The following article came out in November of last year. For a children's librarian serving the Latino community, this may be an interesting look at the shape of the Latino population of the United States, and some of the trends that we can expect.
More than anything, this information indicated to me, once again, how very important caring, informed librarians serving this population are. So take a few minutes and acquaint yourself with the statistics. They aren't the same as getting to know the individual community you serve, of course, but they are a good starting point.
A Look at the Latino Population(November 16, 2009)
The U.S. Census Bureau reported that the minority population reached an estimated 104.6 million -- or 34 percent of the nation's total population -- on July 1, 2008, compared to 31 percent when the Census was taken in 2000. Nearly one in six residents, or 46.9 million people, are Hispanic, the agency reported.
Even more telling for the future: 44 percent of children younger than 18 and 47 percent of children younger than the age of five are now from minority families.
The quickly expanding Latino population is having a healthy impact on the economy, according to Ken Gronbach, author of The Age Curve: How to Profit from the Growing Demographic Trend.
"Latinos have saved our country," he said. "They represent 14 percent of the population but 25 percent of the live births. The United States is the only western industrialized nation with a fertility rate above the 2.2 percent replacement rate."
Here, the US Cenus Bureau provides a look at how America is being shaped by Hispanic-Americans, from population and language to popular names and voting trends.Population 46.9 million
The estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2008, making people of Hispanic origin the nation's largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15 percent of the nation's total population. In addition, there are approximately 4 million residents of Puerto Rico.
Source: Population estimates pand further estimates
More than 1 . . . of every two people added to the nation's population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, was Hispanic. There were 1.5 million Hispanics added to the population during the period. Source: Population estimates
3.2% increase in the Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group.
Source: Population estimates
132.8 million - The projected Hispanic population of the United States on July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will constitute 30 percent of the nation's population by that date.
Source: Population projections
22.4 million - The nation's Hispanic population during the 1990 Census - less than half the current total.
Source: The Hispanic Population: 2000
2nd ranking of the size of the U.S. Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2008. Only Mexico (110 million) had a larger Hispanic population than the United States (46.9 million).
Source: International Data Base <> and population estimates
64% - The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in the United States who were of Mexican background in 2007. Another 9 percent were of Puerto Rican background, with 3.5 percent Cuban, 3.1 percent Salvadoran and 2.7 percent Dominican. The remainder were of some other Central American, South American or other Hispanic or Latino origin.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
About 45 percent of the nation's Dominicans lived in New York City in 2007 and about half of the nation's Cubans in Miami-Dade County, Fla.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
25% - Percentage of children younger than 5 who were Hispanic in 2008. All in all, Hispanics comprised 22 percent of children younger than 18.
Source: Population estimates
27.7 years - Median age of the Hispanic population in 2008. This compared with 36.8 years for the population as a whole.
Source: Population estimates
107 - Number of Hispanic males in 2008 per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
Source: Population estimates
States and Counties48% - The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that lived in California or Texas in 2008. California was home to 13.5 million Hispanics, and Texas was home to 8.9 million. Source: Population estimates
16 - The number of states with at least a half-million Hispanic residents - Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Source: Population estimates
45% - The percentage of New Mexico's population that was Hispanic in 2008, the highest of any state. Hispanics also made up at least one fifth of the population in California and Texas, at 37 percent each, Arizona (30 percent), Nevada (26 percent), Florida (21 percent) and Colorado (20 percent). New Mexico had 891,000 Hispanics.
Source: Population estimates
The Carolinas - The states with the highest percentage increases in Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008. South Carolina's increase was 7.7 percent and North Carolina's was 7.4 percent.
Source: Population estimates
4.7 million - The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, Calif., in 2008 - the largest of any county in the nation. Los Angeles County also had the biggest numerical increase in the Hispanic population (67,000) since July 2007.
Source: Population estimates
97% - Proportion of the population of Starr County, Texas, that was Hispanic as of 2008, which led the nation. All of the top 10 counties in this category were in Texas.
Source: Population estimates
48 - Number of the nation's 3,142 counties that are majority-Hispanic.
Source: Population estimates
15% - Percent increase in the Hispanic population in Luzerne County, Pa., from July 1, 2007, to July 1, 2008. Among all counties with 2007 Hispanic populations of at least 10,000, Luzerne topped the nation in this category. Luzerne's county seat is Wilkes-Barre.
Source: Population estimates
313,000 - The increase in California's Hispanic population between July 1, 2007, and July 1, 2008, which led all states. Texas (305,000) and Florida (111,000) also recorded large increases.
Source: Population estimates
20 - Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Source: Population estimates
BusinessesSource for statements in this section: Hispanic-owned Firms: 2002
1.6 million
The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.
Nearly 43 percent of Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction; administrative and support, and waste management and remediation services; and other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance. Retail and wholesale trade accounted for nearly 36 percent of Hispanic-owned business revenue.
Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los Angeles County (188,422); Miami-Dade County (163,187); and Harris County, Texas (61,934).
Triple - The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between 1997 and 2002 (31 percent) compared with the national average (10 percent) for all businesses.
$222 billion - Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up 19 percent from 1997.
44.6% . . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by people of Mexican origin (Mexican, Mexican-American or Chicano).
29,168 - Number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1 million or more.
Families and Children10.4 million - The number of Hispanic family households in the United States in 2008. Of these households, 62 percent included children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
66% - The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
43% - The percentage of Hispanic family households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
70% - Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents.
Source: Families and Living Arrangements
Spanish Language
35 million - The number of U.S. residents 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2007. Those who hablan español constituted 12 percent of U.S. residents. More than half of these Spanish speakers spoke English "very well."
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
4 - Number of states where at least one-in-five residents spoke Spanish at home in 2007 - Arizona,California, New Mexico and Texas.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
78% - Percentage of Hispanics 5 and older who spoke Spanish at home in 2007.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
Income, Poverty and Health Insurance$38,679 - The median income of Hispanic households in 2007, statistically unchanged from the previous year after adjusting for inflation.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
21.5% - The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2007, up from 20.6 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
32.1% - The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in 2007, down from 34.1 percent in 2006.
Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007
Education53% - The percentage of Hispanic 4-year-olds enrolled in nursery school in 2007, up from 43 percent in 1997 and 21 percent in 1987.
Source: School Enrollment - Social and Economic
Characteristics of Students: October 2007
62% - The percentage of Hispanics 25 and older who had at least a high school education in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008
13% - The percentage of the Hispanic population 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008
3.6 million - The number of Hispanics 18 and older who had at least a bachelor's degree in 2008.
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008
1 million - Number of Hispanics 25 and older with advanced degrees in 2008 (e.g., master's, professional, doctorate).
Source: Educational Attainment in the United States: 2008
12% - Percentage of full-time college students (both undergraduate and graduate students) in October 2007 who were Hispanic, up from 10 percent in 2006.
Source: School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2007
20% - Percentage of elementary and high school students combined who were Hispanic.
Source: School Enrollment - Social and Economic Characteristics of Students: October 2007
Names4 - The number of Hispanic surnames ranked among the 15 most common in 2000. It was the first time that a Hispanic surname reached the top 15 during a census. Garcia was the most frequent Hispanic surname, occurring 858,289 times and placing eighth on the list - up from 18th in 1990. Rodriguez (ninth), Martinez (11th) and Hernandez (15th) were the next most common Hispanic surnames.
Source: Census 2000 Genealogy
Jobs67% - Percentage of Hispanics 16 and older who were in the civilian labor force in 2007.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
18% - The percentage of Hispanics 16 or older who worked in management, professional and related occupations in 2007. The same percentage worked in production, transportation and material moving occupations. Another 16 percent worked in construction, extraction, maintenance and repair occupations. Approximately 24 percent of Hispanics 16 or older worked in service occupations; 21 percent in sales and office occupations; and 2 percent in farming, fishing and forestry occupations.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
79,400 - Number of Hispanic chief executives. In addition, 50,866 physicians and surgeons; 48,720 postsecondary teachers; 38,532 lawyers; and 2,726 news analysts, reporters and correspondents are Hispanic.
Source: Upcoming Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Table 603
Voting9.7 million - The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the 2008 presidential election, about 2 million more than voted in 2004. The percentage of Hispanic citizens voting - 50 percent - represented a statistical increase from 2004 (47 percent).
Source: Voting and Registration in the Election of 2008
Serving our Country1.1 million - The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. armed forces.
Source: 2007 American Community Survey
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