Jacob Ardron

21 April 2015

Issue Brief: Euro Amer/Latino

Title- Hispanic Whites: The Rising Majority

Keywords- Latino, White, Majority, US Census, Presidential Candidates, Republican Party

Description- The 2010 Census showed a dramatic rise in Hispanic population, which is threatening the supremacy of the white majority. This has led to the appearance of strong presidential candidates for the 2016 election that are Latino.

Key Points-

  • The 2010 US Census accounted for a substantial increase in the population of Latinos.
  • Due to this increase, the Census predicts that by 2014, Non-Hispanic Whites will no longer be a majority, rather a simple plurality of the U.S.’s population.
  • Increase in population has given Latinos a chance to play a greater role in shaping public policy in America.
  • Senators like Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz are both potential GOP Presidential Candidates for the 2016 Election, and are paving the way for future Latino politicians, whilst strengthening the Republican Party.

Images-

-Latino Fox News

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-New York Times

Brief-

It was not until the 1970 US Census, that there was even an option for a Mexican American to bubble in. For the vast majority of the United States history, the word “Latino” did not exist. The Europeans conquered Latin America. As a result, the Latinos were labeled as white, and have added to the dominant white majority of this nation for many years. But the year is 2015 and in the 21st century, this is no longer the case. Latinos have been granted the opportunity to separate themselves from Non-Hispanic Whites, and more and more are choosing to do so.

The 2010 Census showed that Latinos are now the nation’s largest minority (CQ Researcher). Non-Latino Whites are still the majority, but their numbers are dropping. The reasons for this are numerous. One is the increase in immigration and the loosening of various immigration laws led by President Obama. Another reason for the increase in Hispanic population would be the higher birth rate for Hispanics. “The birth rate among Hispanics is 60 percent higher than among whites.” (CQ Researcher). In addition to the lack of births for whites, the vast amount of white “baby boomers” that used to account for the majority of the U.S. population are getting older and are dying. This pattern led the U.S. Census to predict that by 2042, Non-Hispanic Whites will no longer be a majority (CQ Researcher).

This increase in size has led to an increase in the amount of influence the Latinos are able to have on American Politics. Latinos are beginning to have more of a dominant voice in public policy due to many reasons. For one, the rise in population has allowed a greater voter turnout by Latinos, and the people that are being put in office are giving back. President Obama has been named by some to be the first “Latino President” for his efforts in creating a better relationship with Cuba. There is also a possibility that the next man to be seated at the White House could be Latino.

Senator Ted Cruz of Texas and Senator Marco Rubio of Florida are both Cuban Americans, and both senators have recently declared that they will run for presidential office in the 2016 election.What is just as surprising as their ethnicity, is the fact that both of these senators are running as Republicans. This is a big deal, because the Republican Party has become notorious for favoring the white majority and only encompassing their vote. For this reason, the Republican Party has steadily been losing its power to the Democratic Party, which draws more supports from the ever growing minorities. Thus, the arrival of two strong Latino candidates has the ability to draw a lot more support from minorities, especially the Latino population, for the Republican Party.

Whites and Latinos have a great opportunity to work together to accomplish similar goals for the Republican Party. Of course, if either Cruz or Rubio were elected, this would not automatically change everything for the Latino American. America is still dominated by the white man, but the Latino is knocking on the door.

Works Cited-

  • Andrews, Wilson. "Who Is Running for President?" 2016 Presidential Election Tracker. The New York Times, 21 Apr. 2015. Web.
  • Friedman, Emily. "Who We Are." Hospitals & Health Networks Online, 4 Oct. 2011. Web.
  • Issues in Race and Ethnicity: Selections From CQ Researcher. Washington, D.C.: CQ, 2011. Print.
  • "Rand Paul Spars with Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio over Iran and Cuba." Fox News Latino, 26 Jan. 2015. Web.
  • Slater, Wayne. "Ted Cruz Says Attacks on Marco Rubio Are Because He's a Hispanic Republican." Trail Blazers Blog. The Dallas Morning News, n.d. Web.
  • "United States Census 2010." U.S. Census Bureau, n.d. Web.

Relevant Websites-