English-preferring Latinos have a more positive perspective than their Spanish-preferring counterparts when it comes to their economic status in life.
According to a recent article, more than 30 percent of Latinos indicate that their financial situation is about the same as it was 12 months ago, according to a recent study by Felipe Korzenny, Ph.D.
The data used in the study is from Simmons OneView, an Experian Company. The data was collected from January 31, 2011 to March 16, 2012. The sample contained 3,518 English- preferring Latinos, and 2,104 Spanish-preferring Hispanics. More than 25 percent of Latinos feel things have been worse for them in general.
The study accounts for the gap in happiness to the fact that people in the study who preferred speaking Spanish over English were more likely to be recent immigrants and more likely to suffer from immigration policies. They’re also more likely to have suffered from lack of work due to the lack of jobs in industries like construction that have traditionally employed immigrants from Mexico and Latin America.
Most Latinos feel they are better off or about the same as they were a year ago, meaning that spending by Hispanics is likely to continue at a sustained pace. One drawback, however, is that a large percentage feel the effects of immigration policy and economic conditions. Anti-immigration sentiment in many circles in the US has also hurt recent immigrants, according to the study.
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