This week marks the first full
week of Hispanic Heritage Month. Congress authorized
President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic
Heritage Week in September 1968. The observance was expanded
in 1988 to a month long celebration (Sept. 15 – Oct. 15).
America celebrates the culture and traditions of U.S.
residents who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the
Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America
and the Caribbean. Sept. 15 was chosen as the starting point
for the celebration because it is the anniversary of
independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica,
El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition,
Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on Sept.
16 and Sept. 18, respectively.
Useful
Hispanic American Factoids:
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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
percent of the nation’s total population.
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 percent 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 percent
are of Puerto Rican background, with about 3 percent 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. (Source: AmericanFactFinder)
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.
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
percent 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.
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 percent) compared to the national average (10
percent) for all businesses.
$222 billion
Revenue generated by Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up
19 percent 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 percent of
Hispanic-owned business revenue.
- States with the fastest rates of growth for
Hispanic-owned firms between 1997 and 2002 included New
York (57 percent), Rhode Island and Georgia (56 percent
each), and Nevada and South Carolina (48 percent 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).
9.5 million
The number of Hispanic families who reside in the United
States. Of these families, 63 percent 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.
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.”
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.
$35,967
The median income of Hispanic households in 2005, unchanged
from the previous year, in real terms.
21.8%
The poverty rate among Hispanics in 2005, unchanged from
2004.
32.7%
The percentage of Hispanics who lacked health insurance in
2005 — unchanged from 2004.
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.
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
percent of Hispanics work in service occupations, 22 percent
in sales and office jobs, 15 percent in construction,
extraction and maintenance jobs and 19 percent 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.)
7.6 million
The number of Hispanic citizens who reported voting in the
2004 presidential election. The percentage of Hispanic
citizens voting — about 47 percent — did not change from
four years earlier.
1.1 million
The number of Hispanic veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Sept. 15 was
chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is
the anniversary of independence of five Latin American
countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and
Nicaragua.