MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Hispanics consolidate as first minority in US

The Latino population consolidated as the main minority in United States with 41,3 million people mainly because of a growth rate that is three times higher than the overall population, according to a report from the US Census Office.

The report shows that between 2000 and 2004, 49% of the US population growth was Latino.

Contrary to the eighties and nineties Hispanic immigration was not the main cause for that expansion but rather births by Latino families residing in the US who on average have more children than non Hispanic whites.

The population group with the slowest growth rate was the Anglo-Saxon with a rate of 0,3% between July 2003 and July 2004.

According to Harry P. Pachon from the California Policy Institute this "will have profound effects in United Status", since Hispanics are no longer concentrated regionally in places such as California, New York or Florida.

"What's important is that it has become a national presence, even in Washington DC, a city predominantly coloured, a third of population growth is Hispanic", highlighted Mr. Pachon.