Arkansas

Kinship and Ethnic Networks

Population growth is healthy but not high, and due principally to births: migration into the state is fairly low, and kinship-based social networks are very stable and long-lived. The ethnic makeup of Arkansas, therefore, was nearly unchanged from 2000 to 2010. Most citizens of the state are non-Hispanic white (about 78 percent), black (16 percent), or Hispanic white (4 percent), with Asians and Native Americans as distinct minorities.

The diversity of ancestry groups within the white population is significant. The largest are the Irish (13.2 percent), German (12.2 percent), self-identified mixed heritage (11.9 percent), English (10.5 percent), Scotch (4.3 percent), Dutch (2.2 percent), Italian (1.5 percent), Polish (1.3 percent), Swiss (1.2 percent), and Norwegian (1.1 percent). The population with northern European lineage outnumbers that of southern Europe, but there is no outstanding majority ancestry group. Different groups tend to be more common in different regions, with the bulk of African American citizens living in the southeast part of the state, and the Irish, English, and Germans living in the Ozarks, with strong ties to Missouri Ozark families. Unlike in the urban north, the vast majority of Irish families in Arkansas are Protestants who immigrated to North America in the Colonial era, eventually moving out to the frontier to settle the mountainous regions. Many of their descendants remain, with strong social networks encompassing multidimensional connections to one another through business ties, family ties, and shared membership in religious, political, or social groups.

The Hispanic population of Arkansas maintains strong ties within its community, made up of strong, family-based social networks. Roughly 4 percent of the Arkansas population speaks Spanish in the home, which correlates to the majority of the population identifying as Hispanic. Immigration is fairly low, and many Spanish-speaking families have lived in the state for a long time, establishing a Hispanic-speaking social network within the state. Spanish-speaking populations are concentrated primarily in cities like Rogers and Springdale, where Hispanics make up about a third of the population and Spanish-language signage has become common. The extended families of the Hispanic community form important social networks, helping to provide jobs, healthcare, and guidance and support. Divorce rates are low among Hispanics in Arkansas, while families are large, typically more than five people in a household. Extended family members typically provide child care. Social networks in the Hispanic population are strong and may include social ties to Hispanic groups outside the state or to family members outside the country. However, these close-knit bonds also contribute to the lower educational achievements of Hispanic children in Arkansas, who are less likely to graduate or [Page 55]leave their parents' home for college. Language difficulties in school are also common.

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