An analysis of political attitudes and civic engagement of Latinos in Rhode Island released Oct. 30 by Brown University debunks 10 common myths about them.

The report, titled Myths vs. Reality: Results From the New England Latino Survey,

focuses on Rhode Island, but the researchers highlight areas in which the findings differ from those in Massachusetts and Connecticut. The Latino population in Rhode Island increased by 33 percent from 2000 to 2006.

Myths include "Latinos do not want to become Americans," "Latinos are not politically active," "Latinos drain money from the United States," and "Latinos do not want to learn English."

Among the findings:

• The majority of Rhode Island Latinos plan to stay in the United States for the rest of their lives and seek to participate and blend fully into U.S. society;

• The majority of Rhode Island Latinos are registered voters and participated in the last election;

• Rhode Island Latinos stress both the importance of learning English, as well as maintaining Spanish in their own families and in the Latino community at large;

• The prevalence of remittances -- sending money to relatives and friends outside the United States -- varies widely across groups in the survey. Among U.S.-born Latinos in Rhode Island, 60 percent have never sent remittances.

The report was authored by a research team led by Evelyn Hu-DeHart, director of Brown University's Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America. It included colleagues from Brown, Roger Williams University School of Law, the Rhode Island Latino Policy Institute and Providence College. The research was made possible by a $150,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation.