Aug. 7, 2008

The Changing Face Of America

Census Data Reveals Jump In Minority Populations, Particularly Hispanics, And Not Just In Big Cities

  • The census bureau has long predicted that whites would drop below 50 percent of the population by the year 2050. Experts say the new data suggest that shift could come far sooner. Photo

    The census bureau has long predicted that whites would drop below 50 percent of the population by the year 2050. Experts say the new data suggest that shift could come far sooner.  (CBS)

  • Timeline Population Milestones

    Track the steady increase of the U.S. population since the colonists landed, with the latest key Census Bureau reports.

(CBS)  Census figures reveal a new reality in America's classrooms, reports CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes. Minority populations are climbing everywhere.

"The white population, I wouldn't say is fading into the background, but it is becoming the older, less fertile part of the population," says demographer William Frey of the Brookings Institute.

Frey crunched the census data and found huge jumps in the Hispanic population far from the traditional melting pots - up 21 percent in St. Joseph, Missouri; up 17 percent in Scranton, Pennsylvania; and 15 percent in Pascagoula, Mississippi - all in just one year's time.

"You're seeing it everywhere. People are going for jobs," Frey says. "They're going because they want the American Dream."

Whites still make up 66 percent of the population. But their numbers have grown only two percent since 2000, compared to eight percent for blacks, 29 percent for Hispanics and 26 percent for Asians.

"It's tough because we are seen as being either inconsequential or that we're not even really Americans," says Chinese-American writer Helen Zia.

It's forcing school systems to adjust quickly to new fault lines. In Maryland's Montgomery County outside Washington, D.C., the schools went from mostly white in the 1990s to 60 percent minorities today.

Superintendent Jerry Weast dropped class sizes, boosted literacy programs and now sends pamphlets to parents in six different languages.

"If you don't have a plan to accommodate the diversity and the poverty and the language, your community is gonna have a train wreck," Weast says.

The census bureau has long predicted that whites would drop below 50 percent of the population by the year 2050. Experts say the new data suggest that shift could come far sooner.


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Add a Comment See all 117 Comments
by barbaraf4 August 7, 2008 7:13 PM PDT
Someone needs to declare English the official language while we still can. What are we going to do when Spanish is declared the official language?
Reply to this comment
by tbbaot August 7, 2008 7:20 PM PDT
White people aren''t less fertile, they just aren''t inclined to reproduce more children then they can support. It is the White people supporting these ''fertile'' hispanics with their tax dollars.
If we decline in numbers, so will the economic stregth of the nation
Reply to this comment
by timdgrim August 7, 2008 7:25 PM PDT
Do we get minority rights? Or does that change also?
Just not enough Catholicism among the Caucasian population to keep up, I guess.
Reply to this comment
by jcmomto3 August 7, 2008 7:36 PM PDT
Funny, watching HGTV international, upper middle class US citizens are moving to South America, yet lower class South Americans are moving here - not quite an even exchange I''ll agree. If we don''t like it we can always invest in oil and leave too.
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 7:37 PM PDT
barbaraf4 if you want to survive,you better learn spanish....
Reply to this comment
by sfoswiss August 7, 2008 7:40 PM PDT
I think English should be the official language, although I think it already is; however, from the details of the story, it''s just not Spanish that''s an issue but Asian as well. In California, in particular, we have a huge Asian influx more so than even Spanish, but no one seems to say a single thing about that.
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 7:41 PM PDT
"The white population, I wouldn''t say is fading into the background, but it is becoming the older, less fertile part of the population,"he,he take some viagra "whitey"...lol
Reply to this comment
by timdgrim August 7, 2008 7:58 PM PDT
,"he,he take some viagra "whitey"...lol
Posted by obama441
***************
That''s ''Honky or Cracker'' to you Spookie



Reply to this comment
by bigjoekim57 August 7, 2008 8:01 PM PDT
Hear me now and hear me later. This is USA so speak english, learn the law, and its customs. How dare anyone comes to this country and ask its citizens and the government to accommodate their needs because they are foreign. How dare you!!!
Reply to this comment
by bigjoekim57 August 7, 2008 8:02 PM PDT
Hear me now and hear me later. This is USA so speak english, learn the law, and its customs. How dare anyone comes to this country and ask its citizens and the government to accommodate their needs because they are foreign. How dare you!!!
Reply to this comment
by bigjoekim57 August 7, 2008 8:05 PM PDT
Hear me now and hear me later. This is USA so speak english, learn the law, and its customs. How dare anyone comes to this country and ask its citizens and the government to accommodate their needs because they are foreign. How dare you!!!
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 August 7, 2008 8:29 PM PDT
Census Data Reveals Jump In Minority Populations In The U.S., Particularly Hispanics

No kidding. Really. Who knew. Astonishing. Surprising.
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 8:57 PM PDT
HOORAY! Pretty soon we whites will be A MINORITY!!!

I can''t wait...
Reply to this comment
by deacon20081 August 7, 2008 9:27 PM PDT
The Bush family doctrine is becoming a reality.
Personally I wish they would Kill NAFTA and close the Border with Mexico TOTALLY.
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 9:28 PM PDT
If you want to survive,you better learn spanish "whitey"
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 9:34 PM PDT
"The census bureau has long predicted that whites would drop below 50 percent of the population",Finally we''re getting rid of all them ***********,send the rest of them back to Europe, sheesssh
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 9:35 PM PDT
If you want to survive,you better learn spanish "whitey"
Posted by obama441 at 09:28 PM : Aug 07, 2008

When I''m a minority, I''ll FORCE you to write things in English for me so I can be too lazy to learn Spanish. AMIGO!!!
Reply to this comment
by gmond August 7, 2008 9:37 PM PDT
So this means that in 2050, there will be no welfare or civil service jobs.
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 9:39 PM PDT
The census bureau has long predicted that whites would drop below 50 percent of the population by the year 2050. Experts say the new data suggest that shift could come far sooner.
------------

OH! OH! I was too lazy and dependent to read that part until now.

YAY! They even say WHEN I''ll be a minority. And it will be SOON!!!

I''m buying a hammock,, and a reclining chair, and a ,,, o wate I alreddy got wonna those no TOO of em.

I''m gonna like being a minority. We can invent a new language called IVRONICS.

I''d better copyright that. COPYRIGHT BY ME, (C) 2008!
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 9:43 PM PDT
If you want to survive,you better learn spanish "whitey" he,he
Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 9:45 PM PDT
WE DON''T NEED NO STINKING BAAADGESS!AMIGO
Reply to this comment
by nativewoman August 7, 2008 9:50 PM PDT
Posted by deacon20081 at 09:27 PM : Aug 07, 2008
Hmmm. So you''d leave the Canadian border wide open, eh?

Interesting perspective.
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 9:52 PM PDT
When the whites are a minority, that means the Asians will be the only non-minority left.

So the national language will change to Chinese.

Hey amigo, NI HAO!!!! You betcha.
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 9:54 PM PDT
Hmmm. So you''''d leave the Canadian border wide open, eh?
Posted by NativeWoman at 09:50 PM : Aug 07, 2008
-----------------

As long as they''re willing to learn Chinese.

The Greyhound killer was FROM China, so they''ve got a head start.
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 10:01 PM PDT
pinches ,gringos pendejos son of a b.astards!
Posted by obama441 at 09:47 PM : Aug 07, 2008

And a hearty "WELCOME TO AMERICA" to you, too, my friend!!!
Reply to this comment
by txgrouch2006 August 7, 2008 10:03 PM PDT
Hey, that can be a word in Ivronics.

WTAMF! - Welcome To America, My Friend!
Reply to this comment
by nativewoman August 7, 2008 10:05 PM PDT
Posted by bigjoekim57 at 08:01 PM : Aug 07, 2008

tsa-la-gi ga-wo-ni-hi-s-di u-do-hi-yu-i a-le ha-ni-gi.

Well so far the new immigrants are not rounding up the "natives" in concentration camps before forceably marching the "natives" over a thousand miles from their homes.

That''s always a plus!

Reply to this comment
by obama441 August 7, 2008 10:09 PM PDT
And a hearty "WELCOME TO AMERICA" to you, too, my friend!!!
Posted by txgrouch2006 you mean to the NEW AMERICA
Reply to this comment
by barbaraf4 August 7, 2008 10:44 PM PDT
"barbaraf4 if you want to survive,you better learn spanish...." Posted by obama441
~~~~~~~~
I am already working on it!
Reply to this comment
by coco0331 August 7, 2008 11:09 PM PDT
You can thank the immigration man and representation without taxation. ater the assassination of Kennedy Linden Johnson laxed the immigration rules. We''ve been going down hill ever since.
Reply to this comment
by randynason August 7, 2008 11:15 PM PDT
Yes, yes- The face of America IS changing. These days in our fascist capitalistic society, one needs at least two faces.
Reply to this comment
by erasmus81 August 7, 2008 11:20 PM PDT

Posted by deacon20081 at 09:27 PM : Aug 07, 2008
Hmmm. So you''''d leave the Canadian border wide open, eh?

Interesting perspective.

Posted by NativeWoman at 09:50 PM : Aug 07, 2008


I think Canada should close it''s borders to keep all the riff-raff out.:)



Reply to this comment
by txlakeside August 7, 2008 11:22 PM PDT
Coco .... Linden Johnson .... ROFLMAO

TxGrouch .... welcome to Texas the redneck capital of the world. The only thing more ignorant and stupid than using "linden" johnson is a bunch of fast disappearing ignorant rednecks from Texas. Yes I live with you stupid, backwoods rednecks and as a white 50 something male I am glad as heck that your neocon, racist ways are becoming extinct. Yes, your flavor of species is one that I hope quickly becomes extinct!

You will soon have to deal with a "black man" running the country. Now show us all how racist you really are! ROFLMAO!
Reply to this comment
by txlakeside August 7, 2008 11:27 PM PDT
Oh ... and the SHRUB, TYSON and your friendly Real Estate Builder wants illegal aliens. The SHRUB has them in Crawford and every builder that contributed to the sub-prime mess hired them. But you probably dont even understand the sub-prime mess the GOV got us in .... you are just a victim of it!

You dumb as dirt backwoord racist!
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito August 8, 2008 12:04 AM PDT
I see people are getting all worked up again over this issue. No you won''t have to learn Spanish if you don''t want to. The immigrants may not speak English well, but their kids and grandkids will.

Bashing immigrants may be therapeutic, but the real problem is not immigration, but immigration POLICY: The willful use of illegal, cheap labor for business gains, with a wink and a nod from law enforcement. Where there are jobs, people will come. This is simply the law of supply and demand. It may be more productive to take a look at the politicians you voted into office instead, the ones heavily influenced by corporate money.
Reply to this comment
by wardoglrs August 8, 2008 12:09 AM PDT
These low lifes will be pushed out one by one.
Reply to this comment
by javadavid August 8, 2008 12:32 AM PDT
Why does it not surprise me that this sensational racist, xenophobic article appears only on CBS-operated media?
Reply to this comment
by liberty_1776 August 8, 2008 12:38 AM PDT
I''m not angry that foreigners want to come to the US and make a better life for themselves, but I don''t want the government to wave my tax dollars in front of them as an enticement to come here. Public schools should not divert money from the general curriculum into programs that teach in a foreign language. If you want to live in the USA, you need to learn English. If I moved to Mexico or France and refused to learn their language, they would ostracize me. And their national media sure as hell wouldn''t be promoting "multi-culturalism."
Reply to this comment
by clovisbuford August 8, 2008 1:15 AM PDT
"Public schools should not divert money from the general curriculum into programs that teach in a foreign languagePosted by liberty_1776 at 12:38 AM : Aug 08, 2008"
errr nor teaching science at my tax dollar on "science" like "intelligent design" which is creationism(christian eveangelical bible stories ) masked as science .
Reply to this comment
by clovisbuford August 8, 2008 1:19 AM PDT
The problem with America is that the feds won''''t do anything about the illegal ******** pouring over our borders.
If too many Mexicans come(which they already have) we will be no better than Mexico, which is the toilet of the world.
Posted by jeff92706 at 12:32 AM : Aug 08, 2008
err not only are you xenophopic ,racist , ignorant of the issues that drive what is hapenning with immigration illegal and otherrwise , but you have never let any of those stand in your way of an opinion and obviously dont live in texas where we have shared a border with mexico for 200 plus yrs.
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 August 8, 2008 1:21 AM PDT
Particularly Hispanics, And Not Just In Big

Well duh, illegal Mexican immigrants have taken over rural America. Pat ourselves on the back it''s our tax dollars that pay for English language education and the birthing of eight to ten kids per family. No problem, Welcome to America.
Reply to this comment
by o2bewealthy August 8, 2008 1:23 AM PDT
This is only a trend that can be reversed any time the "white" population wants to put family ahead of materialism and career opportunities; however, we''ve grown so selfish over the decades - people don''t want to get married and have children any longer. If you don''t like the trend, who''s really to blame? All those illegals taking jobs no one else wants - who are these companies going to hire if "whitey" isn''t having any kids and if the illegals don''t find the jobs beneath them? It''s easy to blame policy or illegals, but that''s not where the blame really belongs.
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 August 8, 2008 1:24 AM PDT
Congress ought to be tarred and feathered for their complete reckless immigration policy. They kept listening to big business that there weren''t enough workers in America. Bullsh*t. Now we''ve got a huge social dilemna on our hands.
Reply to this comment
by clovisbuford August 8, 2008 1:25 AM PDT
These low lifes will be pushed out one by one.
Posted by WarDogLRS at 12:09 AM : Aug 08, 2008
oh going somewhere you can make an honest living for your family now qualifies you for low life ..intersting take on morals there big boy .funny I was raised no matter what it took you took care of family whether it was working 300 miles from home or what ever .. they night be here without a legal visa , but the majority are not "low lifes" jsut people trying to survive with their families .
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 August 8, 2008 1:28 AM PDT
Wasn''t this Bill''s idea. Well it kind of backfired. How are we going to support all these low skilled workers during poor economic times. If you''re in the middle class get ready to get taxed to death.
Reply to this comment
by clovisbuford August 8, 2008 1:34 AM PDT
The funny thing is all you silly ones ranting about illegal immigrants when its actually legalUS citizens here they are talking about. You that stressed about not being the largest numerical race in America ? I had one kid , the face of America is changing .You are Whining about an article that talks about US citizens not illegals and making it an immigration debate ..one we went though with the irish ,the germans , the chinese ,etc. .You should be more concerned with a society where no matter what your racial back ground you are treated fair , since in the near future ,caucasions will be a minority , whime about it , ignore it , worry about illegal immigration , its the fact . We should all be more concerned with a society where things are fair for all ,then race is not an issue eh .
Reply to this comment
by yongamerica August 8, 2008 1:45 AM PDT
Hispanic populations increase 29% and some believe they are all legal immigrants or citizens. This could be true as the children of illegal immigrants could be US citizens by birth. An seeing that Hispanics are good Catholics or Mormons and try to have a child at least every other year, these statistics could be truthful and accurate. Even though it tells a story not many like.
Reply to this comment
by standlee5 August 8, 2008 1:48 AM PDT
We shouldn''t have recklessly let in more people than we can afford to support and that is exactly what''s happening. Illegal or not. Go to rural America and see how many hispanic families of 10 are on govt assitance. How on earth can a laborer afford a family of ten in this day and age. That my friend is reckless.
Reply to this comment
by palmettodp August 8, 2008 2:24 AM PDT
Sending pamplets home in SIX different languages? That is unacceptable - we should demand legal immigrants have a command of the English language before entering the country. We should also seal the southern border ASAP.

The states are going to have to address this problem because it''s obvious Washington will not.
Reply to this comment
by incog-nito August 8, 2008 2:30 AM PDT
To all those people complaining about the growth of "minorities" population, there is a solution: Start making more children, at least five to a family. There, problem solved.
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