UNH demographer analyzes census data on growing Hispanic population

New data from the U.S. Census Bureau reflects unprecedented growth in the nation’s Hispanic population. Data collected over the last five years documents trends that led to Hispanics surpassing African Americans as the largest minority group in the country. Dr. Kenneth Johnson, visiting professor of sociology and leading demographer with the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, has spent the past several weeks analyzing recent census data and compiling a detailed report on the results.

“Between the year 2000 and 2006, the U.S. population grew by about 18 million people,” Johnson said. “Of the 18 million people, almost exactly half of it was from the Hispanic population.” Hispanics currently account for approximately 14 percent of the nation’s population, Johnson said.

Johnson stressed that the Hispanic category includes people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. “The census takes into account both race and Hispanic origin, which are two different things. You can be of any race and be Hispanic. People sometimes get these confused,” he said. Most states put the ethnicity of a child’s mother on its birth certificate. Since the mother reports her own ethnicity, there is only a small margin of error.

According to Johnson, there are a couple of main reasons for the Hispanic population boom. “One is that Hispanic women are younger and are in their prime childbearing years,” he said. “The Hispanic population has a significant number of immigrants, and immigrants are typically young. This is common of almost all immigrant populations and was definitely true of the Irish immigrant population in the states a few decades ago.” The young age of Hispanic women in the United States, combined with the fact that people are living longer, contributes to an exceptionally high birth-to-death ratio—5.7 births to every one death in rural areas, 7.8 births to every one death in metro areas, he added.

“The second reason,” Johnson said, “is that Hispanic women tend to have more children than women of other origins, specifically, more than women of non-Hispanic, white origin.” The birth ratios show that Hispanic families are becoming more established in the United States. “We’ve reached a point now where the majority of the Hispanic population increase is coming not from immigration, but from natural births,” he said.

Population growth in New Hampshire follows the national trend fairly closely. There are currently around 30,000 people of Hispanic origin in the state, compared to around 20,000 in the year 2000. But Johnson noted that, over the past six years, New Hampshire has received about 37,000 domestic immigrations, compared to only 13,700 foreign ones. Johnson expects both the national and state trends to continue until the Hispanic immigrant generation evens out its age range.
To read Johnson’s full report, visit www.carseyinstitute.unh.edu.

UNH gets unwelcome party honors

The Princeton Review’s notorious annual college ratings, “The Best 366 Colleges,” once again ranked the University of New Hampshire as one of the nation’s top 10 party schools. The Review’s 2008 edition placed UNH at number seven on the party charts, much to the ire of university officials.

“The Princeton Review’s annual list of top party schools is an unscientific survey based on random interactions with college students across the country and the University of New Hampshire gives no credence to the review’s findings,” UNH spokesperson Kim Billings stated in a release.

The Review bases its data on surveys of 120,000 students at 366 colleges across the nation. The book lists the top 20 schools in each of 62 categories, involving academics, politics, demographics, quality of life, etc. The party rankings are based on survey questions regarding alcohol and drug consumption, study time and the popularity of fraternities and sororities. West Virginia University took top honors for 2008.

Billings said the Review’s rankings are based on unreliable information. “We have not permitted them to do any on-campus surveying and have no idea how they get their ‘data,’” she stated. “Also, don’t forget, in 2002, the American Medical Association called on the Princeton Review to stop publishing the list because of its sloppy methodology and misleading information.”  

Within the party category, the Review’s book includes rankings for “reefer madness” (the University of Vermont ranked third), “lots of hard liquor,” “lots of beer” (UNH ranked fourth) and “major frat and sorority scene” (Dartmouth College ranked sixth). There are also categories for “sober” schools. To view the rankings, visit www.princetonreview.com.

Strawbery Banke receives competitive grant

The Institute of Museums and Library Services recently awarded Strawbery Banke a grant of $88,688, which will go toward helping the museum provide a better experience for visitors based on audience research and outside consulting. The museum staff wants to know “who is coming here and why. Museums have not used focus groups the way other industries have. My guess is that not a whole lot of museums in New Hampshire are using focus groups.” said Carolyn Singer, Strawbery Banke’s grant writer. “What motivated me to write the grant was the need to base interpretation on audience research,” she added.

The IMLS is a federal institution that provides funding for a number of cultural institutions, such as art and history museums, zoos and planetariums, many of which have been experiencing financial difficulty. “Nonprofit organizations are experiencing difficult times now because leisure time, for most people, is taken in different ways than it was 20 years ago,” Singer said. “There are a lot of competing leisure time activities and a lot of people prefer home-based activities. It’s difficult for performing arts, cultural organizations and museums to keep their visitation up.”

But, while many museums struggle with low attendance, Strawbery Banke continues to grow. Singer attributes the museum’s steady growth to a combination of special events and unique programming. “One of the most unique factors is that all 42 historic structures are on their original site. Williamsburg is created. Sturbridge Village is created. Really, Strawbery Banke is one of the few sites in the nation where the majority of the buildings are on their original sites, and that is pretty significant,” she said.

With funds from the IMLS grant, Strawbery Banke will use focus groups and consultants to develop an interpretive program for the Cotton Tenant House. “We want to refine the ultimate interpretation of the house,” Singer said.

Leonard Cotton built the Cotton Tenant House in 1834. He was an entrepreneur who capitalized on a lack of rental housing in Portsmouth at the time. The house remained a rental property until Strawbery Banke acquired it in the 1960s. The building is unique because it lacks the decorative features that even the lowest-income houses had during that time period.

new I-95 exit to Kittery malls considered

Maine is considering construction of an interchange for southbound traffic off of Interstate 95 to the Kittery malls area. Proponents say the project would relieve heavy congestion along Route 1 and would be safer than the current interchange from exit 2. Before plans for construction can be brought to the table, however, the Kittery Town Council must decide if it wants to pay the state’s fee for a feasibility study.

“The Maine Turnpike Authority has a careful policy for considering interchanges,” said Dan Paradee, spokesperson for the MTA. “Probably, right now, we have six or eight cities interested in looking at the possibility of an interchange. We’re willing to look into these things, but there also has to be a level of commitment from the community itself.”

The cost of the study varies greatly depending on the proposed location, but the estimated cost for the Kittery study is just shy of $100,000. If the project is approved, construction of the interchange will cost between $3 million and $4 million. “It’s a very long process, but it’s probably a good thing that it takes a while,” Paradee said. “Interchanges carry anywhere from 10,000 to 25,000 vehicles a day. You need to have a careful process for channeling that much traffic around.”

Kittery Public Works director Rick Rossiter said the town has discussed revisions to the current exit ramps near the mall area, as well as ideas for a new business park between Route 236 and Bennet Road. But discussion has mainly revolved around construction of a new, safer interchange to the mall area. “If you’re going south, there’s only one exit you can get off at, and you have to cross through traffic to get off the turnpike there,” Rossiter said. “You really don’t expect to see someone coming at you from an on ramp. It’s really a pretty hazardous situation. An ideal design should coordinate the ramps to service everything in the area equally and safely.”

If the project is approved, it is expected to take anywhere from five to 20 years to complete. “It takes more than just Kittery, though,” Rossiter said. “It takes the Maine Department of Transportation, the Turnpike Authority—it takes dozens of people and lots of time to make this happen.” 

senior housing could fill Lafayette School

After several years of vacancy, the Lafayette School on the corner of Middle and South streets has been targeted by the Portsmouth Housing Authority as a potential site for low income housing for senior citizens. In a recent letter to the City Council, the PHA proposed turning the old school into a 10-unit affordable housing development, which would be available to people over 55 years of age who meet 60 percent of the median income guidelines of the low-income housing tax credit program.

Redevelopment of the building would include partitioning 10 independent living units, an elevator, a storage area and community space. In an effort to preserve the structure’s historic value, no exterior additions would be made, said Joseph Couture, executive director of the PHA.

Demand for affordable housing is on the rise as Portsmouth becomes a more desirable place to live. “We have about 467 people on the waiting list and we have applications coming in every day,” Couture said. In his former post as executive director of the Somersworth Housing Authority, he oversaw two renovation projects that transformed old schools into affordable housing projects. “They are excellent for reuse. It provides space, plus preserves a historic structure that might otherwise fade away over the years,” he said.

The next step, according to Couture, is to hold a workshop with the City Council in order to discuss the project further, which will most likely happen in October. If the Council approves the project, the PHA will start looking for architects.

Couture believes Portsmouth officials take the affordable housing issue seriously. “The city manager, John Bohenko, is very interested in affordable housing, especially workforce housing that allows people to live and work in the same community,” he said.