Sociological Perspectives and the Foreign-Born

Every 10 years the United States government implements a census to gather data on the
population of the current residents of the country. The article The Foreign-Born Population in
the United States: 2010 American Community Survey Reports employs quantitative empirical
research methods through the use of a survey to gather information on the immigrant population
of our country. The macro-sociological patterns utilized in this article present information on
the demographic, social, economic, and housing characteristics of any resident who was not
born in the United States. (Greico, et al 2010 p. 1) The main theoretical perspective exercised in
this article is that of conflict theory. The data collected reveals the discrepancies between those
native born and their counterparts in the struggle to attain the American Dream. The team of
researchers discovered that The median income of foreign-born households was less than that of
native households, regardless of household type. Additionally, Greico and her partners, (2010)
noted that, The foreign born were less likely than the native born to have health insurance
coverage and to be covered by a private insurer.(p.19) The racial and ethnic diversity of the
immigrant populations participation in the race for resources demonstrates that the foreign-born
have yet to gain an equal footing with the natives.
Several famous sociologists would have been extremely interested in the data collected in
this research. Both Auguste Comte and Harriet Martineau would have approved of the objective
systematic collection of data employed in the survey, as well as the social statics and dynamics it
accumulated.(Benokraitis, 2014) Jane Adams, in particular, would have been greatly interested
in the studys results. The results show that Among the foreign born, those born in Latin
America were least likely to be covered by some form of health insurance (51 percent). (Greico,
et al 2010) Additionally, Compared with the native-born population, the foreign born were less
likely to be high school graduates. (p.3) Combining her interest in education, health care, and

Sociological Perspectives and the Foreign-Born

immigration and these findings would provide further proof that continued reform in these areas
is needed for immigrants and their families.
The American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that Over 2 of every 5 foreign born
were naturalized citizens. Sixty three percent of the foreign born who arrived between 1980 and
1989 were naturalized citizens.(p.12) These findings were of particular interest as my husband
was not part of the norm. He emigrated from Egypt in 1987 but had not become a United States
citizen. Several months ago, he made the decision to change his status and applied for
citizenship. Three weeks ago, he passed his citizenship exam, renounced his allegiance to his
country of origin, and swore to support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of
America (Naturalization Oath, 6/25/2014) He is now officially part of the 2%.

According to the ACS, About 85 percent of the foreign-born population spoke a

language other than English at home, compared with about 10 percent of the native population.
(Garcia, et al, 2010) Having grown up as the first native-born American in a large family of
Cuban expatriates, English was definitely not the dominant language in my town. In
predominately Hispanic Hudson county the signs on business storefronts were, more often than
not, in Spanish. English, if at all present, was an afterthought. My parents were well-educated
professionals and could read, write, and speak English. They just did not do so at home.
Conversations between my siblings and my parents would often result in an interesting mix of
Spanglish. Only after having entered high school did I discover that my life was not the norm for
the average American. My realization that not everyone spoke English and Spanish came as
something of a shock. Pew Research stated on Fact Talk,
With more than 37 million speakers, Spanish is by far the most spoken
non-English language in the U.S. today among people ages 5 and older. It is

Sociological Perspectives and the Foreign-Born

also one of the fastest-growing, with the number of speakers up 233% since
1980, when there were 11 million Spanish speakers. Today, three-fourths of
all Hispanics ages 5 and older speak Spanish. (9/5/13)
If these statistics remain true, being bi-lingual in a country where the Hispanic population
continues to grow, will become very advantageous, especially in the workforce.

Sociological Perspectives and the Foreign-Born

References
Benokraitis, N. V. (2014). SOC3 (2014 student ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
Grieco, E., Acosta, Y., de la Cruz, G. P., & Gambino, C. (n.d.). The Foreign-Born Population in
the United States: 2010. www.census.gov. Retrieved September 30, 2014, from
https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/acs-19.pdf
Lopez, M. H., & Gonzalez-Barrera, A. (2013, September 5). What is the future of Spanish in the
United States?. Pew Research Center RSS. Retrieved October 2, 2014, from
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/05/what-is-the-future-of-spanish-in-theunited-states/
Naturalization Oath. (2014, June 25). Official Website of the Department of Homeland Security.
Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.uscis.gov/us-citizenship/naturalizationtest/naturalization-oath-allegiance-united-states-america