Disparities: Children of Immigrants, Children of Color

All children in the United States deserve a healthy start for successful futures.  However, young children of color and children of immigrants are disproportionately more likely to be poor and food insecure than their White peers, putting these children at higher risk for health and development problems.  More than 80% of the Children’s HealthWatch dataset is made up of children of color, hence we are uniquely positioned to understand the effects of public policy on the health, growth, and development of these young children. 

Children of immigrants are the fastest growing child population in the United States.  As a major component of the country’s future society and workforce, their health and development are integral to the productivity of the country’s future.  However, these children are less likely to reach public assistance programs, making them especially vulnerable to food insecurity and poor health.  Children’s HealthWatch found that children of immigrants are more likely to be food insecure.  Even among children whose mothers had been in the country for more than 10 years, these children were more likely to be food insecure than their counterparts with U.S. born mothers. 

Children of color are also especially vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity and poor health.  In 2004, households with children under the age of 18 reported roughly twice the rate of food insecurity as households without any children.  For Black and Latino households with children, food insecurity rates are especially high, with 29% of black households with children under age 18 and 27% of Latino households with children under age 18 reporting to have experienced food insecurity at some point in time.  Coupled with the higher rates of poverty among these families, the children in these families are especially vulnerable to poor health and well-being.  Furthermore, minority families also are disproportionately impacted by trade-offs between affording food and other household expenditures.  Data from the years 2000-2005 show that Black and Latino families, on average, had to increase the proportion of their income spent on utilities more than among White households.  This resulted in less income available for food.  In this “heat or eat” dilemma, children are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity and the negative health effects that accompany it. 

Children of immigrants and of color are a major component of America’s next generation and future workforce.  Without lessening the disparities that disproportionately affect these families, huge concerns are raised about the ability, stability and productivity of our country’s future leaders and workforce .

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