Story posted Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Study Eyes Area Immigrant Impact
By TOM ROBB Journal & Topics Reporter
What were once characterized as the "Lilly white" Northern suburbs can no longer be looked at that way, according to a recent academic study that examined first generation immigrant populations in seven suburban communities, including Glenview, and their economic impact.
Report author Dr. Janet Smith of the University of Illinois-Chicago delivered the report's findings to a small gathering in Glenview last month hosted by the Interfaith Housing Center of the Northern Suburbs.
The study estimates there are 58,000 immigrant households in the study's seven suburbs of Glenview, Niles, Des Plaines, Morton Grove, Northbrook, Skokie and Evanston. They represent an average 28% of those combined communities' populations. An estimated 12,000 of those immigrants both live and work in those seven communities.
The 58,000 households surveyed in the study contributed a combined $6.5 billion to their communities and supported 23,400 local jobs in 2006. The study found this population to have a disposable income of $2.8 billion.
The study found about 13,000 people in the study earned an annual income of between $50,000 and $75,000 while just fewer than 5,000 people earned under $15,000 per year.
The largest first generation immigrant populations were found in Niles and Skokie where a full 40% of those populations were first generation immigrants, according to the study. Des Plaines has a 26% immigrant population, Glenview has a 21% immigrant population, Morton Grove has 35%, Northbrook 15% and Evanston 17%.
A majority of those immigrants are "non-Latino white" at 47% followed by Asians at 36%, Latinos at 14% and African Americans at 3%.
One local resident attending the presentation last month was Glenview resident and first generation Pakistani immigrant Javed Bhatty.
Bhatty is working with several other Glenview residents to organize a human relations commission in the village. He has not yet approached village officials but hopes to in the next few weeks.
Bhatty stressed that he has seen no problems with race relations in the years he lived in the village, but said with 21% of Glenview's population born outside the United States, according to Dr. Smith's study, it would be helpful in raising awareness and understanding the village's diverse population and to promote diversity. He said several other surrounding suburbs have similar commissions.
Village President Kerry Cummings said the Glenview Values Project, a cross jurisdictional group, incorporating officials from the village, townships, schools, park district and social service agencies, meets monthly and often addresses issues of diversity.
The group has discussed issues of providing services in the face of differing languages and cultural sensitivities and hosted public forums on diversity.
Bhatty has lived in Glenview for 20 years. His daughter Isra was a 2008 graduate of Glenbrook South High School who went on to Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.
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