WP,pg1: Hispanic Growth Surge Fueled by Births in U.S.

[DeepModem Mom]

Hispanic Growth Surge Fueled by Births in U.S.

By D'Vera Cohn
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, June 9, 2005; Page A01


Hispanics accounted for about half the growth in the U.S. population since 2000, according to a Census Bureau report to be released today that indicates the nation's largest minority group is increasing its presence even faster than in the previous decade.

In another contrast to the 1990s, births have overtaken immigration this decade as the largest source of Hispanic growth.

The new census figures paint a portrait of a Hispanic population dominated by the young: Half are under age 27. By comparison, half of non-Hispanic whites are over 40. That reflects a demographic divide that could have broad implications, experts say. And the speedy growth of the Hispanic population beyond the enclaves of the past could put their concerns into a more national spotlight.

"It's going to have profound effects on America. They are no longer regionally concentrated in places like California and New York," said Harry P. Pachon, president of the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, a California think tank. "There are more Hispanics in Cook County, Chicago, than in Arizona or Colorado or New Mexico. . . . The major significance is that it's a national presence."

In July 2004, Hispanics numbered 41.3 million out of a national population of nearly 293.7 million. They have the fastest growth rate among the nation's major racial and ethnic groups. In the 1990s, they accounted for 40 percent of the country's population increase. From 2000 to 2004, that figure grew to 49 percent....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/08/AR2005060802381.html

[dejaboutique]

1. stunning

wow, that is stunning! Welcome to a new america.

[slackmaster]

10. Why do you believe that makes it a "new" America?

Do you believe that having more people of Hispanic ancestry as opposed to German or English, Chinese, African, or any other is really going to change how we think, act, vote, and treat each other?

Culturally based attitudes get diluted to insignificance over time. I live in California, and I can tell you with confidence that people with Hispanic genes cover the whole spectrum of thoughts and attitudes and beliefs.

Same America, slightly different shades of skin color.

[CottonBear]

2. Makes sense. The Spanish came here in the 1500s.

They've been here way longer than other non Iberian Peninsula Europeans.

[dejaboutique]

3. let's live in the present people

I am soooo sick of that reply, that so and so has been here before. Well I work in a crisis center and know that native born americans are not able to get the services they need because immigrants are eating up all the funds. This started in 1994 and it is at astounding levels today. so yes, this used to be someone elses country but what does that statement do to feed the hungry and homeless we have now...some homeless that fought in wars to keep you safe? useless rhetoric!

[CottonBear]

4. Hey! I'm not pro or anti any Hispanic imigrants.

What I meant was that Hispanics have been here (In North America) longer than other ethnic/cultural/religous groups.

My family (Scots-Irish) came here in the mid 1700s and settled in NC. My husband's family came from France to NewOrleans in the 1800s.

[readmylips]

5. My Spanish ancestors came here in 1492....

not like gropernator ahhnorld, who thinks he came on the Mayflower.

I love my Spanish blood. You are not getting rid of us that easy.

Que Viva la Raza!

[Igel]

13. Yes. Heil das Volk!

Which is precisely how Que viva la Raza! sounds in German.

[Bridget Burke]

25. Only to someone with a tin ear for languages.

Or with "issues."

[Ms. Clio]

7. You apparently missed the major point of the article

Hispanic population growth is being fueled by natural increase, not immigration--so they are also "native born americans."

[ovidsen]

18. Exactly. They are all US citizens.

(New) immigrants are now outnumbered by babies born in the United States and overwhelmingly likely to remain here. One in five children under 18 is Hispanic, according to the census figures.

Even the babies of illegal immigrants are automatically US citizens if they are born here. Just wait until they reach voting age.

What makes this really interesting is the diversity among Hispanics. Cuban-Americans don't necessarily think like Mexican-Americans.

[EFerrari]

8. Excuse me. But my people were here while yours were

still painting themselves blue in a foreign land. The border crossers you're so upset about have been here much longer than the borders Bush won't "protect" because his cronies would have a fit.

You work at a crisis center? You don't know what crisis is until someone steals your home and starts calling you an alien. The very fact that you get to work at something someone named "a crisis center" already puts you at a level of privilege that you should appreciate, even if you haven't earned it.

This didn't start in 1994. Have you ever read the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo? Have you ever even heard of it? Probably not.

And don't even get me started on homeless vets until you can pony up the numbers that are "hispanic".

Be sick of the reply, that's your problem. But get your facts straight.

On edit: This is what really cracks me up. I've yet to see on DU, which I love, one sentence of awareness about who "hispanics" are. "Hispanics" are people of Native American extraction that survived European colonialism. We're mestizos now but, we still belong to this land. And it didn't matter that they tried to obliterate our cultures, our languages, our DNA. Because this is our home.

And you can wave your flag and push your paper and it won't bother natural selection one single little bit. And although we fought for this country, we didn't start those wars and we're not proud of them or the faked "glory" of the needless blood sacrifice.

And, btw, there are no homeless people in our culture. Because that would be a shameful failure of family and community.

[Igel]

14. "Hispanics" are people of African, MesoAmerican, and

European blood.

Which is to say, of African, Asian, and European blood.

Which is to say, of African and Asian blood.

Which is to say, of African blood.

And Hispanics, like Africans ... or Africans and Asians ... or Africans, Asians, and Europeans ... or the current distribution, engaged in plenty of their own warfare and colonialization.

I have yet to see a geneticist claiming that certain genetic mutations or differences implied any claim on territory or ground.

[EFerrari]

17. This is a nonstarter. n/t

[SemiCharmedQuark]

20. No, but if you arrive in a new area first and settle it for thousands of

years before some other country starts a false war and takes away your land...I think you have a right to be pissed off about it.

[Igel]

44. Are you talking about the land inherited from Spain?

Land seized by Aztecs? By Mayans? Na-Dene?

So many conquerors, so many oddly adopted ethnic identities to identify others as Other, so many partial readings of history to justify one's sense of victimhood and supremacy.

Does one claim dignity because one's genes at some point oppressed another set of genes? Mayan, Aztec, Olmec? Does a regional empire in the Yucatan merit claiming land inhabited by peoples far from those empires, with no connection to that empire? I've had discussions with people here that seem to think that the Aztecs were in S. Calif., or the Mayans in Arizona. Surely the Tohono O'odham resent the language unfairly imposed by their overlords, and desire reunification with their long-lost brethren in the Yucatan? Surely the Chumash revel in the Mexican part of their history? Hmmm ... maybe not. Reduction ad absurdum, part I.

Because I'm Celtic in ancestry, do I get to go and tell the French to get off my land, land that was wrested from the Celts by the Romans, with an additional Germanic adstratum? Maybe the Greeks should kick the Turks out of Asia Minor. And the Palestinians certainly deserved being removed from Palestine: the indigenous population largely eradicated, that leaves the next claimants in chronological line. Oops. That's not very progressive. Sorry. Reduction ad absurdum, part II.

The Mexican empire was an imperialist empire; why people that decide to call themselves progressive defend imperialism and colonialism is beyond me, but apparently there are higher, more pure motives in play. I'll call it an empire, since it was a large fragment of a colonial-era empire inherited from that country, with much of its territory settled by foreign, disparate indigenous peoples that never gave their consent, and so sparsely settled that it even advertised abroad for immigrants at one point. The brotherhood of like-minded indigenous peoples now read into such a creature is an exquisite, self-serving myth; granted, people need their myths, but it's not my myth so I don't much care. It was no more just, in principle, than the British empire. Its native population wasn't as diminished, nor driven out, as that in North America, at least in part, because of differences in colonial policy largely dictated by immigration flow, cultural differences, revenue demands, and Catholic pressure for converts. I've seen Native Americans in the US defend the US, but never try to draw justification or solace from how their ancestors were treated by the US government or many Americans. Then again it's been shown that ethnic differences can be a strong motivating force, underpinning much apparently irrational human behavior.

As for the morality of one empire fighting with another empire over illegitimately held territory, I'll leave that bit of philosophizing for those better versed in sophistry and casuistry than I.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

19. Bravo!

I didn't know you were mestizo! Me too! My great grandfather was from Spain and my Great Grandmother was indigenous. They moved to the U.S. but while he was away on business, they were deported back to Mexico, even though my Great Grandfather had gone through the process of becoming a citizen and all his children had been born on U.S. soil.

Same deal on my fathers side, just a different time and place.

[Bridget Burke]

9. The article mentions NATIVE BORN Hispanics.

And quite a few of the babies may well have been born to people whose ancestors have been on this side of The River longer than mine have been on this side of the Atlantic.

And--what kind of "Crisis Center" hires xenophobes? In groovy Seattle? And why do you assume that these newest Americans will be homeless & hungry? There are quite a few Hispanic families in Houston that are hard working homeowners--making sure their kids get a good education.

[dejaboutique]

33. call me what you like

call me what you like,,,xenophobe, whatever you want, I dont care really...I am not against any particular people...I am for POPULATION CONTROL. It just so happens that our friends south of the border are the largest group coming in record numbers and obviously having a lot of children. I know educators that are facing crisis situations with non-enlish speaking children slowing down classrooms. My crisis center is very happy to have me. I can pull records for you but it would be breaching confidentiality that it so happens that by the middle of the month all of the money for the month is ate up, this only started happening with the influx of immigrants. I am not against humans or people of any race/creed whatever...I just want America to prosper. Sure got your panties in a bunch. what is groovy seattle?

[CottonBear]

11. How can you be sick of the truth? I am confused by your post.

Native (North, South and Central) Americans are the true native Americans.

The Spanish were here before any other Eoropean, Asian or African immigrants.

Hispanics are therefore not immigrants in the modern sense of the word. Most Hispanics have a heritage of both Spanish and Native American ancestors.

[slackmaster]

31. I'm a true native American as well

I was born here.

The Spanish were here before any other Eoropean, Asian or African immigrants.

Nice slippery slope you've put yourself on, CottonBear.

I won't belabor the obvious extension of your reasoning.

[leesa]

12. There talking about births not immigration PEOPLE

They ARE native born Americans...why don't you peddle it elsewhere.

[EFerrari]

24. Don't you know that all native born Americans came over on

the Mayflower and landed on a vast empty continent? :eyes:

[Celeborn Skywalker]

36. Far longer, in fact

Because not only do most Hispanics have Spanish blood, they also have Native American blood. In other words, half their genetic heritage has been on this continent for thousands of years.

[thebigidea]

6. christ, someone get Pat Buchanan some smelling salts!

[TX-RAT]

15. No surprise here.

Large family's are pretty common among Hispanics. My wife is half Mexican and half German, I'm half Mexican and half Irish. There were 6 children in my family, 9 in my wifes. I have hand-fulls of nephews and nieces, you need a lot of open territory for one of our family reunions. The fact that we choose to only have one child has left the family just shaking their head.

Culture and Religion play a large part.

[Celeborn Skywalker]

37. The large family part is changing in New Mexico

Because we have very little immigration here, every generation of Hispanics become more assimilated into the Anglo-American culture. Families get smaller every generation.

[TX-RAT]

43. I'd have to agree.

There are still those who choose large family's, but whats considered a large family now seems to be around 3 to 4 kids. The Catholic Church seems to be less of a driving force in the Hispanic community than it used to be. Their teachings of proper birth control ( the rhythm method ) are mostly being ignored, and i feel that alone, has made a considerable difference.

[Igel]

16. This isn't news, it's just being reported again.

Immigration, largely from Central America, accounts for US population growth in the last decade or two as the birthrate for native-born Americans drops off.

With the immigrants' children maintaining their cultures better, they also have higher birthrates. If you think the US has an overpopulation problem, or should have a lower birthrate, you're mostly talking about immigration and their offspring's offspring. I frequently find that people that are anti-growth/anti-population increases usually shut up as soon as they realize that, in a minor fit of hypocrisy; those that are pro-growth/pro-population increases frequently sing a different song, in a similar, but politically opposed, fit of hypocrisy.

A more important reason to be concerned is the dropout and higher education education rates: given equal spending on education, Latinos will have a higher high school dropout rate, and do poorly in college. Their numbers in business and among professors cannot match their percentage of the population. Many native-born Latinos still have English as L2, which places additional burdens on them and the educational system. Many have trouble getting services, because they broke the law by crossing the border for financial gain; and, rather than throw their allegiance behind their adopted country, some still harbor grievances done not to them, but to others of like ethnicity.

We had similar problems with other immigrant groups, esp. German, which maintained their languages beyond the immigrant cohort. However, this was in a time of lower mobility, they lived in more agrarian communities, and their self-started schools weren't to be sneezed at. When the need arose, they quickly moved to English. They were here legally, although the language shift was triggered by a wave of understandable bigotry; and they had very few members that openly argued against their adopted country.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

21. What do you mean by equal spending on education?

Because Chicanos tend to live in poorer areas where spending is hardly equal to the richer white areas.

[Igel]

22. I didn't mean to imply that spending in any given state or

jurisdiction was equal.

But there are schools with different ethnic compositions and with equal funding per student in which the assorted different ethnic groups still perform differently. This is true whether we're looking at the different groups in a single school, or at different schools with similar or equal funding. Funding is not the entire story, regardless of its overall impact.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

23. No, but the manner in which the tests are written

and the attitude minority students are bombarded with everyday do have an effect.
I remember reading about a study where they took two groups of black students. They gave the same test to both groups, except one group's test asked what the test taker's ethnicity was. The group with just that extra question resulted in significantly lower scores.

The theory being, that stereotypes affect minority students even if the minorities tell themselves they are not true.

[EFerrari]

26. You'll like this: They put me in a "slow readers" classroom

when I was in first grade because my teacher thought I was not very bright. She didn't manage to figure out that I could already read and write in Spanish, lol, and was just learning English. The next year, I skipped a grade, and continued to skip them every so often.

What attitude? :)

[Igel]

28. Me, too. Had a lot of speech defects when I started school.

No, not dialectal traits. Real defects. Still can't figure out where they came from. Still get American /r/ and /l/ mixed up from time to time.

Also had two working class parents, one a high school graduate, the other a high school dropout. No reading at home; they didn't even teach me to tie my shoes or how to count to 10.

The school re-tracked me in 3rd grade; by that spring, I was at 5th grade reading level, 4th grade math level. No skipping grades, that was a no-no. Bad for the kid's ego. Instead the rule was to make him sit there, bored with the classwork, and teased by his peers.

The funny thing ... I'm a linguist now, writing my dissertation; not just a theoretical linguist trying to understand Language, but also a translator, one of those linguists that also learns lots of languages. I hope to win the bid I submitted for translating a recent book on the Russian space industry.

[EFerrari]

29. Wow! Isn't that amazing? I've been a courtroom translator and

have an advance degree in English. I guess that first grade thing bugged me for a long time.

lol

[Bridget Burke]

27. "We" had similar problems with other immigrant groups?

You mean the Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture that dominated the country for so long? My ancestors (grandparents on my father's side) had the benefit of 800 years of exposure to English culture, so they spoke the language when they got here.

And, in those days, all Europeans needed to be "legal" immigrants was the price of a ticket. Only the obviously ill were turned away at Ellis Island. Nowadays, even totally legal immigrants usually need to hire lawyers in order to stay here.

What, EXACTLY, do you propose about the Latinos/Hispanics/Chicanos/whatver? You've obviously been stewing about this for a long time.

I live in Houston, too. It's a pretty diverse place. Get used to it.

[doubleplusgood]

30. well, there goes any hope for ZPG

"Think globally, act locally".

Any kind of rapid population increase from any group or groups is bad for the country and the world. How can we, as a country, convince other countries to try to stabilize their populations if we ourselves are not only NOT trying to stabilize our population, but are actively truying to increase the population through increased tax credits for children, reduced family planning info/services, etc. ? Not that the current administration even SEES unlimited population growth as any kind of a problem in the first place.

[Bridget Burke]

32. Generally, people have smaller families as their outlook improves.

Increased education & opportunities for better jobs do more to limit family size than cursing those immigrants who "breed like animals." Also, many of the Hispanic kids will grow up & find spouses of different ethnicities.

Grandma will complain: Maria took all those years to finish grad school, get started in her career--now, she's marrying some gringo. Grandma will get over it--a couple of grandchildren can be as much fun as a dozen.

[doubleplusgood]

34. you're right

I think it usually takes a few generations for some of the old cultural imperatives to "increase & multiply" to wear off. Also, one of the keys to furthering this is making sure that women, especially, have good educational & economic opprtunities.

[EFerrari]

35. It took no generations in our family and of the four immigrant sibs who

took a college degree here, three were women. Among the first gen cousins, five of seven girls took advanced degrees at major universities and all own property of their own. All but two are multilingual.

Sort of doesn't fit with the breeding, resource wasting broken English stereotype, does it? I find it sort of remarkable that so little seems to be known about Latino culture in the United States. Not knowing anything about Serbian culture, I would understand. But how can one share a border that long and never peek? :shrug:

[SemiCharmedQuark]

38. 5 out of 6 of my grandmothers kids graduated college and the one that

didn't is a professional carpenter. She was the first to live here in the U.S. when she came to live here after being wrongfully deported. I am an only child, and I have a total of 4 cousins, that is, I have two aunts that had 1 child each and one aunt that had 2 kids.

Yeah, we mexicans sure are out of control and a burden on society. :eyes:

[doubleplusgood]

40. anecdotal stats really don't count for anything

Since 1950, the U.S. population has about doubled, from about 140-150 million to 285-290 million today. During the same time, Mexico has more than quadrupled in population, from about 25 million or so to I think about 110 million (?) or so. It's just a fact of human existence that poorer people in less industrialized societies, with poorer health care & education systems tend to have larger familes.

As for me, I'm the 5th of 5 kids (good Catholic family) but have no kids myself. My sister, though, is a rabid fundie with 4 kids, who in turn, are all mindless Bush-bots with large broods of kids themselves. In a little over 40 years or so, their types have completely paved over Orange County, CA & large parts of adjoining counties. Regardless of the color or nationality of people who are having larger families, their impact on the environment in terms of deforestation, etc. is the same.

[ckramer]

39. Spanish TV programming makes more sense than that from NBC, ABC, CBS

I watch Telemoundo news program every morning before switching to NBC although I don't understand Spanish. But I've got more hard news from all over the world than the combination of that from NBC, ABC, and CBS, which sticks with stupid items like Michael Jackson trial.

[IntiRaymi]

41. Are whites being goaded into having more babies?

Is this what David Brooks was alluding to in his mysterious editorial concerning 'Natalists'?
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/202903_brooks09.html
Are the forces of evil afraid whites will take 2nd banana in this country due to declining birth rates?
Hmmmmm....

[NNN0LHI]

42. I can just hear Rush tomorrow, "they multiply like rabbits"!

Lou Dobbs will be having his normal conniption fit with the drool coming down the side of his mouth as he his reporting this.

Don