Immigration rankings: California v. West Virginia

Just how bad of a “problem” is immigration?

From the AP today comes news that:

“Nearly one in five people living in the United States speaks a language at home other than English. California led the nation in immigrants, at 27 percent of the state’s population, and in people who spoke a foreign language at home, at 43 percent. West Virginia had the smallest shares of both: 1.2 percent of immigrants and 2.3 percent of people who speak a foreign language at home.”

Hmmm. Let’s compare California and West Virginia.

In median family income, California ranks 6th highest in the nation at $37.019. West Virginia ranks last in the nation at $25,758.

In percentage with college degrees or higher, California ranks 15th in the nation at 29 percent. West Virginia ranks last in the nation at 16.5 percent.

In percentage living below poverty , California ranks 15th at 13 percent. West Virginia ranks fifth in the nation for poverty at 17.3 percent.

The Census doesn’t rank states based on moral turpitude, but consider this news item from West Virginia that also appeared today:

“Six whites, including two mothers and their adult children, have been charged in the week-long kidnapping, torture and rape of a 20-year-old black woman in West Virginia.”

Maybe immigration isn’t such a problem after all.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!