More Minesota Nice

The story at the Pioneer Press site doesn't include the wonderful graphic they gave this story in the paper version. Words cannot do it justice. Sucks to be you.

2000 CENSUS: '90s prosperity created wealth, but not equally

Minnesota's rising fortunes boosted paychecks widely but not equally in the booming 1990s, with only Asians closing the economic gap that persisted for other racial and ethnic groups.

The new data, offering the first neighborhood-level view of 2000 census results, show higher-income residents concentrating on the eastern and western fringes of metro-area suburbs, forming a ring around St. Paul and Minneapolis, though the central cities had some of the fastest-growing incomes.

Asians led the way with an increase of 55 percent in median household income statewide, according to census figures being released today. Poverty rates fell sharply for most groups in most parts of Minnesota, while education levels rose for most.

Among racial and ethnic groups, household income rose 42 percent for American Indians, 19 percent for whites, 18 percent for blacks and 9 percent for Latinos from 1989 to 1999. Statewide, median household income — the level at which half earn more and half less — rose 17 percent during the decade, after adjusting for inflation. The figures, from the long form questionnaire sent to one in every six households nationally in April 2000, do not reflect last year's recession.

And it would be too much time and trouble for us to do our own fucking research, so we're using the old data.

Gaming revenues from casinos that opened in the 1990s likely contributed to income gains for Indians, but experts were looking at the data cautiously, in part because of substantial changes in those who identified themselves as Indians in 1990 and 2000.

Asians were the only group to gain ground on whites, reporting 94 cents in household income for every dollar whites reported in 1999, up from 72 cents a decade earlier. Blacks reported 60 cents in 1999, leaving the gap with whites unchanged. Income for American Indians rose sharply, from 49 cents to 59 cents, but still trailed other groups. Latinos lost ground, falling from 81 cents to 74 cents.

"The gaps still remain, but it's like the whole society shifted downward in poverty and upward in income," state demographer Tom Gillaspy said. "The concept of a rising tide really is a reasonably good metaphor — it tended to proportionately raise everyone. Nothing happened that reduced the differential between populations."

But John Logan, professor of sociology at the State University of New York at Albany, said of the income gaps: "We've still got a yacht and a rowboat."

Emphasis added because the notion amuses me. When it's not causing disgust or annoyance, that is.

As for the rest, um, yay us?

The numbers alone don't tell you much, of course. This is the bit where someone trots out the inspirational tale of some person of color making it, along with some banal quotes that Tony Robbins wouldn't dare to use. . . oh wait, those are in the story already. I just didn't quote them because I felt a killing spree coming on. My bad.

There's also an AP Wire story on their site covering pretty much the same ground:

Foreign-born members of racial and ethnic groups appeared to play a role in how their groups fared in the 1990s, experts said. Foreign-born Asians, such as newly arrived high-tech workers or more established immigrants whose circumstances improved, contributed to Asians' gains.

An influx of Latino immigrants with less education and fewer job skills slowed the growth of Latino incomes. African-born immigrants, meanwhile, appeared to keep pace with native-born blacks.

With an extra twist or two.

No byline on the story. Pity. I'd like to meet whoever came up with that last sentence. It's the work of. . . well, I'm not sure, really. That's why I'd like to meet them.