for Hispanic Heritage Month, Sept. 15-Oct. 15
Ascribe Newswire
(September 22, 2009)
CHICAGO Sept. 2 -- The Council on Contemporary Families today released the
following fact sheet, prepared by Ruth E. Zambrana and Laura A. Logie,
University of Maryland.
CHANGING THE FACE OF AMERICA: U.S. LATINO FAMILIES
Over the last 30 years the Latino/Hispanic population in the United States
has grown seven times faster than the population of the nation as a whole.
Hispanics currently represent almost 15 percent of the U.S. population and
within the next two decades are expected to constitute a full quarter of
Americans. Although often treated as a monolithic ethnic group, Latina/os
differ in their racial and ethnic identities, religious beliefs, health
status, socioeconomic status, and language patterns. Lumping ALL these groups
under the rubric of "Latino" or "Hispanic" masks
important demographic and socioeconomic differences and perpetuates negative
stereotypes.
Latina/os are a Mosaic of People
The Hispanic/Latino montage represents 43 Spanish-speaking countries,
including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Hondurans, Cubans, Dominicans, Costa
Ricans, Salvadorans, Colombians, Bolivians, Guatemalans, and Peruvians.
Latina/os are a diverse mixture of European, indigenous, American Indian, and
African backgrounds.
Immigration
7 of every 10 Latinos are currently U.S. citizens, either by
birth or by naturalization
Contemporary Latino communities are a complex mix of native-born and
immigrant families. Approximately 60 percent of all Latinos were born in the
United States and are therefore U.S. citizens by birth. Another 10 percent
were foreign-born and have since become naturalized citizens. People born in
Puerto Rico are considered native born because they are U.S. citizens by
birth.
A majority (52 percent) of the nation's 16 million Hispanic children are now
"second generation," meaning they are the U.S.-born sons or
daughters of at least one foreign-born parent, typically someone who came to
this country in the immigration wave from Mexico, Central America and South
America that began around 1980. And 37 percent are "third generation or
higher" -- meaning they are the U.S.-born children of U.S.-born parents
and often U.S.-born grandparents as well.
Latino Families DO Speak English
The majority of U.S. Latinos were born in the continental United States, and
their first language is English. About 31 million United States residents
speak Spanish at home -- making Spanish the second-most spoken language in
the country. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a majority of those who
speak languages other than English at home report themselves already
proficient in English, and young immigrants (those ages 5 to 17) almost
always speak English over their native tongues by adulthood.
Latino Families Care about Education
A commonly-held stereotype is that Latino parents do not value education.
However, one recent study found that 95 percent of Latino parents believe it
s important for their children to attend college, compared to 78 percent of
Whites and 94 percent of Blacks. And 94 percent of Latino parents report that
they have a lot or some influence over their children's education, compared
to 88 percent of Whites and 91 percent of Black parents.
One out of Two Homeowners is Latino
Over half of Mexican Americans own their own home. By 2012, it is estimated
that 40 percent of the nation's first-time homebuyers in the United States
will be Hispanic.
19.5 Million Latinos Vote
The number of Latino eligible voters increased 21.4 percent between 2004 and
2008, the largest percentage increase of any group, and a rate of growth that
outstripped the increase in the adult Latino population overall, which was
only 13.7 percent.
For further information, contact:
Ruth E. Zambrana,
PhD, Professor, Department of Women's Studies, Director, The Consortium on
Race, Gender, and Ethnicity; University of Maryland, College Park,
[log in to unmask], 301-405-3447
Laura A. Logie,
PhD, Assistant Director, The Consortium on Race, Gender, and Ethnicity;
University of Maryland, College Park, [log in to unmask], 301-405-1651
About CCF:
The Council on Contemporary Families is a non-profit, non-partisan
organization of family researchers, mental health and social practitioners,
and clinicians, dedicated to providing the press and public with the latest
research and best practice findings about American families. Founded in 1996
and based at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Council's mission is
to enhance the national understanding of how and why contemporary families
are changing, what needs and challenges they face, and how these needs can
best be met. To learn more about other briefing papers and about our annual
April conferences, including complimentary press passes for journalists,
contact Stephanie Coontz, CCF's Director of Research and Public Education and
Professor of History and Family Studies at The Evergreen State College:
[log in to unmask]
