Travis County Immigrant Assessment Report

Check out this downloadable pdf document to get a sense of how the immigrant community in Travis County (that includes Austin) is faring. -Angela

s are Between 1990 and 2005, Travis County experienced a 230% increase in its foreign-born
population (from approximately 45,000 to 148,000 people). In 2005, foreign-born residents
made up 17% of the county’s population. Change of this magnitude underscores the need for a
better understanding of the community conditions that affect the diverse immigrant
populations in Travis County. In late 2005, community partners, observing
the significance of these trends, made a commitment to examine, identify, and report
the current conditions and needs of immigrants in Travis County. The Research
& Planning Division of Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service
stewarded this project, with support from an assessment Steering Committee and
community volunteers.

The main product of this effort is the 2006-2007 Travis County Immigrant Assessment — a report
intended to provide a balanced, accurate, and useful picture of foreign-born residents in Travis
County. Recognizing that foreign-born residents are integral to our community, the
Assessment also identifies overarching community goals expressed by local authorities and
examines the experience of foreign-born residents within the context of these goals. To provide
context for this discussion, the Assessment highlights notable differences and similarities
between foreign-born and native-born residents as well as those between foreign-born
populations with differing legal statuses and other characteristics.
This assessment drew from both primary and secondary research. The primary research
included: (1) a forum of local service providers, and (2) 18 focus groups with immigrant
residents of Travis County. The secondary research was based primarily upon an analysis of
existing research, public policy, and data derived from existing data sources, including the
American Community Survey, Current Population Survey, Texas Education Agency, Texas
Health Department of Vital Records, and the Decennial Census.

This document serves as a supplement to the 2006-2007 Travis County Immigrant Assessment and
is intended to summarize some of the highlights from each section of the report. Please refer to
the full report for a more detailed discussion of these issues, their associated citations, and
related analytical methodologies. The full report also offers contact information for the authors
and a list of contributors to this project.

An electronic copy of the 2006-2007 Travis County Immigrant Assessment is available to view and
download at: http://www.co.travis.tx.us/health_human_services/research_planning/