First posted at Journalism, Journalists and The World

Interesting look by Pew at the digital divide between U.S.-born Latinos and their foreign-born counterparts. Seems the U.S. born are more likely to have regular Internet access.

The Latino Digital Divide: The Native Born Versus The Foreign Born

What does this mean? Think about it. Access to the Internet means better access to jobs and education. That means people who have Internet access have a leg up in improving their lives.

Looking at these national numbers got me thinking that there are probably loads of local stories that can be developed along these lines. Do these numbers translate to local areas? How about other ethnic groups?

Maybe stories could even be written about comparisons between Internet access in the immigrants’ home countries and the States.

The report does not break down how Latinos in the Northeast might be different from those in the South or Northwest. But by using some numbers from the U.S. Census Bureau and some shoe leather a local reporter could come up with a story about the differences within the ethnic communities.

And, as mentioned above, access to the Internet can often mean access to a better life. And having more people improving their lives has a long-term effect on taxes, schools and other social issues.