Missouri Iowa Minnesota Oklahoma Kansas Nebraska South Dakota North Dakota Colorado New Mexico Illinois Wisconsin Arkansas Louisiana Mississippi Alabama Tennessee Georgia South Carolina North Carolina Indiana Kentucky Ohio Viginia West Virginia Maryland Delaware Pennsylvania New York Maine New Jersey Connecticut Rhode Island Massachusetts Vermont New Hampshire Arizona Utah Wyoming Montana Hawaii Alaska Michigan Florida Texas Nevada Idaho Washington Oregon California The Hispanic population gained about 13 million people since 1990, a 58% increase, and is now roughly equal to the black population. According to the Population Reference Bureau (www.prb.org), several factors have been cited in the dramatic growth of the Hispanic population, including the influx of immigrants (especially from Mexico), relatively high Hispanic fertility levels, special efforts by the Census Bureau to count undocumented migrants, and changes in the 2000 Census questionnaire.

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The Hispanic (or Latino) population has become one of the largest minority groups in the United States. This group of people can trace their ethnic origins to the Iberian Peninsula, what we call Spain and Portugal. Hispanic is a tricky category that has been problematic for the U.S. Census. For Hispanics, racial and ethnic boundaries can become blurred. Many Hispanics think of themselves as having a combination of European, African and Asian (Native American) ancestry. People of Hispanic ancestry here in the United States share a diverse history and come from many different regions in the hemisphere: Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America.

Sociologists are interested in trends in the Hispanic population of the United States. As the Hispanic population increases, especially in southern and western states, we expect to find a growing political influence. Politicians begin to see Hispanics as a powerful voting force in some of our most populous states such as California, Florida and Texas. Citizenship is a key factor when assessing the political power of Hispanics. In 1996, 40% of the otherwise eligible Hispanic population was unable to vote because they were not U.S. citizens. In the future we can expect to see greater participation in local government. Some of the largest cities in America (Los Angeles, Houston, San Antonio, Phoenix, Dallas) have growing Hispanic populations.

Critical Thinking

Question 1: What different kind of history, culture, and ways of living do Hispanics bring to our national culture? What kind of society can we expect to emerge as a result of an ever-growing Hispanic population?

Question 2: What kinds of unique problems might Hispanics face as they struggle to become full participants in U.S. society? In what ways is the Hispanic population different than other minority populations in the U.S.?

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