Hispanics Account For Half Of U.S. Growth Past 2 Years

Hispanics accounted for nearly half the growth in the U.S population the past two years as a high birth rate and influx of immigrants helped secure Latinos’ position as the largest minority group.

Hispanics numbered 38.8 million as of July 2002. That was an increase of almost 10 percent, or 3.5 million, since April 2000, the Census Bureau estimated Wednesday. During the same period, the national population rose 2.5 percent, or 6.9 million people, to more than 288 million.

Immigration accounted for just over half of the population gain among Hispanics.

The Asian population stood at roughly 13 million in 2002, up 9 percent. About two-thirds of the Asian growth was due to immigration.

The government considers Hispanic an ethnicity, not a race, so people of Hispanic ethnicity can be of any race.

Census Bureau director Louis Kincannon said the Hispanic and Asian growth was somewhat surprising given the economy’s slip since 2000. That year’s census showed that immigrants, especially Hispanics, surged beyond gateways such as California and Texas and across the Midwest and other parts of the South in search of jobs.

Non-Hispanic white people remain the largest single group, making up seven of 10 U.S. residents. That population rose less than 1 percent over the span to 200 million.

Hispanics make up 13.5 percent of the total population. In 2001, they passed non-Hispanic black people in population share. The non- Hispanic black population rose 3 percent during the past two years to 36.6 million, or 12.7 percent of U.S. residents.

Non-Hispanic Asians are the next largest minority, making up 4 percent of the U.S. total.