Last week, I told you that Allentown's Community Health Assessment (read it here) concludes there's a need to combat loneliness. That's complete horseshit. What it really reveals is a serious need for both an education and the ability to speak English as a second language. Those two things will do more to achieve upward mobility among its residents than anything else. That is made abundantly clear by this portion of the assessment:
Amidst an economic resurgence, many communities within the City of Allentown are burdened by persistent economic distress. Across the City, the poverty rate is 23.3%, and the median household income is $47,700. Compared to the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton metropolitan area, Allentown has a poverty rate twice as high, and a median household income that is lower by one-third. Economic disparity illustrates the reality and the persistence of a citywide prime-age employment gap of 6.1%. The gains of a growing, prosperous regional economy are not being shared by all, especially here in the City of Allentown. Regionwide, there is a noticeable disparity in access to opportunity between different racial and ethnic groups. White individuals are twice as likely to live in an area with very high opportunity compared to Non-Whites. Just 38% of the Hispanic/Latino community in our region have high access to opportunity, 40-points less than white individuals. This disparity is especially pronounced within the City of Allentown, a now majority-minority city following the 2020 Census.
Allentown is a diverse city with 54.5% identifying as Hispanic/Latino and 47.5% identifying as non-native English speaking. Skills and education gaps are the fundamental barriers to employment for Allentown residents. Among this subset of the city, 25% of prime-age residents are not high school graduates. Language barriers accentuate this gap: individuals who do not speak English at home are over three times less likely to graduate from high school compared to those who do. Low educational attainment and proficient skills render many of the higher paying local jobs inaccessible to many within this area. A consequence of this incompatibility is the challenge many residents face arranging transportation to work. Despite 90% of residents traveling to work outside of their neighborhood, one in every three households in this area are without a personal vehicle.
I like to eat at a Vietnamese restaurant in this area once a week. A few months ago, the owner's two nephews immigrated (legally) after waiting for years. Neither spoke a word of English. Despite this handicap, both obtained jobs very quickly. Both also immersed themselves into studying English. While waiting for ESL classes at Northampton Community College, they used an online app to teach themselves. They both speak English quite well now and one of them just bought a car.
Being an Auschlander hurts you only if you let it hurt you.
17 comments:
Well I know you don't like to hear it but the solution starts with stable marriages and a father in the home. Two parents making sure their kids knuckle down and value education and do their homework instead of running around doing drugs and racing atvs in the streets.
Racist
Despite those figures, including one of the highest poverty rates in the Valley, Allentown City Hall thinks the solution is the seek out more affordable housing.
Obviously there is already enough, and the “solutions” they are pursuing will only make the problem worse. The city’s current course is unsustainable.
Yet those basic facts are lost on those inside City Hall.
lazy welfare bums create crime - you can thank Joe Daddona for allentown being the dump it is today
5:52, It strikes me that the assessment itself is racist. It implies that differences in income levels are due solely to race or, more precisely, ethnic origin. My view is that what t expressly shows is that these economically disadvantaged persons have no education or are unable to speak English. That is a real handicap, not loneliness. Allentown should be doing all it can to help its failing school system improve. GED programs should be expanded in the city bc they are clearly needed. Moreover, more ESL courses are needed.
I understand that it might be too late for someone my age. But young people who live here and do not speak English are only hurting themselves financially.
True
The number of people in the poverty subset who CHOOSE to qualify for Social Security Disability as a lifestyle, instead of gainful employment, is beyond belief. I'm not referring to people with real disabilities, but "fakers", and the doctors and lawyers who profit from the deception. Even their ability to comprehend and speak English changes situation by situation.
I have a relative who teaches 2nd grade in a local school district. 9 of her 26 students don’t speak English. She was just informed she’s getting 2 more before the end of the school year. The school district can’t keep up with the influx. The American, English speaking students suffer as a result of resources and time being diverted to accommodate the students who don’t speak English.
And by non English speaking students, I mean Spanish speaking students.
Regarding poverty and its effect on education, jobs, and success…drive 20 miles north of the lehighvalley to communities in Saylorsburg, Kunkletown, Effort, etc.
You’ve never seen such poverty.
And those folks are white.
Complicated issues exasperated by 10,000,000 more uneducated, poor, non English speaking people pouring across our southern border over the last 3 years.
"Being an Auschlander hurts you only if you let it hurt you."
Yes, we do live in a world where "smart" people would consider that racist. In fact, you might very well be the subject of a letter to the editor by a Muhlenberg or Lehigh student in the next several days. In fact, in addition to being a racist, you will probably be accused of being xenophobic, old fashioned, misogynist, paternalistic…(the college students will have to complete the list, presumably after consulting with their professors).
The city's new-found interest in people having to learn English is rich, coming from an outfit that for years has been mandating (through tax dollars) the dogma of bilingualism. If people see that governments everywhere are making it easy for them to not learn English, coming out with a "study" that says they should is not likely to have much of an effect.
Bernie O’Hare (8:12 am said):
“ Allentown should be doing all it can to help its failing school system improve.”
Absolutely agree, but instead Allentown City Hall is doing the opposite.
Talk to any teacher or administrator in the District and they’ll tell you one of the biggest problems they have is transiency. Apparently Allentown is a great place to move to if you’re coming from NY or another country, but if you have the ability to quickly move on you probably will as soon as you’re able.
Why do people move on from Allentown? To escape the quality of life issues (like noise, trash, parking) that affect the city’s neighborhoods, as well as the real issues of crime (drugs, assaults, thefts) that plague the city. This flight from the problems of Allentown is not limited to any single racial group. Nobody wants to live in a slum, and Hispanic residents who are able are just as likely to flee to safer, better areas as white residents.
What causes many of these problems? In most cases, it’s too many people living in too small of an area. Too many live in poverty, making too many residents desperate and vulnerable.
So what’s City Hall’s solution to too much poverty and too much density in housing?
You guessed it - more affordable housing!
Going back to the school system, City Hall’s policies will bring more transiency and even more students for the already-struggling school district to educate.
This isn’t rocket science, and that it apparently escapes the city’s elected officials should be alarming. Part of me thinks that nobody can be that stupid, and the effects of their policies are intentional.
"The city's new-found interest in people having to learn English is rich"
That is my suggestion, not that of the city. Being unable to speak English is an instant handicap in the search for employment or in everyday life.
But I also think it's a good idea for many of us to be bilingual. Too many Americans make no effort to learn another language. It can be very enriching.
" Even their ability to comprehend and speak English changes situation by situation."
That might be true with some people, but I know many people who simply are unable to understand English. Many have been here for decades. This includes older Spanish speaking people, older Vietnamese and many older Slavs I knew growing up.
I agree on the benefits of individuals being bilingual. I was referring to the prevailing theory of some that the government of Allentown or any other municipality in traditionally English-speaking areas should be bilingual. That will only hinder the development of English language skills.
Life support of both but in Allentown pa that is the driven agenda and it's designs. This makes for a unreal population count and more federal dollars to skim from for the leaders.
True!!!!
You said it! I'm not saying her show is an accurate representation of the public as a whole, but most of the litigants appearing on Judge Judy's show are collecting disability. And many of them are healthy young people. People sucking up the ssi funds instead of replenishing it for the truly disabled.
Allentown is a cesspool!!
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