Young Mexican-Americans in New York City: Working More, Learning and Earning Less

Policy Brief | Mar. 2013

Young Mexican-Americans in New York City: Working More, Learning and Earning Less

Lazar Treschan, Apurva Mehrotra

Summary: The report examines trends among young New Yorkers of Mexican origin. Mexicans are one of the fastest growing groups in New York City, having increased nearly five times in number in the past 20 years. This study, supported by the Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, examines the challenges facing young Mexican immigrants and children born here to Mexican parents. We find that immigrants work at high rates at the lowest paying jobs; as a result, when they start families here, their children grow up in poverty. Nearly half of Mexican American children born in the city are under the poverty line and eight in ten live in households that are low income. Consequently, Mexican American children born in New York City fare very poorly in school and face bleak prospects. The study calls for support to Mexican workers and families to overcome the challenges of poverty.

Issues: Opportunities for Youth

Download PDF