Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

As of 2000, the Hispanic population of the United States reached 35.3 million (excluding the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico), representing 12.5 percent of the total. Hispanics grew in numbers by 57.9 percent in the last intercensal period, as compared with 13.2 percent for the national population ( US Bureau of the Census 2001 ). Without its Hispanic component, the growth of the national population would have fallen into the single digits and a number of cities and states would have actually lost population. These facts are well known, as is the source of this rapid growth: sustained immigration. I will revisit in the next section the numbers behind this massive demographic trend, but it is appropriate first to place it in context by noting five basic facts: 1  Immigrants from Mexico and Latin America, in general, have become a national presence and not one limited to certain states or regions. 2  During the last decade, Latin America in general and Mexico in particular consolidated their role as the principal reservoir of low-wage labor for the American economy. 3  Efforts to deter this inflow through new legislation and various new enforcement programs have consistently failed, indicating the flawed character of the theories underlying these policies. 4  Latin American immigrant communities have evolved from a barely noticed presence to a major structural factor in the economic and ... log in or subscribe to read full text