhat disagree	3	3	5	3	1	3	3
Strongly disagree	1	1	*	-	1	1	3
Don’t know	1	*	-	1	1	2	-

A person has to work very hard in this country to make it—nobody gives you anything for free…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	76	82	58	79	80	79	77
Somewhat agree	12	7	22	15	10	9	12
Somewhat disagree	6	8	10	4	3	8	2
Strongly disagree	5	1	8	2	4	4	6
Don’t know	1	1	2	*	2	*	2

I can trust the police to protect me and my family…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	61	75	45	68	59	65	62
Somewhat agree	23	14	30	14	30	24	17
Somewhat disagree	10	6	20	6	4	5	15
Strongly disagree	4	4	4	4	4	4	6
Don’t know	1	1	2	8	1	2	*

It’s easy for me to hold on to my culture and traditions in the United States…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	57	61	45	66	56	59	60
Somewhat agree	27	26	33	20	36	25	17
Somewhat disagree	10	6	17	7	2	12	12
Strongly disagree	5	6	4	5	3	3	8
Don’t know	2	1	1	2	2	1	3

Most politicians are pretty much willing to say whatever it takes in order to get themselves elected…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	52	43	31	53	52	53	71
Somewhat agree	24	34	30	21	21	30	10
Somewhat disagree	10	15	9	4	11	8	9
Strongly disagree	8	2	18	8	7	7	3
Don’t know	6	6	12	13	8	2	6

The United States needs new immigrants to do the jobs that people born in the United States can’t or won’t do…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	48	38	27	29	56	66	37
Somewhat agree	22	30	30	23	20	18	20
Somewhat disagree	10	12	13	17	5	6	16
Strongly disagree	14	14	16	24	15	6	23
Don’t know	5	3	13	7	2	4	3

There’s a lot more discrimination and prejudice against immigrants who are not white than against immigrants who are white…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	33	27	20	13	40	41	33
Somewhat agree	26	31	29	34	16	29	25
Somewhat disagree	19	17	24	20	17	18	18
Strongly disagree	11	13	11	22	15	8	11
Don’t know	9	8	14	11	10	3	13

It’s easy for immigrants to come to the United States illegally and live here without getting caught…	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	21	18	15	26	13	25	27
Somewhat agree	16	9	20	7	23	10	20
Somewhat disagree	19	21	22	13	16	22	16
Strongly disagree	34	39	34	39	36	37	27
Don’t know	8	8	9	15	11	3	10

56. In your experience, would you say that MOST of the immigrants you know in the United States are here legally or illegally?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Most are here legally	64	87	81	81	69	38	68
Most are here illegally	27	6	11	13	18	52	23
Don’t know	9	7	8	6	12	10	7

57. Which comes closer to your point of view—illegal immigrants in the long run become productive citizens and pay their fair share of taxes, or illegal immigrants cost the taxpayers too much by using government services like public education and medical services?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Illegal immigrants in the long run become productive citizens and pay their fair share of taxes	57	48	39	48	58	72	53

Illegal immigrants cost the taxpayers too much by using government services like public education and medical services	31	43	39	42	27	19	38

Don’t know	11	8	20	10	9	8	9

58. Do you think that recent immigrants have the same respect for American laws and customs as immigrants like you, or do they have less respect for American laws and customs?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Same respect	57	55	54	44	59	65	49
Less respect	32	30	32	36	32	27	39
More respect	3	3	2	7	2	7	1
Don’t know	7	12	12	13	5	1	11

59. When it comes to immigration in the United States do you think that our country is too open to immigrants from other countries, too closed to immigrants from other countries, or does our country strike the right balance in accepting immigrants from other countries?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Too open to immigrants from other countries	25	33	32	35	19	16	33

Too closed to immigrants from other countries	17	4	14	13	23	21	14

Strikes the right balance in accepting immigrants from other countries	50	58	42	42	47	58	44

Don’t know	8	5	12	10	10	4	9

60. When it comes to immigration in your community, do you think that people in your community are too open to immigrants from other countries, too closed to immigrants from other countries, or do they strike the right balance in accepting immigrants from other countries?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Too open to immigrants from other countries	22	26	31	35	18	17	23

Too closed to immigrants from other countries	13	5	14	7	16	20	6

Strike the right balance in accepting immigrants from other countries	54	61	43	48	54	55	56

Don’t know	11	8	12	10	11	7	16

61. Do you agree or disagree with the proposal to create a “guest worker” program that would give a temporary visa to non-citizens who want to work legally in the United States?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Strongly agree	61	43	42	48	68	73	63
Somewhat agree	23	32	27	28	20	20	23
Somewhat disagree	3	3	8	2	2	2	1
Strongly disagree	7	14	15	14	6	2	6
Don’t know	5	7	8	8	3	4	7

62. Which comes closer to your view even if neither is exactly right?	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

The government should provide a way for illegal immigrants who don’t have a criminal record and have shown a strong commitment to the United States to become citizens	72	48	54	62	81	84	73

The government should not pursue such a policy since that sort of program would reward people who broke the law	21	45	34	29	12	9	22

Don’t know	7	7	12	9	6	6	5

S3. How old were you when you came to the United States to live? *	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

5-17 years	28	17	19	34	23	36	29
18-29 years	43	41	43	42	50	41	42
30 or older	28	41	36	23	27	20	29
Don't know	1	1	0	1	1	3	0

D2. Including yourself, how many people are there living in your household?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

1	7	6	4	4	10	3	13
2	24	20	35	22	22	17	31
3	20	13	21	14	22	22	21
4	21	28	24	28	16	17	22
5	14	23	11	22	19	16	4
6	7	7	3	3	5	12	4
7	4	2	1	1	4	8	3
8	2	0	1	-	2	5	-
9	1	0	1	5	0	0	2
Don't know	0	-	0	-	-	-	-

D4. Are you married, LIVING as married, divorced, separated, widowed, or have you never been married?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries

	%	%	%	%	%	%	%
Married	58	76	72	72	44	56	53
Living as married	5	1	4	0	5	7	7
Divorced	5	0	4	7	6	4	6
Separated	6	1	1	1	5	9	7
Widowed	5	7	0	8	8	3	7
Never married/Single	20	14	19	12	29	20	17

D5. Are you NOW employed full-time, part-time, are you retired, or are you not employed for pay?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Full-time	46	57	53	56	40	42	45
Part-time	16	8	18	14	17	19	12
Retired	11	5	12	12	8	8	18
Not employed	23	26	12	13	26	27	21
Homemaker	1	2	2	-	2	0	0
Student	1	1	2	4	2	0	1
Disabled	1	1	1	1	3	1	0
Don't Know	0	0	-	-	1	-	-

D6. Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, Democrat, Independent or something else?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Republican	13	10	14	18	8	12	18
Democrat	44	54	42	40	39	39	51
Independent	24	14	24	25	31	24	22
Something else	8	8	10	4	10	12	1
Don't Know	9	10	9	12	9	10	8

D7. Do you lean toward the Republican or Democratic Party, or do you not lean either way?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Republican	9	6	10	8	9	3	24
Democrat	23	50	21	30	17	14	42
Don't lean either way	61	44	57	42	68	80	25
Don't Know	6	0	12	20	3	3	9

D9. What is your religion, if any?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Baptist	1	1	-	0	1	-	4
Buddhist	4	-	25	-	0	-	1
Catholic/Roman Catholic	46	23	11	19	51	77	41
Christian/Non Denominational Christian	14	7	14	8	23	12	15
Episcopalian	0	-	-	-	-	-	1
Evangelical	1	-	-	-	4	1	-
Hindu	4	33	0	-	1	1	2
Jehovah's Witness	1	-	-	-	2	1	1
Jewish/Judaism	1	-	-	13	0	-	2
Lutheran	0	-	-	-	-	-	1
Methodist/Wesleyan	1	-	5	-	0	-	1
Mormon/Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints	0	-	-	-	0	1	-
Muslim/Islamic	5	28	0	42	1	-	1
Orthodox (Eastern, Greek, Russian, Armenian, etc)	1	-	-	4	-	-	6
Pentecostal	1	-	-	-	1	-	2
Presbyterian	0	-	-	0	0	-	-
Protestant	0	-	1	-	1	-	1
Seventh Day Adventist	0	-	-	-	-	-	2
Sikhism	0	4	-	-	-	-	-
Zorasterian	0	0	-	1	-	-	-
No Religion/none, not a believer, atheist, agnostic	13	2	38	9	12	6	14
Other	2	1	3	2	1	-	5
Don't Know	1	-	3	-	2	-	0

D11. I’m going to read some ranges of annual household income. Please stop me when I read the one that describes your total household income in 2008.*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

$15,000 or Under	21	11	17	18	32	27	11
$15,001 to $25,000	20	14	14	11	21	32	11
$25,001 to $35,000	12	6	15	9	8	16	11
$35,001 to $50,000	10	8	14	21	7	6	12
$50,001 to $75,000	10	13	16	7	7	5	12
Over $75,000	15	40	13	27	10	4	23
Don't Know	7	5	6	4	9	7	7

D12. Some people live from paycheck to paycheck, which means just being able to pay regular bills and other expenses with money from each paycheck, with almost nothing left over for savings. How often, if ever, do you and your family live from paycheck to paycheck?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Always	21	6	11	21	29	22	26
Most of the time	19	18	18	9	21	23	17
Sometimes	30	29	27	19	29	36	25
Hardly ever	10	10	11	20	7	12	9
Never	15	31	25	27	5	4	23
Don't Know	4	6	8	4	4	3	0

D13. When it comes to health insurance, which of these best describes you:*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

I have private health insurance	46	66	67	56	31	32	51
I have no health insurance	27	21	10	15	32	45	17
I have health insurance through Medicare	10	6	18	9	11	10	9
I have health insurance through Medicaid	11	4	3	10	18	10	13
I have both Medicare and private health insurance	3	3	1	6	3	0	7
Don't Know	2	1	2	3	1	2	4

D14. Since you’ve been in the United States, have you or has any member of your family living with you ever received money from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP or food stamps, or not?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, have received food stamps	21	10	14	25	26	33	9
No, have not received food stamps	77	90	84	75	71	64	91
Don't Know	1	1	1	-	1	3	-

D15. Have you or has any member of your family living with you ever received any kind of donations or free services from a charity or church in the United States, or not?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes...	5	1	12	2	7	3	3
No...	94	99	87	97	89	96	97
Don't Know	1	0	1	1	2	1	-

D16. Have you ever volunteered your time or contributed money to an organization or church in your community, or not?*	Total	Immigrants from South Asia	Immigrants from East Asia	Immigrants from the Middle East	Immigrants from Central and South America	Immigrants from Mexico	Immigrants from other countries
	%	%	%	%	%	%	%

Yes, have volunteered time or contributed money	64	76	75	54	57	55	70
No, have not	35	23	25	45	40	45	30
Don't Know	0	-	0	0	1	0	-

[1]. In the survey, respondents were asked specifically about the country in which they were born unless they declined to specify their home country (six respondents, or 0.5 percent of those surveyed), in which case they were asked to refer to their “home country.” The technique used in “Now That I’m Here” was slightly different—all survey respondents were asked to think about the “country where you were born.” For example, someone from France would be asked the question: “If you could do it again, would you choose to come to the United States, stay in France or pick a different country to live in?”

* For more on the demographics of the participants in this survey, please see Characteristics of the Sample.