(Latinos expand almost four times faster than general U.S. population) (1190) By Scott Miller Redactor del Servicio de Noticias de Washington
Washington - Hispanics have surpassed African Americans as the United States' largest minority group, according to figures released by the U.S. Census Bureau January 21. The first estimates on race and ethnicity released by the Census Bureau since the 2000 Census show that from April 2000 to July 2001 the U.S. Latino population grew from an estimated 35.3 million to 37 million residents, a 4.7 percent increase. The estimated number of Hispanics or Latinos who were born in the United States or immigrated to the country during this period expanded more than twice as quickly as the African American population, which grew only 1.5 percent, from 35.7 to 36.2 million, during the same 15-month period. The Hispanic population expanded almost four times faster than the general U.S. population, which grew only 1.2 percent, from 281.4 million residents to 284.8 residents during this time. In a January 21 press release, Democratic Congressman Ciro Rodriguez of Texas, chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, said "the numbers released today by the U.S. Census Bureau show the rest of the country what we have known for a long time -- Hispanics are an increasing component of the fabric of American society." The Census Bureau has long anticipated that the number of Hispanics would surpass that of African Americans in the United States. Given the higher birth rate of Hispanics due to a younger population and a higher proportion of females at childbearing ages (15-44), coupled with high immigration fueled in part by poor economic conditions in areas of Latin America, the currently narrow numerical gap between African Americans and Latinos is expected to widen. "The percent of the total population that is Hispanic is projected to increase," Census Bureau Demographer Roberto Ramirez also noted. As the U.S. Hispanic population expands, it is increasingly found in areas that previously had only a small Hispanic presence. Although 50 percent of Hispanics remain concentrated in Texas, California and New York, Ramirez said that the Hispanic population is growing elsewhere in the United States as well. A 2002 report by the Washington-based Pew Hispanic Center reinforces Ramirez's remarks, indicating that just over half of the largest 100 metropolitan areas in the United States experienced explosive growth in their initially small Hispanic populations. The report, "Latino Growth in Metropolitan America; Changing Patterns, New Locations, "identified 51 areas across 35 states as "hyper-growth" areas for Hispanics. Atlanta, Georgia; Sarasota, Florida; and Charlotte, North Carolina, are among the examples examined by the study. >From 1980 to 2000, Atlanta's Hispanic population grew 995 percent, to reach approximately 269,000 Hispanic residents. Sarasota's Hispanic population expanded 538 percent from an initial base of only 6,000 Hispanic residents, the report found. Charlotte experienced a 930 percent expansion of its Hispanic population to reach a 2000 population of about 77,000 Hispanics. Beyond the Hispanic population explosion in Charlotte, Ramirez indicated that North Carolina's overall Hispanic population has grown significantly. "Census figures show that from 1990 to 2000, North Carolina's Hispanic population grew 400 percent, the largest increase by percentage in the United States in the last 10 years," he said. Beyond Hispanics' expansion into new geographic locations, the Pew Hispanic Center's report found that they are no longer concentrated in cities, but increasingly reside outside the urban core. The study found that 54 percent of Hispanics live in the suburbs. As the Hispanic population continues to grow and diversify geographically, political parties are eager to tap into and harness their potential as a source of support. The number of Hispanic registered voters grew from 2.5 million in 1972 to 7.6 million in 2000. The National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group, estimates this number could reach approximately eight million by 2004. The 2002 "National Survey of Latinos: The Latino Electorate," conducted by the Pew Center in conjunction with the Kaiser Family Foundation, underlines the potential of the Latino electorate. The survey found that approximately 60 percent of the Latino population is currently ineligible to vote. More than 12 million U.S.-born Hispanics are under the eligible age of 18, a figure in line with Census estimates, according to Ramirez. The survey found another nine million Hispanics were foreign-born and did not have U.S. citizenship. As more Hispanics reach eligible voting age or apply for U.S. citizenship, courting their vote will become increasingly important, according to La Raza President Raul Yzaguirre. "Nurturing new and growing electorates such as the Hispanic community is an essential strategy for both (U.S.) parties," Yzaguirre said. "Political parties and candidates interested in long-term viability need to establish ties with these communities and make a concerted effort to understand their issues." The Republican and Democratic national parties are both acutely aware of the growing importance of the Hispanic electorate, with extensive outreach efforts underway. The Republican National Committee( RNC) has founded the Hispanic Team Leader Project. Under the auspices of the project, speakers from the Bush administration inform local communities about Republican legislative proposals designed to assist Hispanics. Another plan, the New Citizens Initiative, attempts to better communicate the Republican Party message to the Hispanic community, according to RNC official Annie Mayol. "We want to tell Hispanics that their voice does matter in the political system," she said. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) Executive Director of Hispanic Outreach, Andres Gonzalez, says his party has begun a multi-year, multi-million dollar outreach initiative to broaden its appeal to Hispanics. The DNC initiative includes a national poll of Hispanics to gauge how issues advocated by the Democratic leadership are playing in the Hispanic community. Gonzalez said the DNC also conducted an aggressive media campaign to encourage Hispanics to vote Democratic and dispatched organizers to states where Hispanic candidates were running in the 2002 U.S. elections. Beyond their increasing influence at the polls, a growing number of Hispanics are being elected to national office. A record number of Hispanics were seated when the 108th session of the U.S. House of Representatives convened this month. As a result of the November 2002 elections, 25 Hispanics won seats in the House, an increase of four seats from the previous session of Congress. Hispanics also made strides at other levels of government, including former Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson's election as governor of New Mexico. Richardson became the United States' first Hispanic governor since 1986. Other notable political highlights included the election of Nevada's first Hispanic Attorney General and the first Hispanic elected to Colorado's State Board of Education. Congressman Rodriguez indicated that as the numbers and clout of the Hispanic population grow, so too will Hispanics' contributions to the United States. "Our growth presents opportunities for us as a community and as a nation," he said. "We are a young population, and as we age, we will continue to add our contributions to the pages of American history." (The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov) NNNN Serbian News Network - SNN [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.antic.org/
