Posted on 05/10/2006 1:39:11 PM PDT by beaversmom
Nearly half of American children aged under five are from an ethnic minority, according to a new report from the US Census Bureau.
The latest figures show 45% of US pre-schoolers are non-white, with the Latino population growing the fastest.
Of the overall US population, one-third are now from an ethnic minority.
The report comes amid a series of huge immigrant demonstrations protesting against tough anti-immigration measures being considered by the US government.
Immigrant increase
In 2005 the minority population was 98 million, 33% of the 296.4 million people in the US, the census agency said.
Latinos are the largest minority, now numbering 42.7 million, and the fastest growing, with a population increase rate of 3.3%, the figures show.
Of the 1.3 million more Latinos than when the figures were last gathered 500,000 were immigrants, the bureau said.
Numbering 39.7 million, blacks form the second-largest minority, with a growth rate of 1.3%.
The Asian population of 14.4 million grew by 3%, an increase also driven by immigration, with 239,000 of the 421,000 new members having arrived from abroad.
American Indians and Alaska natives number 4.5 million and grew by 1%. Native Hawaiians and other Pacific islanders total 990,000, with a 1.5% growth rate.
Congress debate
With almost 67% of the overall population, non-Latino whites are still the largest group, but they have an older average age and much lower growth rate, increasing by just 500,000 in the period measured.
"These mid-decade numbers provide further evidence of the increasing diversity of our nation's population," Census Bureau director Louis Kincannon said.
Immigration, especially illegal immigration, has become a hot issue in recent weeks as Congress mulls a bill passed in the House of Representatives last year that includes provisions to criminalise illegal immigrants and bolster border security.
A bipartisan Senate bill, currently stalled, would provide illegal immigrants a path toward citizenship and a guest-worker programme long favoured by President George W Bush.
But there is some way to go before the competing bills are reconciled and a compromise reached. A number of US politicians say illegal migrants should be sent home.
On 1 May more than a million US immigrants boycotted work or school and avoided spending money as a way of showing their worth to the economy.
About 11.5m illegal immigrants live in the US, many of them of Latino origin.
As long as the increase is based on 'legal' immigrants or US citizens, who cares if they are of 'ethnic minority'.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1579107/posts
Steyn On Demographics
In 2005, some 137 million babies were born around the globe. That 137 million is the maximum number of 20-year-olds who'll be around in 2025. There are no more, no other sources; that's it, barring the introduction of mass accelerated cloning (which is by no means an impossibility). Who that 137 million are will determine the character of our world.
Exactly...
Are my half-hispanic/half non-hispanic-white nieces and nephews counted as "ethnic minority" or not? They're just as "British-descent" as they are "hispanic descent".
Every single hispanic family I know has offspring of "mixed" ethnic heritage......I'm sure this accounts for some of the stats.
When the minorites become majorities, where do I sign up to get my freebies? (sarcasm)
Good point.. we know very accurately what the ethnic makeup of 20 year olds in the world will be in say 19 years:).
Why does the census need to ask a person about his/hers racial or ethnic background? Are they racist? Who cares? It's the liberals that label by race - not conservatives.
Good point. We don't know how these children will identify themselves when they are grown, given that Hispanic isn't even a race.
Oh, we know.....they're without a doubt TEXAN.
Sure, you keep giving free housing, food, work and nearly no taxes to non citizens and they do seem to keep coming.
Legal immigration with an extensive background check for all immigrants whatever their country. We should only be letting in the cream of the crop. Right now, that's not happening. That's a problem. We are letting in a lot of criminals and probably a few terrorists mixed in.
I agree. I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find somebody of all races in my ancestry. So when the Census Bureau asks what race I am, doI get to choose depending on whether I'm hungry for bratwurst, enchiladas, rice, fry bread or soul food that day?
I don't give whoop what color they are; I care that they are red-blooded Americans.
You're right, those categories should be removed from the census forms.
This is the BBC. What constitites a "white" person is different in England than it is here (and it varies in the US too). The headline is correct though. Ethnic minorities are not neccesarily biological catagories.
"American" is a mindset, an attitude, a philosophy....
Not a race or ethnicity.
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