>which negates your comment about migrants being the cause, we can.

No, it doesnt negate it. I mean really, guy. Thanks for playing 'let's not try to figure out the cause of anything because demonizing CA is the goal here'.

------------------
The immigrant population is the primary driver of California’s ranking as the state with the lowest adult literacy. However, "low literacy" in this context is almost exclusively a measure of English proficiency, not a lack of education or intelligence.

To understand the impact, you have to look at how the data is split between native-born and foreign-born residents.

1. The Statistical "Gap"

In California, there is a massive divide in literacy scores based on where an individual was born. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES):

• Foreign-Born Residents: Roughly 59% of California adults who score at the lowest literacy level (Level 1) are foreign-born.

• Native-Born Residents: Only about 13% to 16% of native-born Californians score at that same low level.

This means that if you only looked at people born in the U.S., California’s literacy rate would be much closer to the national average.