Integrating Latino Immigrants in New Rural Destinations. Trends in Family and Communities, Issue Brief #1

The number of Latino immigrants in rural areas has increased substantially since 1990. Furthermore, many Latino immigrants are moving to rural communities in the Southeast, Midwest, and Northwest, which historically have not been immigrant destinations. This recent, rapid, and unexpected population growth in new rural destinations has focused public attention on immigration reform and fostered a mostly qualitative literature on immigrant integration. This brief quantifies the process of Latino immigrant economic and social integration in new rural destinations. At a time when many rural areas are grappling with how to respond to the rapid growth in Latino immigration, we use the most recent data available, the American Community Survey 2005–2006, to provide a comprehensive picture of the status of Latino immigrants in these new rural destinations.