Latinos have grown at the second-fastest rate of any major racial and ethnic group in the U.S. electorate since the last presidential election. An estimated 36.2 million are eligible to vote this year, up from 32.3 million in 2020. This represents 50% of the total growth in eligible voters during this time.
Every year, about 1.4 million Hispanics in the U.S. become eligible to vote. READ MORE AT PEW RESEARCH CENTER
The U.S. Latino population, now about 1 in 5 Americans, is projected to continue increasing through the year 2060, when over 1 in 4 Americans are likely to be Latino, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections.
Hispanics are now 19.1% of the U.S. population but are projected to make up 26.9% of the population in less than four decades. Meanwhile, the non-Hispanic white population is projected to continue to decline from 58.9% now to 44.9% by 2060. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
Congress is formally adopting a bipartisan effort to diversify the STEM industry and encourage more Latinos to pursue a career in science and technology. The U.S. Senate approved a bipartisan resolution to support Latinos pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). READ MORE AT COTTAGE HEALTH
The Hispanic retail sector and manufacturers of products aimed at Latino consumers will benefit from the drive of intrepid Latino small business entrepreneurs in the United States.
Even with notable disadvantages such as access to credit, Latino small business owners are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the United States. READ MORE AT ABASTO
Even without the kind of spending on Latino turnout that some had hoped to see, they registered and voted in record numbers in the 2020 presidential election, according to a City University of New York study.
The election saw a dramatic rise in registration and voting by some 18.7 million Latinos, so that about 1 in 10 voters was Latino.. READ MORE AT NBC NEWS
A year away from another election cycle, a nationwide poll of Hispanic Americans shows their opinions, interests and preferences don’t align perfectly with either of the country’s two major political parties.
When asked what topics matter most to them, 29% said COVID-19 is the most pressing issue facing the nation. After the pandemic, 19% think the most important issue is jobs and the economy, followed by health care. Only 6% said immigration, race relations and education are the most pressing issue. READ MORE AT THE CENTER SQUARE
A record 32 million people who identify as Latino will be eligible to vote in the 2020 presidential election in November, according to the Pew Research Center. That’s just over 13% of the US electorate — surpassing eligible black voters for the first time and making Latinos the nation’s largest voter group after whites.
Latinos’ massive growth as a voting bloc is largely driven by youth coming of age. Approximately every 30 seconds, a Latino in the US turns 18 and becomes eligible to vote. Young Latinos could swing the outcome of the election — if they come out to vote. READ MORE AT THE WORLD
It’s no secret Texas has become one of the fastest growing states in the nation, and Comal County has become of the fastest growing counties.
If the projections of Texas demographers are accurate, the Texas of tomorrow will look very different than the Texas of today both in structure and in its people.
Driving much of the growth in Texas — and the entire nation — is the boom of the Hispanic population — a population that will almost double by 2050. READ MORE AT THE HERALD-ZEITUNG
More Latino students than ever are moving through high school to the doorstep of college, challenging higher education to adapt to a new demographic reality.
Striving to climb the social ladder, these young Americans are rapidly reshaping the marketplace for college recruiting. They are less affluent than others and less likely to have parents with college degrees.
And they are finding the gates to college open unevenly. READ MORE AT THE WASHINGTON POST
Many Hispanic people in the U.S. have been financially stable as of late and believe the economy is headed in the right direction, but that doesn’t mean they’re on President Trump’s side just yet.
The majority of Hispanics (78 percent) around the country expect to be better off financially in the next year and more than half (51 percent) believe the economy will become stronger over the next five years, according to the latest national survey conducted by FAU’s Business and Economics Polling Initiative (BEPI). READ MORE AT UNIVERSITY PRESS
Party politics aside, the accomplishments of women, especially minorities, ought to be elevated and celebrated.
It is a widely known fact that women face unique challenges gaining access to career opportunities and positions of leadership. There are gaps, and they are real for women across diverse fields in both public and private sectors.
For example, The Harvard Business Review recently published an article reporting that the average mid-forties male college graduate earns 55% more than his female counterpart. READ MORE AT HUFFINGTONPOST
Creator and star of the Broadway smash hit “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda announced he was leaving the show on July 9 to work on a number of projects.
Aparently, one of the hottest items on Miranda’s agenda involves voters choosing the next President of the United States. The Pulitzer Prize winner plans to take some time to encourage Latinos to take active part in the elections by voting. “Our issues are on the table, from Puerto Rico to a wall to keep half of us out being a party platform,” Miranda said. “It’s important that we get out and vote.” READ MORE AT LATIN TIMES
It's a decision that will be welcomed by leading Latino political groups -- but one they will likely say it's not enough.
President Obama is set to nominate Thomas Perez, an assistant attorney general in the Justice Department, to be the next secretary of labor, the White House said.
If confirmed by the Senate, Perez, who has been head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division for 3½ years, would take over the Labor Department as Obama undertakes several worker-oriented initiatives, including an overhaul of immigration laws and an increase in the minimum wage.
Before taking his current Justice Department job, Perez, 51, was secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, which enforces state consumer rights, workplace safety and wage and hour laws. READ MORE
As he prepares to announce a new wave of Cabinet and other senior posts, President Barack Obama is aiming to put a more diverse face on his administration – an image that was missing as he filled the first round of vacancies of his second term with a parade of white men.
Obama is said to be looking at women, Latinos and openly gay candidates for top slots at the departments of Commerce, Labor and Interior, and for his own White House budget office.
The leading candidate for nomination to be secretary of commerce is Penny Pritzker, a long-time Obama ally and big-money fundraiser from Chicago, according to people familiar with the White House selection process. The top candidate to lead the White House Office of Management and Budget is Sylvia Mathews Burwell, who was a former budget, White House and treasury official in the Clinton administration and is now the president of the Wal-Mart Foundation. READ MORE
The Hon. Hilda Solis, former Secretary of Labor, will receive special recognition at the 31st National Conference of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI), which will be held February 14-17, 2013, in Chicago. She will receive the Edward R. Roybal - Henry B. Gonzalez Award for Excellence in Public Service.
In making the announcement Dr. Juan Andrade, USHLI President, said "We are honored that former Labor Secretary Solis has agreed to accept this prestigious award and we consider it a privilege to present her with this well-deserved award, named in memory of two of the most respected Latino officials in history." The award will be presented at 12:15pm on Saturday, February 16, during the Latino Officials Recognition Luncheon.
Former Labor Secretary Solis was first elected to public office in 1985 as a member of the Rio Hondo Community College Board of Trustees. She served in the California State Assembly from 1992 to 1994, and in 1994 made history by becoming the first Latina elected to the California State Senate. She was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2000 and appointed Secretary of Labor in 2009 by President Barack Obama. Also in 2000, she became the first woman to receive the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for her pioneering work on environmental justice issues.
The award is named in memory of two legendary pioneers who were the first Latinos elected to the U.S. Congress, inspired countless Latinos to seek election to public office, and set high standards in service for others to follow, Edward R. Roybal of California and Henry B. Gonzalez of Texas.
Over 6,000 present and future leaders representing 40 states are expected to attend our 31st National Conference. A survey of conference participants in 2012 found that over 72% were 18-34 years of age, 60% female, and 82% will have graduated or are currently attending college. For more information on our national conference, or to register to attend, please click here.
"Teresa Rey is one of the millions of mothers across the nation who carefully watched the first presidential debate of 2012. It is fair to say that Rey felt frustrated with the moderator’s lack of questions around family economic-security issues.
Questions about unfair wages for mothers, the high price of childcare and the lack of paid leave to care for children and the elderly were left off the table. The moderator also failed to ask the candidates about the contributions of immigrant families to the overall economy of our country. For Rey, who lives in Tampa, paying close attention to the candidates’ position on issues such as these is vital to ensuring that our communities thrive.
“Making a living wage is a big deal for us,” said Rey. “I was out of work. That’s rough. Even now, what I am making is a lot less than what I was making before, and I don’t have work benefits like healthcare. I also don’t have paid sick days, so if I or my daughters get sick, that’s a problem.”
Rey will be among an estimated 12 million Latinas and Latinos expected to cast ballots this year, up from 10 million in 2008, according to the National Association of Latino Elected Officials. Moreover, the size of the Latino constituency specifically in states expected to be very competitive in 2012 — such as Florida, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Virginia — means that the Latino vote is critical to choosing our next president.
The Latina mom voter is especially a force to be contended with. According to the polling firm Latino Decisions, Latinas, like women overall, have voted at higher rates than their male counterparts for the past three decades, and this pattern is expected to play out again in 2012. READ MORE
Is there a need for the Hispanic Council on Federal Employment?
The next meeting of the advisory committee is scheduled for May 4, according to an announcement from the Office of Personnel Management. The purpose of the body, the Federal Register says, is to “advise the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on matters involving the recruitment, hiring, and advancement of Hispanics in the Federal workforce.”
Census data indicate that the Latino population will grow from about 16 percent today to about 28 percent by 2050.
The Federal Diary has reported, as it did last month, that Latinos — who in 2010 made up 7.9 percent of federal employees and 3.67 of those in senior pay level positions — are “underrepresented” in the workforce. READ MORE
The White House said Tuesday that Cecilia Muñoz, who has led its efforts to overhaul immigration laws, had been named director of the Domestic Policy Council, making her one of President Obama’s chief advisers on a broad swath of issues, including education and gay rights.
Ms. Muñoz, the highest-ranking Hispanic in the White House, had served as director of intergovernmental affairs. She replaces Melody Barnes, who left this month. Her promotion is notable because it comes at the start of an election year in which Hispanic voters are expected to play a major role.
“Over the past three years, Cecilia has been a trusted adviser who has demonstrated sound judgment day in and day out,” Mr. Obama said in a statement. “Cecilia has done an extraordinary job working on behalf of middle-class families, and I’m confident she’ll bring the same unwavering dedication to her new position.” READ MORE
Time magazine’s March 5 edition is barrier-breaking, according to Richard Stengel, the managing editor. “For the first time in our history, we have a Spanish sentence as our cover line: Yo decido. I decide.”
Ugh.
Applause and gratitude to Stengel and his staff of distinguished journalists for choosing to feature the increasing clout of Latino voters, but I wish they had made history differently.
Yes, speaking to someone in their native tongue can be a sign of affection and respect. But here’s the problem: Speaking to Latinos in a language other than English promotes the myth that Hispanics don’t, can’t or won’t speak it.
Worse, it ignores the reality that though there are varying degrees of bilingualism in the community, Latinos will ultimately be no different than any other wave of immigrants who came to this country and eventually made English their family’s primary language.
And even worse than that, it fires up the people who look at such a cover and see concrete evidence that their beloved country is on its way to being drenched by a so-called demographic tsunami that will leave anyone who doesn’t speak Spanish behind.
Nothing could be further from the truth — for most Hispanics in the U.S., English is “our” language.
Last month, the Pew Hispanic Center released its most recent statistical portrait of Hispanics in the U.S., using updated 2010 Census figures. The data show that 25 percent of the Hispanic population ages 5 and up, including both the native and foreign born, speaks only English at home — up from 22 percent in 2005. Another 40 percent say they speak English “very well” and the trends point upward. Plus, even the 35 percent who speak English “less than very well” aren’t all Spanish-only speakers. READ MORE
