Young Children in MA are More Diverse than Adults

Irene Sege

March 8, 2012

Massachusetts snapshot: Young children and adults, 2010 (Click on image to enlarge.)

Massachusetts snapshot: Young children, 2000 and 2010 (Click on image to enlarge)

Politics is in the air, and for those of us concerned about young children, we must ensure that their needs are on the election year agenda. One look at data from the 2010 U.S. Census highlights the demographic differences between the voting age population and the population of young children, birth to age 5, in Massachusetts.

Almost four-fifths (79%) of the 5.1 million Massachusetts adults, age 18 and older, are non-Hispanic white. Less than two-thirds (63%) of the commonwealth’s 442,592 young children, birth to age 5, are non-Hispanic white, down from 74% in 2000. As the first chart shows, a substantial increase in the proportion of Latino or Hispanic young children is the driving force behind the difference between the adult and young child populations in the commonwealth.

Massachusetts is home to a sophisticated, innovation-based economy that depends on an ongoing pipeline of skilled, well-educated workers. We also have an aging population, with a median age of 39.1, up from 36.5 in 2000. This means voters have a shared interest in preparing all of our children — of all races and ethnicities — to contribute to our economic prosperity and civic vitality.

(For demographic and educational information on your Massachusetts city or town, check out Fast Facts. See more maps and charts.)

Demographics

One response to “Young Children in MA are More Diverse than Adults”

Gwen Morgan

March 8, 2012

Young children are more diverse than schoolchildren, too. The fast facts for Boston reveal that in this city, most of these very diverse children have both parents in the workforce. We know from other Census sources that most families at the median income, who are not poor, have reached this income level only by having both parents earning income.

Our education system needs to pay attention to these important changes in
the workforce, and among the diverse young children. The children are
often newcomer children. They learned a language different than English and
they may speak that language very well. At their young age, they will learn
English more easily now than later, especially if they are in a group of young children. Their brains are programed to learn any language. But the transition from the easy use of their own language to easy use of English may be difficult for them, and teachers may see them withdraw from circle time and talk to the dog, or express anger or other feelings. As we think about quality in our education systems, we should develop more bilingual teachers who can communicate with parents and children more easily, and who can read these children’s behavior and understand their feelings.

These children are our future.

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