In a new study by the Brookings Institution, the Las Vegas metropolitan area is ranked 17th highest in the nation for the number of working-age adults with limited English-speaking skills.
Ranking the 89 most-populated metropolitan areas on both US coasts, the study found that almost 1 in 10 working-age adults—that’s about 19.2 million people ages 16 to 64—have limited proficiency in English.
In Las Vegas alone, that translates to 207,224 individuals, or 15.7 percent of the total working-age population.
New York/Northern New Jersey/Long Island ranked first for its limited English proficient population, with 2.3 million.
“It’s a big issue and it’s been somewhat neglected,” said Jill H. Wilson, a senior researcher analyst and associate fellow of the Brookings Institution.
The new study is based on data from the US Census Bureau’s 2012 American Community Survey, and ranks major cities on the size and share of population with limited English speakers, looking at how that demographic has grown or declined over the years.
In 16th place, Las Vegas saw a 61.2 percent change in its limited English-speaking demographic from 2000 to 2012. About 75 percent of that number spoke Spanish, 4.3 percent spoke an Indo-European language, and 18.3 percent spoke Asian or Pacific Islander languages.
The same employed, adult immigrants who spoke little English also had median annual earnings of $28,300 in Las Vegas, according to the study. 38.4 percent of the population had an educational attainment less than high school, 51.3 with a high school or some college diploma, and 10.2 percent with a bachelor’s degree or higher.
“English proficiency is an essential gateway to economic opportunity for immigrant workers in the United States,” the study reads. “Yet, access to acquiring these skills is persistently limited by a lack of resources and attention.”
Many of these resources are either being shut down or not being properly provided for. For instance, the Community Multicultural Center on Renaissance Drive was forced to close its doors and lay off part-time employees after losing federal funding last month, said executive director Lynn Austin. The non-profit had received federal funding for the past 10 years from the Nevada Department of Education, but recently became more competitive.
The Community Multicultural Center used to offer ESL (English as a Second Language) classes, classes similar to high school academics, and adult special education courses. Seventy percent of the students were there to take English classes, according to the Center.
“Most of the students wanted to learn English to be able to get a job, or a better paying job,” Austin said, adding that the Center would have to try and find another federal grant.
Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada currently offers free English classes on weekdays from 5 to 8pm, said Leslie Carmine, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit. They had over 1,300 students last year.
In a bold and unique move, the organization also provides English lesson services to refugees.
“One of the first challenges they face after arriving [in the US] is learning English,” Carmine said. “Part of our focus is to get them to a point where they are self-sufficient.”
MGM Resorts International also offers similar free, on-site ESL classes to its employees, according to MGM spokeswoman Mary Hynes.
An increase in funding for adult ESL classes could come from a number of sources, the Brookings study also claims, such as a reformed Workforce Investment Act, state or municipality backing, and aid from employers among others. But aside from the financial support, there is also a need for a targeted outreach and instructional innovations.
English proficiency in the US is not only essential to finding a job and being heard, but to beginning a new life in a country with endless potential for opportunity.
(With reports from the Las Vegas Review-Journal)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(Las Vegas September 25 – October 1, 2014 Sec. A pg.1)