Latinos soon to outnumber whites in California
/The number of Hispanic people in California will equal the non-Hispanic white population by the middle of the year and surpass it as the largest single racial or ethnic group in the state by 2014, according to projections released Thursday by the state Department of Finance.
The demographic changes will continue, and in 2060 nearly half of California's population will be Hispanic. It's a transformation that will have a profound impact on education, job growth and the economy, according to experts.
If the calculations prove correct, California will become the third state in the nation in which non-Hispanic white citizens are outnumbered by those of another race or ethnic group. New Mexico also has more Hispanics and Hawaii has more Asians than any other individual race.
"It's an exciting time not only for the Hispanic population in California, but for the country, but we also need to be aware of what the repercussions could be if this rapidly rising population is not educated at the rate our job industry needs," said Mark Martinez, the president and chief executive officer for the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. "Studies show that higher-education attainment in the Latino community is increasing, but nowhere near where it should be at. If we do not pay attention to education and job growth, then California's economy will suffer."
The demographic shift is occurring in large part because California's 10 million Baby Boomers, the vast majority of them white, are moving into retirement age, said the Department of Finance study, which analyzed age, fertility rates, migration and demographic patterns taken from the 2010 census. Meanwhile, younger Hispanics of child-bearing age are moving into the state.
