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New Americans in the Ocean State

The Political and Economic Power of Immigrants, Latinos, and Asians in Rhode Island.

Immigrants and their children are growing shares of Rhode Island’s population and electorate.

  • The foreign-born share of Rhode Island’s population rose from 9.5% in 1990, to 11.4% in 2000, to 12.2% in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  Rhode Island was home to 128,453 immigrants in 2008, which is more than the entire population of Hartford, Connecticut.
  • 48.5% of immigrants (or 62,275 people) in Rhode Island were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2008—meaning that they are eligible to vote.
  • 11.6% (or 62,232) of registered voters in Rhode Island were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2006 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

Nearly one-in-seven Rhode Islanders are Latino or Asian.

  • The Latino share of Rhode Island’s population grew from 4.6% in 1990, to 8.7% in 2000, to 11.6% (or 121,891 people) in 2008.  The Asian share of the population grew from 1.8% in 1990, to 2.3% in 2000, to 2.9% (or 30,473 people) in 2008, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Latinos accounted for 3.9% (or 20,000) of Rhode Island voters in the 2008 elections, and Asians 1.8% (9,000), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.  
  • In Rhode Island, nearly nine-in-ten (or 89% of) children in immigrant families were U.S. citizens in 2007, according to the Center for Social and Demographic Analysis at the University of Albany.

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add billions of dollars and thousands of jobs to Rhode Island’s economy.

  • The 2009 purchasing power of Latinos in Rhode Island totaled $2.2 billion—an increase of 436.7% since 1990.  Asian buying power totaled $810.4 million—an increase of 288.3% since 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia.
  • Rhode Island’s 3,415 Latino-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $213.7 million and employed 1,185 people in 2002, the last year for which data is available.  The state’s 1,529 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $326.1 million and employed 2,618 people in 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Survey of Business Owners.

Immigrants are essential to Rhode Island’s economy as workers.

  • Immigrants comprised 14.2% of the state’s workforce in 2008 (or 80,746 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Unauthorized immigrants are integral to Rhode Island’s economy as workers and taxpayers.

  • Unauthorized immigrants comprised roughly 3.6% of the state’s workforce (or 20,000 workers) in 2008, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.
  • If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Rhode Island, the state would lose $698.0 million in economic activity, $310.0 million in gross state product, and approximately 3,780 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.

Immigrants are integral to Rhode Island’s economy as students.

Naturalized citizens excel educationally.

  • In Rhode Island, 22.4% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2008 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 16.5% of noncitizens.  At the same time, only 33.1% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 43.5% of noncitizens.
  • The number of immigrants in Rhode Island with a college degree increased by 37.4% between 2000 and 2008, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.
  • In Rhode Island, 78.8% of all children between the ages of 5 and 17 in families that spoke a language other than English at home also spoke English “very well” as of 2008.

UPDATED: JULY 2010

Published On: Wed, Jun 09, 2010 | Download File

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