RESEARCH DATA & Resources
Baby Boomer Citizenship Status, by Race/Ethnicity
In 2000, approximately a third of Latino baby boomers were U.S. born, and another third were non-citizens; the remaining Latinos were mostly naturalized citizens, with some having been born in U.S. territories (mostly Puerto Rico). This reveals that Latino boomers have much more diverse citizenship status when compared to the mostly U.S.-born white and black populations, and the largely naturalized Asian population.
Number of Baby Boomers, by Race/Ethnicity and Citizenship Status
In raw numbers, U.S.-born whites were by far the largest group of baby boomers in 2000, at nearly 56 million (out of 58 million total whites). The next largest group of baby boomers was U.S.-born blacks, at over 8 million (out of 9.2 million total blacks). Latino boomers had a total population of 8 million, with less than 3 million in each of the citizenship groups.
Wealth of Baby Boomers, by Race/Ethnicity and Education
In 2006, white older baby boomers (born 1946-1953) in general had far more assets ($200,000) than either older Latino boomers ($44,200) or older black boomers ($23,000); however, when education level is considered, the disparity in assets between whites and Latinos was greatly reduced. This was especially true among those Latinos who had college educations. Assets include liquid, investment, and real estate assets net of mortgages and other debts.
Levels of Boomers' Education, by Ethnicity and Citizenship Status
In 2000, Latino baby boomers reported much lower education levels than non-Latino boomers. This was especially true of non-citizen Latinos, with two-thirds having less than a high school education, compared with 24% of U.S.-born Latinos and 11% of non-Latinos.
Boomers' English Ability, by Ethnicity and Citizenship Status
U.S.-born Latino baby boomers reported similar levels of English-language fluency and near-fluency in 2000 as non-Latinos, but these levels were considerably lower among Latinos born in U.S. territories and abroad.
Boomers' Homeownership Status, by Ethnicity and Citizenship Status
The rates of homeownership in 2000, an important precursor of asset accumulation, were similar for non-Latino baby boomers and for U.S.-born and naturalized Latino boomers. These rates were lower, however, for both non-citizen Latino boomers and Latino boomers born in U.S. territories.
Research
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"The future of the United States will rest heavily on the next generation of workers and elders; populations heavily diverse and Latino and living longer. Thus, we must understand and respond to their unique demographics."
–Fernando Torres-GilUCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging