How is literacy defined here? If it’s English proficiency, it might explain “illiteracy” in southern states.
Minnesota has a huge immigrant population and still has the second-highest rate on the map, so maybe not.
They’re Hmong immigrants though, who are eager to assimilate into American culture, and are mostly 1st and 2nd generation Americans now.
In 2020, about 8% of Minnesotans were foreign-born
Page includes a chart: IMMIGRANT GROUPSORT DESCENDING POPULATION
All immigrants 470,387
Burmese immigrants 12,480
Canadian immigrants 11,179
Chinese immigrants 17,746
Ecuadorian immigrants 6,703
Ethiopian immigrants 22,453
Filipino immigrants 9,936
German immigrants 6,811
Guatemalan immigrants 6,619
Hmong immigrants 29,034I did not include the whole chart.
I am only pushing back on the implication about the immigrants in Minnesota being only Hmong. I have no idea about literacy in any of those countries.
Oh wow, I didn’t realize there are so many other groups. I wonder why some of them choose Minnesota of all places. I know why the Hmong are there, but Minnesota seems like an odd match for some of those other groups. At least it’s a new life experience and a change of scenery!
Now cross it up with an immigration map.
We slamming Florida here? Then why is the liberal bastion of California even worse off? LOL, bet NYC counts for the vast majority of illiterates in New York.
C’mon y’all. This is interesting data, but it says nothing about state politics. A conservative could use this as an anti-immigration ad. (Please don’t give 'em ideas.)
It does seem like there’s a correlation with high density cities…maybe larger elementary class sizes lead to lower literacy? Or maybe more folks “slip through the cracks” in large cities (dropping out, etc). I hope some smart people are parsing this data, and we’ll eventually be able to get some good policy outcomes from it…green up those areas a bit.
Florida sucks for many reasons, not just their terrible record at literacy.
the our literacy rate
I’m not convinced it isn’t…
Is literacy defined as “ability to read” or “ability to read English”? If you can read Spanish but not English, you aren’t illiterate.
“Literacy” in these instances always refers to “functional literacy,” which has a definition that includes being able to read a statement in X amount of time, in any language.
So the difference between being a slow reader and someone that can not read at all isn’t displayed.
The actual illiteracy rate is much lower.
I think it’s something like 58% of Americans are below a 6th grade level?
Yes, and that’s also a different metric, one for reading comprehension.
Our way or the highway!
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TX and FL? Not surprised. But what’s up with NY and CA? Also is literacy improved when winter keeps people stuck inside or something? (/Jk)
TIL Indiana is one of the most literate states!? I mean there’s only 29 of us living here, but I’m still impressed.
Annoyed Seattle doesn’t drag WA higher. Yakima delenda est.
That’s what I was thinking too. We’re the most literate city in the United States. It must be Eastern Washington dragging us down.
They need to city harder
What’s up with vermont?
I ask myself this question regularly.
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