Securing a Better Future for their Families is worth the hardships Immigrants may be facing.

Telemundo announced the results of the newest Ipsos-Telemundo telephone poll. As the controversy over the immigration law in Arizona continues, eight in ten Hispanics (81%) say that the hardships faced by Hispanic immigrants living in the United States are worth it in order to ensure a better future for their families.

Over half of the 500 Hispanics interviewed completely agree that the promise of a better future is worth the challenges that immigrants may face living here.  Just 12% disagree with this statement (5% somewhat, 7% completely).  This is consistent with the results from the March wave of the study, when 84% agreed, including 59% who completely agreed.

Those who prefer Spanish language media tend to be more likely to agree than those who prefer English language media; including television (87% vs. 78%), radio (87% vs. 77%) and internet (87% vs. 78%).

In Spite of the Economic Crisis, the U.S. is Still Perceived as a Better Option

Nearly four in five Hispanics (79%) also agree – including 55% who completely agree – that in spite of the current economic conditions, immigrants who live in the U.S are better off financially than they would be if they lived in their country of origin.  Just one in seven (14%) disagree, while 5% neither agree nor disagree and 2% were unsure.

Better Opportunities for Hispanic Children 

Nearly nine in ten (86%) feel that children of Hispanic immigrants have more and better opportunities in the United States than they would in their parents’ country of origin, including two thirds (66%) who completely agree.  Less than one in ten (8%) disagree.

Likewise, 83% of Hispanics polled believe that their children – or children in their family – will have more and better opportunities than they did.  Agreement is even higher among certain segments of the population:

– Hispanic women are even more likely than are men to agree that their children will have more and better opportunities than them (88% vs. 79%).

– Those with a lower household income are also more likely to agree: under $25,000: 90% agree; $25,000 to $75.000: 83%; $75,000 or more: 70%.

– Nine in ten Hispanics with a high school education (92%) agree compared to 73% who have at least some college education.

– Hispanics who prefer communicating in Spanish are more likely to agree than those who prefer communicating in English (90% vs. 75%). 

– This is also the case for those who prefer Spanish-language media over English-language media; including:

Magazines (93% vs. 78%)
Television (92% vs. 78%)
Internet (92% vs. 78%)
Newspaper (92% vs. 79%)
Radio (91% vs. 77%)

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos-Telemundo poll conducted from June 10 to June 28, 2010  with a nationally representative sample of 504 Hispanics aged 18 and older, interviewed by telephone via Ipsos’ U.S. Hispanic Omnibus. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within 4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire adult population of Hispanics in the U.S. been polled. 

All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error. These data were weighted to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to U.S. Census figures. In both polls, respondents had the option to be interviewed in English or Spanish.