WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In
September 1968, Congress authorized President Lyndon B. Johnson to proclaim
National Hispanic Heritage Week, which was observed during the week including
Sept. 15 and Sept. 16. 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.
Population
44.3 million
The estimated Hispanic population
of the United States as of July 1, 2006, making people of Hispanic origin the
nation's largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 15 percent of
the nation's total population. (This estimate does not include the 3.9 million
residents of Puerto Rico.)
About 1
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3.4%
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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 by that
date.
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22.4 million
The nation's Hispanic population
during the 1990 census -- just slightly over half the current total.
3rd
Ranking of the size of the U.S.
Hispanic population worldwide, as of 2005. Only Mexico (106.2 million) and
Colombia (43 million) had larger
Hispanic populations than did the United States
(42.7 million). (Spain had
64%
The percentage of Hispanic-origin
people in households who are of Mexican background. Another 9 percent are of
Puerto Rican background, with 3.5 percent Cuban, 3 percent Salvadoran and 2.7
percent Dominican. The remainder are of some other Central American, South
American or other
Hispanic or Latino origin. (Source: 2005 American
Community Survey)
Roughly half of the nation's
Dominicans live in New York City and about half of the nation's Cubans in
Miami-Dade County, Fla. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
27.4 years
Median age of the Hispanic
population in 2006. This compares with 36.4 years for the population as a
whole.
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107
Number of Hispanic males in 2006
per every 100 Hispanic females. This was in sharp contrast to the overall
population, which had 97 males per every 100 females.
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States and Counties
48%
The percentage of the
Hispanic-origin population that lives in California or Texas. California is
home to 13.1 million Hispanics, and Texas is home to 8.4 million.
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15
The number of states with at
least a half million Hispanic residents. They are Arizona, California,
Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Jersey, New
Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
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44%
The percentage of New Mexico's
population that is Hispanic, the highest of any state. Hispanics also make up
more than a quarter of the population in California and Texas, at 36 percent
each, and Arizona (29 percent).
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4.7 million
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305,000
The increase in Texas' Hispanic
population between July 1, 2005, and July 1, 2006, which led all states.
California (283,000), Florida (161,000) and Arizona (102,000) also recorded
large increases.
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22
Number of states in which
Hispanics are the largest minority group. These states are: Arizona,
California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine,
Massachusetts, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas,
Utah, Vermont,Washington and Wyoming.
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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 percent) compared with the national average (10
percent) for all
businesses.
$222 billion
Revenue generated by
Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002, up 19 percent from 1997.
45%
. . . of all Hispanic-owned firms
were owned by Mexicans,
Mexican-Americans and Chicanos.
29,168
Number of Hispanic-owned firms
with receipts of $1 million or more.
-- 43 percent of Hispanic-owned
firms operated in construction; administrative and support, and waste
management and remediation services; 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), Georgia and Rhode Island (56 percent each), and Nevada and
South Carolina (48 percent each).
-- Counties with the highest
number of Hispanic-owned firms were Los Angeles County (188,422); Miami-Dade
County (163,187); and Harris County, Texas (61,934).
Families and Children
9.9 million
The number of Hispanic family
households in the United States in 2006. Of these households, 62 percent
included children younger than 18.
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67%
The percentage of Hispanic family
households consisting of a married couple.
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44%
The percentage of Hispanic family
households consisting of a married couple with children younger than 18.
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66%
Percentage of Hispanic children
living with two married parents.
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23%
Percentage of total population
younger than 5 that was Hispanic as of
July 1, 2006.
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Spanish Language
32.2 million
The number of U.S. household
residents 5 and older who speak Spanish at home. Spanish speakers constitute
nearly one in eight U.S. household residents. Among all those who speak Spanish
at home, more than one-half say they speak
English very well.
(Source: 2005 American Community
Survey)
29%
Percentage of Texas residents who
speak Spanish at home, which leads all states. This compares with the national
average of 12 percent. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
78%
Percentage of Hispanics 5 and
older who speak a language other than English at home. Of that number, about
half speak English very well.
(Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
Income, Poverty and Health
Insurance
$37,800
The median income of Hispanic
households in 2006, statistically unchanged from the previous year after
adjusting for inflation. (Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance
Coverage in the United States: 2006,
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20.6%
The poverty rate among Hispanics
in 2006, down from 21.8 percent in 2005. (Source: Income, Poverty, and Health
Insurance Coverage in the United
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34.1%
The percentage of Hispanics who
lacked health insurance in 2006, up from 32.3 percent in 2005.
(Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in
the United
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Education
59%
The percentage of Hispanics 25
and older who had at least a high school education in 2006.
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12%
The percentage of the Hispanic
population 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher in 2006.
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3.1 million
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839,000
Number of Hispanics 25 and older
with advanced degrees in 2006 (e.g., master's, professional, doctorate).
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11%
Percentage of all college
students in October 2005 who were Hispanic. Among elementary and high school
students combined, the corresponding proportion was 19 percent.
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Educational attainment levels are
higher among certain Hispanic groups than among others. For example, among
Cubans 25 and older, 73 percent were at least high school graduates, and 24
percent had a bachelor's degree or
higher.
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Jobs
68%
Percentage of Hispanics 16 and
older who are in the civilian labor force. (Source: 2005 American Community
Survey)
17%
The percentage of Hispanics 16 or
older who work in management, professional and related occupations.
Approximately 24 percent of Hispanics 16 or older work in service occupations;
22 percent in sales and office
occupations; 2 percent in farming, fishing and
forestry occupations; 16 percent in construction, extraction, maintenance and
repair occupations; and 19 percent in production, transportation and material
moving occupations. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
77,700
Number of Hispanic chief
executives. In addition, 49,200 physicians and surgeons; 53,700 postsecondary
teachers; 29,000 lawyers; and 3,300 news analysts, reporters and correspondents
are Hispanic. (Source: Upcoming Statistical
Abstract of the United States: 2008)
Voting
7.6 million
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Serving our Country
1.1 million
The number of Hispanic veterans
of the U.S. armed forces. (Source: 2005 American Community Survey)
