Discussion of The World in a Zip Code

May 8, 2001

On May 8, 2001, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace International Migration Policy Program hosted a discussion of the Program's latest report, "The World in a Zip Code: Greater Washington, D.C. as a New Region of Immigration." The report studied trends of new immigrant arrivals into the Washington, D.C. area from 1990 to 1998. Audrey Singer of the Carnegie for International Peace and Marie Price of the George Washington University, two of the report's authors, presented their findings. Karen Darner, a speech pathologist with Arlington School District and Delegate to Virginia House District 49; Wanda Resto Torres, Latin American/Hispanic Affairs Liaison for Montgomery County; Sandy Dang, Director for Asian American LEAD; and Handel Mlilo, Coordinator for the National Immigration Forum served as panelists presenting their own experiences working with the local immigrant community. Amy Liu, Assistant Director and co-founder of the Brookings Institution Center on Urban and Metropolitan Policy, acted as moderator.

Amy Liu thanked the authors and panelists for attending and acknowledged the report's other two authors in the audience: Samantha Friedman and Ivan Cheung of the George Washington University. She thanked the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Brookings Institution, and the George Washington University for making the report possible. She mentioned the findings of Census 2000, that cities and metropolitan areas in general grew faster in the 1990s than in the 1980s, but the growth is complicated. Urban recovery has been highly uneven; out of the largest 100 cities, 28 lost population or remained at about the same level as in 1990, and only five reversed population loss. Another finding is that in every case suburbs grew faster than the cities. A third finding is that Hispanics were the primary drivers of population growth in the cities; 22 of the largest 100 cities would have lost population if not for gains in the Hispanic population.

Liu noted that the Washington, D.C. area shows different trends than many other cities, which the report highlights. In the 1990s, the city's center lost population while the suburbs experienced explosive growth, partly due to immigration of the foreign-born. The growth in ethnic minorities and new immigrants has led to growth more in the suburbs than in the city; from 1990 to 1998, 87 percent of new immigrants in the area moved directly into the suburbs. Another difference from national trends was the ethnic composition of the immigrant community; Asians were the largest group, rather than Hispanics.

Audrey Singer described how the authors conducted the research and some of their findings. The study looks at the settlement of recent immigrants into the Washington area between 1990 and 1998. The areas under the study include: the District of Columbia, northern Virginia (Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince Williams counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park), and suburban Maryland (Prince George's, Charles, Frederick, and Montgomery counties).

Washington is a new but major destination for immigrants. In 1970, one in 22 people in the area were foreign-born; today one in six is foreign-born. Metropolitan Washington is the sixth largest metropolitan area of immigrant settlement with an estimated total of 750,000 foreign-born living in the area. Singer noted that their study focused on the flow of legal immigration between 1990 and 1998, so their findings do not apply to immigrants who lived in the area before 1990 or to undocumented immigrants. The Washington area is currently the fifth most common destination for legal immigrants in the United States. Between 1990 and 1998, nearly 250,000 arrived into the area from 193 countries and territories.

Singer highlighted three major findings of the study. First, there is a tremendous amount of diversity in terms of national origin. Second, the immigrants in the region are very dispersed. Third, the majority of new immigrants go to the suburbs. These findings raise more questions, specifically: How well are immigrants incorporating into the local communities? How do institutions change to meet the new challenges?

Washington only began to receive notable amounts of immigration after World War II, and the pace increased in the 1980s and 1990s. Unlike some other cities with longer immigration histories, Washington has no ethnic enclaves, with the possible exception of Chinatown.

The data used in the study is from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service's administrative records of applications for green cards. There are two ways to apply for green cards. One is to apply in the home country and move to the United States, the method 57 percent of the immigrants in the study used. The second way is to adjust from another status, such as refugee status or a non-immigrant status. (Singer noted that the study therefore does not include undocumented immigrants or immigrants on non-permanent status, such as those with a student visa or an H1 B visa.) These records include place of birth, age, and the zip code of intended residence. The new immigrants are mostly young, and a slight majority of them are female. The data is imperfect, but it represents areas of immigrant settlement.

Singer presented a pie chart which graphically shows the great diversity of the immigrant flow. No one national group dominates, unlike many other cities. The chart lists the largest 27 countries of national origin (76 percent of the flow) and lumps the other 166 countries into one block comprising 24 percent of the immigrants. The ten largest countries of origin constitute about half of the flow of new arrivals. The largest group is from El Salvador, but it only comprises about 10 percent. The next largest groups are from Vietnam, India, China, the Philippines, South Korea, Ethiopia, Iran, Pakistan, and Peru. 42 percent of the new arrivals are from Asia and the Middle East; 32 percent are from Latin America and the Caribbean; and 16 percent are from Africa.

Next, Singer showed a map (Figure 2 of the report) of the ten zip codes that received the largest amounts of inflow of immigration in the period of study. The ten largest zip codes received about one-fifth of the total flow, and each received immigrants from over 100 countries of origin. Four of these ten zip codes are in Maryland, four are in Virginia, and two are in the District. Five are inside the beltway, two straddle the beltway, and three are outside the beltway.

Marie Price then continued reporting on the findings and discussed several graphics and maps. The first (Figure 3 of the report) showed the diversity within the top ten zip codes. In South Arlington, which has new immigrants from 130 countries of origin, the top ten countries of origin comprise about one-half of the arrivals. In the Adams Morgan/Mt. Pleasant area, immigrants are more clustered than in other zip codes, with particularly large Salvadoran and Vietnamese populations. However, in most zip codes, there is a great deal of diversity.

Next, Price displayed a map (Figure 4 in the report) which showed the dispersal of new immigrants in the Washington area. Almost half of them settled outside the beltway, but immigrants have settled in almost every zip code. Asian immigrants are by far the most suburban of the new immigrants; 56 percent of them live outside the beltway, particularly in Montgomery County and Fairfax County. Vietnam is the largest Asian country of origin and one of the most clustered of the immigrant groups. Indian and Chinese immigrants, on the other hand, are extremely dispersed. In terms of Latin American and Caribbean immigrants, El Salvador is the largest country of origin, comprising one-third of Latino immigrants. Mexicans only account for 4 percent of Latino immigrants, which is very different from the national level of 29 percent of all immigration. Immigrants from Africa comprised 16 percent of the immigrant flow in the 1990s, much higher than the national level. Ethiopians make up one-fourth of African immigrants in the area, and most African immigrants settle inside the beltway and in the District.

Maps of individual country of origin dispersal are not included in the report, but interested persons can find them for the top ten countries on Brookings Institute website. New Salvadoran immigrants tend to settle inside the beltway and in the District; they are more clustered than many groups. Vietnamese immigrants are more clustered and have a presence in the District, probably due to the fact that they are one of the older immigration groups. Indian immigrants settle mostly outside the beltway, maybe due to employment in the high-tech sector which is also located outside the beltway. Chinese immigrants have a small enclave in Chinatown, but most of them are outside the beltway, such as in Montgomery County. Filipino immigrants have some small clusters in Prince George's County and are dispersed within and without the beltway.

Karen Darner, a speech pathologist in the Arlington school system and a Delegate to Virginia House District 49 representing the zip code that has received the highest amount of immigration (22204), spoke next. She said that Arlington has had a large and established English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) program for over thirty years, starting with the Vietnamese refugee influx after the Vietnam War. The ESOL programs have included close cooperation with immigrant parents. Arlington has a diverse community; in the schools, almost 15 percent of students are African-American; about 33 percent are Hispanic; 12 percent are Asian; and about 42 percent are white. Darner noted that the numbers can be misleading; for example, between schools there is a range from about 8 percent white to about 90 percent white. A very helpful innovation in the schools has been a "one-stop in-take center." When non-English speaking parents need to enroll their children in school, they can go to an in-take center and meet with someone who speaks their language. The center worker interviews the parents and screens the child to determine his or her level of education and provides the parents with a packet to take to school to assist with enrollment. Arlington has also implemented a program to ease children who need to learn English ease into the school system through programs for four-year olds held in places like apartment houses with a large immigrant population.

Arlington has been a popular destination for immigrants partly due to its garden-style rental apartments, which are diminishing due to conversion to condominiums as well as demolition. There have been attempts to preserve affordable housing. The Columbia Pike area also has substantial bus transportation which includes Metro access, making the area desirable to immigrants.

Wanda Resto Torres, Latin American/Hispanic Affairs Liaison for Montgomery County, raised the issue of undocumented immigrants. There is a debate over the number of the undocumented population, and it would affect some of the findings of the report. Torres discussed several of the initiatives related to Latino immigrants, especially in Montgomery County. In Montgomery County, there has been a lack of communication; at a meeting of non-profit groups and private sector groups last year there was an attempt to start partnerships and exchange information on programs. After the meeting, organizations received an increase in ESOL programs from the state and were able to provide more classes and print registration information in Spanish.

In terms of how immigrants are incorporating into the community, Torres mentioned that the police are recruiting in Spanish-language newspapers. The Montgomery Country schools have a telephone language line that can accommodate about 120 languages. Many businesses employ Spanish-speakers and banks are reaching out to Spanish speakers. The community also has cultural events such as Latino festivals.

In 1999, there was a meeting for people working with the Latin American community to identify concerns of the community and priorities for an agenda. The priorities included education, including civic participation; enhancing services sensitive to language and culture; and making institutions fit the community's needs, such as providing basic Spanish lessons to police officers. Other services include regional service centers, income tax clinics, and health clinics. Torres noted that another issue is how long-term residents deal with the newcomers. She thinks Montgomery County is moving in the right direction on that issue.

Sandy Dang, Director for Asian American LEAD, discussed the challenges that the Asian immigrant community faces. She emphasized that immigrants and refugees offer a lot to American society, but the Washington area needs to do much more to embrace what immigrants offer and to embrace all immigrant groups, not just the largest groups. It is a challenge at all levels -- from the government to the neighborhood -- to fully benefit from the resources and richness of immigrants. Immigrant advocates must think "outside the box." The school system and housing are key. Utilizing the school system to its full potential means more than providing translation and involving parents. Dang acknowledged that the District of Columbia public school system currently struggles to meet its basic needs, let alone providing for immigrant students. The District needs programs that go beyond translation, and it needs to engage parents. At the Asian-American LEAD, they are working to find innovative solutions, such as asking Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) presidents to hold a meeting in the apartment of an immigrant parent. People are often ignorant of what immigrants and refugees have endured and the challenges they face. For example, someone asked Dang if the Korean language was similar to Vietnamese.

Housing is also an important issue. Dang said that many immigrants want to stay in the city, but it is very difficult. There are few low-income housing strategies. Washington could be a model for other places if it created strategies that allow low-income families to remain in their neighborhood.

Handel Mlilo, Coordinator for the National Immigration Forum, spoke about the experience of African immigrants in the area. He said that many African immigrants bring a strong work ethic, both high-skilled and low-skilled. They have made contributions to neighborhood revitalization, such as in Adams-Morgan. Many of their students are succeeding, and it is hopeful that many of the youth feel they have a promising future, despite often enduring great horrors in their youth. Home-ownership is a mark of integration, and there are attempts to promote home-ownership by African immigrants. There are good immigrant-run organizations, which are absolutely essential; they have accomplished amazing things with little funding.

The challenge to African immigrants stems from their race. Many Americans see them as black, and so they face the same problems of discrimination and racism as do African-Americans on top of the difficulty of being a newcomer -- sometimes called "double trouble." However, Mlilo sees the involuntary grouping of African immigrants with African-Americans as an opportunity. The African-American community has a history of struggling for equality, and African immigrants can join them in that struggle and tackle issues together. For example, the African-American caucus in Congress was influential in the decision to increase the number of refugee admissions from Africa. However, on a daily, personal level, most African-American and African immigrants do not realize that fate has lumped them together. Mlilo mentioned a program called Bridges for Cross-Cultural Understanding which has worked to bring the African, Hispanic, and African-American communities together to discuss areas of common concern; it is a small beginning but could lead to a powerful coalition.

Discussion

· An audience member noted that the United States has been involved in military conflict in the top two countries of origin, El Salvador and Vietnam. He asked how we can use the data to address class differences and conflict between new arrivals and older immigrant groups. He also asked about the differences between new immigrants obtaining green cards and those adjusting from temporary status and about the differences between applications for green cards from family heads (principals) and by dependents (beneficiaries). Singer also said that there are differences between refugees and other immigrants. She responded that the authors will be looking into much of the issues he raised, but their data is limited. They would like to look at visa type -- from what previous status people adjust. More information will be clearer in a year when Census 2000 results are complete. Price added that more immigrants who were adjusting their status had only been in the United States for three years on average, so that does not change the findings significantly.

· An audience member asked why immigration to the Washington area increased in the 1990s. Price said that United States involvement overseas is a factor. She thought that some refugees may be drawn to the idea of the capital city. Also, Washington was not previously a major area of immigration, so there was less competition among immigrants. Once immigrants begin to settle, you get "chain migration" -- groups settling into areas where other immigrants have settled.

· An audience member commented that Washington, D.C. is a very international city. There is an entire international community who are not legal permanent residents in addition to the immigrants in the report, such as embassy and multinational organization workers.

· Another question regarded the implications of the report for understanding support networks and political representation. Does the dispersal of immigrant groups across political jurisdiction lines decrease their political voice? Torres answered Takoma Park, non-citizens can vote in local elections, but the city does not publicize it. In the upcoming year, her organization will work to encourage non-citizens in Takoma Park to vote.

· An audience member asked how ESOL is delivered and if it is effective. Are people actually learning? Dang said that ESOL often reaches a small group of people. Some immigrants are illiterate in their own language and need to become literate before learning English. She emphasized the importance of asking immigrants what they want and need to learn. There is a need to review the ESOL program in the United States. There also need to be more public-private partnerships. Torres added that skill-related language classes are often helpful.

· An audience member asked what the approach to undocumented immigrants is in Montgomery County. Torres said that there are restrictions on the use of federal money, so often the county channels state money to non-profit organizations through which community empowerment and development grants can serve all immigrants, regardless of status.

· A member of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution mentioned a study his Institute conducted which showed that zip codes in the Washington area with the highest increase in the percentage of the immigrant population correlated with an increase in property values. Singer said that the finding may be due to the large number of immigrants settling in two of the most country's most affluent counties (Fairfax, VA and Montgomery, MD).

An electronic version of the discussion is available on the Brookings Institution website at www.brookings.org/urban. The report is available from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and from the Brookings Institute.

Summary by Kerry Boyd, Junior Fellow in the International Migration Policy Program