Population Shift: Latinos/Hispanics
written by Linda C. Lopez, RN, MSHP, MSN former faculty member and community liaison for Juntos Podemos
According to the U. S. Census Bureau an for the first time in this nation's history, Latinos/Hispanics have surpassed African Americans to become the country's largest minority group. There are approximately 37 million Latinos/Hispanics, or one of every eight Americans, compared to 36.1 million African Americans. Some say this is an achievement, I'm not sure; however, it is a fact. The Latino/Hispanic explosion is an astounding new reality in the United States.
Half of the nation's Latinos/Hispanic live in Texas and California and are young, with a median age of twenty-five. Texas' population is approximately 32% Latino/Hispanic, 11% African American, 3% Asian, 1% Native American, and 71% non-Hispanic White. In San Antonio, nearly 60% of the population is Latino, 7.4% African American, 2% Asian, and 1% Native American. However, the national dropout rate for Latino/Hispanic students is about 30%, two times more than African-Americans, and three times more than that for non-Hispanic Whites.
Latinos/Hispanics are transforming the social, cultural, and economic aspects of American life, forcing politicians and policy-makers to pay attention to issues such as immigration, education, and language barriers to health care. The demographic characteristics in this country should not be viewed as a horse race, but looked upon as a force not to be ignored but acknowledged for their contributions, their strengths, and most importantly, their needs.
