Survey: Latinos Are Satisfied with U.S. Life, But Not Confident in Nation’s Direction

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Latinos express widespread optimism and satisfaction with life in the United States, but are not confident in the nation’s current direction, according to a new survey, the Denver Post reports.

The State of the Latino Family survey, conducted by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, interviewed 1,000 Latinos to explore the attitudes and quality of life of Latinos, who are expected to rise from 17% of the current U.S. population to about 30% by 2060.

The good news?

Latinos have “upbeat attitudes” on several fronts, such as economic opportunities, personal health and the education of their children.

For example, more than 60% of Latino parents with young children are attending parent-teacher conferences, volunteering at the schools and working with administrators and teachers.

The bad news?

About half of the survey respondents (46%) said the U.S. is moving on the “wrong track,” with only 39% seeing things moving in the right direction.

Economic issues and jobs were of most concern, followed by immigration and crime. Other concerns include unequal treatment by authorities.

Still, an optimistic tone reverberated through the findings.

For example, the two groups most optimistic about their financial futures are undocumented immigrants (86%) and those at the highest income range (81% of those earning over $75,000 annually).

“Our poll of Latino families demonstrates that despite some gains towards racial equity in Latino communities, we have more work to do,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, chief strategy officer for the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “Achieving racial healing and racial equity are key components of our mission to support children, families and communities in creating and strengthening the environment for children to succeed.

“It is essential for America’s future that these issues be addressed, especially as the nation quickly approaches a time when the majority of children in the U. S. will be children of color.”