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Diversity Affairs Feature
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, the anniversary
of independence for five Latin American countries—Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico
declared its independence on September 16, and Chile on September
18.
The term Hispanic, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, refers
to Spanish-speaking people in the United States of any race. On
the 2000 Census form, people of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin
could identify themselves as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or "other
Spanish/Hispanic/Latino." More than 35 million people identified
themselves as Hispanic
or Latino on the 2000 Census.
Famous Firsts by Hispanic Americans
Antonia Coello Novello
The first Hispanic-American politicians, baseball players, and
more
Government
Population
42.7 million - The estimated Hispanic population
of the United States as of July 1, 2005, making people of Hispanic
origin the nation’s largest
ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 14% of the nation’s
total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million
residents of Puerto Rico.)
About 1 . . . of every two people added to the nation’s
population between July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, were Hispanic.
3.3% - Percentage increase in the Hispanic population between
July 1, 2004, and July 1, 2005, making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority
group.
102.6 million - The projected Hispanic population of the
United States as of July 1, 2050. According to this projection, Hispanics will
constitute 24% of the nation’s total population on that date.
22.4 million - The nation’s Hispanic population during
the 1990 census—just
slightly over half the current total.
64% - The percentage of Hispanic-origin people in households
who are of Mexican background. Another approximately 10% are of Puerto
Rican background, with about 3% each of Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominican
origins. The remainder are of some other Central American, South
American or other Hispanic or Latino origins.
Roughly half of the nation’s Dominicans live in New York
City, with about half of the nation’s Cubans residing in
Miami-Dade County, Fla.
27.2 - Median age, in years, of the Hispanic population in
2005. This compares with 36.2 years for the population as a whole.
107 - Number of Hispanic males in 2005 per every 100 Hispanic
females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall population, which had
97 males per every 100 females.
States and Counties
49% - The percentage of the Hispanic-origin population that
lives in California or Texas. California is home to 12.4 million Hispanics,
and Texas is home to 7.8 million.
13 - The number of states with at least half a million Hispanic
residents. These states are: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia,
Illinois, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina,
Texas and Washington.
43% - The percentage of New Mexico’s population that
is Hispanic, highest of any state. Hispanics also make up more than one-third
of the population in California and Texas, at 35% each.
4.6 million - The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County,
Calif.—the
largest of any county in the nation.
715,000 - The increase in California’s Hispanic population
between July 1, 2003, and July 1, 2004, which led all states. Los Angeles
County alone added 76,400, which led all the nation’s counties.
19 - Number of states in which Hispanics are the largest race
or ethnic minority group.
Businesses
1.6 million - The number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002.
Triple - The rate of growth of Hispanic-owned businesses between
1997 and 2002 (31%) compared to the national average (10%) for all businesses.
$222 billion - Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses
in 2002, up 19% from 1997.
44% . . . of all Hispanic-owned firms were owned by people
of Mexican origin.
29,184 - Number of Hispanic-owned firms with receipts of $1
million or more.
Nearly 3-in-10 Hispanic-owned firms operated in construction and
other services, such as personal services, and repair and maintenance.
Retail and wholesale trade accounted for 36% of Hispanic-owned
business revenue.
States with the fastest rates of growth for Hispanic-owned firms
between 1997 and 2002 included New York (57%), Rhode Island and
Georgia (56% each), and Nevada and South Carolina (48% each).
Counties with the highest number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los
Angeles County, Calif. (188,472); Miami-Dade County, Fla. (163,188);
Harris County, Texas (61,934); and Bronx County, N.Y. (38,325).
Families and Children
9.5 million - The number of Hispanic families who reside in
the United States. Of these families, 63% include their children under 18 years
old.
67% - The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a
married couple.
44% - The percentage of Hispanic families consisting of a
married couple with children under the age of 18.
65% - Percentage of Hispanic children living with two parents.
22%
Percentage of population under age 5 that is Hispanic, as of July
1, 2005.
Spanish Language - 31 million
The number of U.S. household residents age 5 and older who speak
Spanish at home. Spanish speakers constitute a ratio of more than
1-in-10 U.S. household residents. Among all those who speak Spanish
at home, more than one-half say they speak English "very well."
Coming to America
53% - Percentage of the foreign-born population from Latin
America. This amounts to 18.3 million people.
10 million - The number of foreign-born people who were born
in Mexico, by far more than any other Latin American country or any other country
in the world for that matter. Other countries of birth that contribute
large numbers of Hispanics are El Salvador (937,000), Cuba (925,000),
the Dominican Republic (688,000), Guatemala (590,000) and Colombia
(500,000). (The difference between the estimates for El Salvador
and Cuba is not statistically significant.)
4 . . . states are home to about 2 of every 3 foreign-born
persons born in Latin America. Those states are California, Florida, New
York, and Texas.
Income and Poverty
$34,241 - The real median income of Hispanic households in
2004, unchanged from the previous year.
21.9% - The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2004, unchanged
from 2003.
32.7% - The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance
in 2004 unchanged from 2003.
Education
58% - The percentage of Hispanics age 25 and older who had
at least a high school education in 2004.
12% - The percentage of the Hispanic population age 25 and
older with a bachelor’s degree or higher in 2004.
2.7 million - The number of Hispanics age 18 and older who
had at least a bachelor’s
degree in 2004.
714,000 - Number of Hispanics 25 years and older with advanced
degrees in 2004 (e.g., master’s, professional, doctorate).
11% - Percentage of all college students in October 2004 who
were Hispanic.
Jobs
68% - Percentage of Hispanics age 16 and older who are in
the civilian labor force.
18% - The percentage of Hispanics who work in managerial,
professional and related occupations. Approximately 24% of Hispanics work in
service occupations, 22% in sales and office jobs, 15% in construction,
extraction and maintenance jobs and 19% in production, transportation
and material moving occupations. (The difference between the proportions
working in managerial, professional and related occupations and
in production, transportation and material moving occupations is
not statistically significant.)
Voting
7.6 million - The number of Hispanic citizens who reported
voting in the 2004 presidential election. The percentage of Hispanic citizens
voting—about
47%—did not change from four years earlier.
Serving our Country
1.1 million - The number of Hispanic veterans
of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Hispanic American Countries of Origin
Over 35 million people identified themselves as Hispanic
or Latino on the 2000 census
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