Diversity in Brief - May 23 Edition

Demand for foreign tech workers is on the rise; parts of Florida sees growth in the 85-and-up age group; and more.

Tougher Admission Standards Forces Shift in CUNY's Demographics

Since the City University of New York raised its standards for admission in 2000, the school system has seen a drop in black and Hispanic enrollment, The New York Times reports.

Among first-time freshman students, black enrollment had fallen from 17 percent in 2001 to 10 percent last fall; Hispanic students eventually dropped to 18 percent when the recession began. White enrollment also fell slightly, although Asian enrollment has risen to 37 percent, up from 25 a year earlier.

Although the demographic landscape in CUNY's schools has shifted, more blacks and Hispanics are graduating than ever before, according to CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein.

Read more here.

Demand for Foreign Tech Workers Up

Technology firms have tripled their recruitment of foreign workers this spring, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

The increase comes after a hiring lull of several years and is kick-starting the debate of immigration rules affecting tech workers.

Read more here.

Father of Five, Returning After Deportation, Dies in Desert

A California man died along the U.S. border with Mexico last month trying to return to his family after being deported, the North County Times reported on Monday.

Alfonso Martinez Sanchez, 39, was found on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation, which stretches along the Arizona border, his family and authorities told the Times.

Thousands of migrants pass through the reservation when attempting to cross the border illegally, according to the paper.

Martinez Sanchez was returning to his wife and five U.S.-born children who live in Vista, Calif., north of San Diego, when he was left in the desert by a smuggler. He was deported after being discovered by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in March.

Read more here.

Are Americans Being Left in the Lurch for Summer Jobs?

This summer, thousands of foreign-born workers are flocking to the country to participate in the U.S.-sponsored work-travel program, which has enjoyed new labor protections since a protest broke out last year over poor work conditions.

But immigration and labor experts are concerned that, while the program creates good will abroad, the jobs are still leaving out the nearly 50 million Americans who are still unemployed, The Washington Post reports.

Read more here.

85+ Is Fastest-Growing Group in Parts of Florida

The 85-and-older cohort is the fastest-growing group in Sarasota, Fla., the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported on Sunday.

The population group also makes up more than 5 percent of Sarasota County's population and outnumbers children under 5 by nearly 5,000.

Read more here.