1993 Need Assessment Update & Fiscal Year 1994-95 Interim Priorities
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VIII. IMMIGRANTS & REFUGEES

SAN MATEO COUNTY
POPULATION CATEGORIES

POSSIBLE INDICATORS 1990 NEEDS ASSESSMENT REPORT UPDATE OTHER NEEDS STATEMENTS-DATA

Bay Area Foreign Born Persons

County Foreign Born Persons
    Percent of Total County Population
    Percent Growth 1980-90

Language Spoken at Home
(persons 5 yrs and over)
    Speak only English at home
    Speak non-English at home

Linguistic Isolation
(persons 5 yrs and over)
    Speak only English
    Speaking Spanish
    Speaking Asian/PI language
    Speaking Other/Languages

Percent of Foreign Born Residents Who
Arrived in U.S. During 1980's

Estimated Number of Refugees

Estimated Number of
Documented Immigrants

Estimated Number of
Undocumented Immigrants

Under Count of Immigrants & Refugees

Countries From Which Largest Number
of Legal Immigrants & Refugees Come
To The County
Impact On Education System/ESL
Services
1980
509,352

  105,832
  18.0% of Co. pop.














Between 40,000-70,000 in San
Mateo approximately 13.9% of
Co. pop

40,017


40,848



Mexico leading country in San Mateo's Immigration Statistics



1990
778,725 - 52.9% increase

   164,767
   24.4% of Co. pop
   55.7% growth


  67.9% of total persons
  19,482 - 32.1% of total
    persons


  67.8% of total persons
80,679 - 13.6%
71,277 - 12.0%
39,133 - 6.6%

1980-1990:   43.9%
1970-1979:   26.4%
Before 1970: 29.7%














  • Immigrants and refugees are among the most statistically hidden group. Disabled, current date are often piecemeal and difficult to obtain. (International Institutes of San Francisco and East Bay. 1992)
  • Regardless of the status with which they enter the US, immigrants bring some common strengths and often face common hardship. Many newcomers work long hours to attain better educational and employment opportunities for themselves and their children. While many cite "freedom" as a quality of this country that they value immeasurably, they did not expect learning English to be so difficult, nor did they anticipate employment discrimination or health and educational systems that are severely limited in their ability to address newcomers' needs. The certainly did not expect hate crimes violence based upon their ethnic origin or immigrant status.


















Source: United Way Report on South East Asian and Hispanic Immigrants and Refugees
             International Institutes of San Francisco and East Bay, 1992
             Immigrant and Naturalization Service (INS) 1985 Statistical Yearbook

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