Linguistic Diversity

The Inland Empire region, which California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB) serves, is one of the most diverse regions in the nation. According to the Center for the Study of Immigrant Integration (CSII) at the University of Southern California’s 2008-2010 data profile, 909,118 people or 22% of the residents of the Inland Empire of Southern California are immigrants. According to the 2010 U.S. Census data, 58.28% of the residents of San Bernardino County spoke English at home, while 41.72% of the population did not speak English at home, and 61.52% of residents of Riverside County spoke English at home, while 38.48% did not speak English at home. Therefore, more than one-third of the domestic population of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties is comprised of people who speak a language other than English at home.

In addition, according to the CSUSB website, students at CSUSB came from 89 different countries in Fall 2013. The number of international students enrolled at CSUSB has grown from 468 in Fall 2009 to 885 in Fall 2013, and international student enrollment is expected to increase. CSUSB actively recruits international students to attend CSUSB because their presence adds to the diversity of the student population and to the educational experience of all students on campus. Moreover, Cao (2012) indicates that international students contribute significant revenue to higher education institutions. The Institute of International Education estimates that international students contributed over $27 billion to the U.S. economy in the 2013-2014 academic year.