March 31, 2006

How to play the old statistical shell game on the NYT op-ed page, Part CCXXVII

In the grand tradition of the recent New York Times op-ed "proving" that Hispanic immigrants lower the crime rate, Linda Chavez writes in the NYT:

While most immigrants from Latin America, especially Mexico and Central America, lag in educational attainment, their children are far more likely to stay in school: according to research by the Pew Hispanic Center, 80 percent of second-generation Latinos graduate from high school. Almost half of second-generation Latinos ages 25 to 44 have attended college, and those who graduate earn more on average than non-Hispanic white workers.

I'm guessing that the last statement means that the small fraction of Latinos who have actually graduated from college (e.g., 9.3% of second generation Mexican-Americans) earn more than the average of all non-Hispanic white worker (most of whom haven't graduated). Well isn't that special!

Here's a logical equivalent:

"Almost half of second-generation Latinos ages 25 to 44 have played Little League baseball, and those who become major-leaguers earn more on average than non-Hispanic white workers."


My published articles are archived at iSteve.com -- Steve Sailer

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