Hispanics in the United States: The U.S. Census of 2000
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Who are Hispanics in the United States?
Hispanic Americans are people in the United States who have origins in Spanish-speaking countries. Also called Latinos, they form the largest ethnic minority in the country, with over 50 million people residing in all 50 states.
The U.S. Census of 2000 showed the Hispanic population grew by almost 60% between 1990 and 2000, reaching 35.3 million. At the time, about two in five Hispanics were born outside the U.S. The census allowed respondents to specify their Hispanic origin, with options including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, or another Spanish/Hispanic/Latino background.
Mexicans made up the largest group, followed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans. While Hispanics reside throughout the U.S., the majority live in the West and South.
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What is the U.S. Census?
The U.S. Census is a survey, mandated by the U.S. Constitution, that counts every person in the country every ten years. The census gathers data on households, age, gender, race, and ethnicity.
The 2000 census showed the U.S. becoming more diverse. From 1990 to 2000, the Hispanic population grew by almost 60 percent, reaching 35.3 million. By 2000, the Hispanic population had surpassed the African American population, and it was predicted that by the mid-21st century, Hispanics would constitute nearly one-fourth of the total population. Each census respondent was asked if they were of Spanish/Hispanic/Latino origin, with multiple options to specify their origin.
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How did the 2000 Census count Hispanics in the United States?
During the 2000 census, the U.S. government defined Hispanics as individuals with origins in Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, or other Spanish cultures, irrespective of skin color. The census form asked, "Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?" and provided five options: not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino; Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano; Yes, Puerto Rican; Yes, Cuban; Yes, other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino.
The Hispanic population saw a nearly 60% increase between 1990 and 2000, growing from 22.4 million to 35.3 million. By 2000, Hispanics outnumbered African Americans, and it was predicted that by the mid-21st century, they would exceed 100 million, constituting nearly one-fourth of the total population.
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What were the main findings about the Hispanic population in the 2000 Census?
The 2000 census revealed a growing, diversifying United States population, with the Hispanic population experiencing striking growth. Between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population rose by nearly 60 percent, reaching 35.3 million, surpassing African Americans as the country's largest minority group.
Mexicans comprised the largest Hispanic group, accounting for three-fifths of the total. Puerto Ricans and Cubans followed, with smaller numbers from Central and South America. While Hispanics resided across the U.S., the majority lived in the West or South, concentrated in states like California, Texas, and New Mexico. However, new immigrants also moved to states such as North Carolina and Georgia, where the Hispanic population was almost nonexistent in 1990.
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Why was the 2000 Census important for understanding Hispanic diversity?
The 2000 census was important for understanding Hispanic diversity because it revealed significant growth and dispersion of the Hispanic population throughout the U.S.. Between 1990 and 2000, the Hispanic population grew by almost 60 percent, reaching 35.3 million, surpassing African Americans as the largest minority group.
The census provided detailed data on Hispanic subgroups, with Mexicans constituting the largest group (20.6 million), followed by Puerto Ricans (3.4 million) and Cubans (1.2 million). It also highlighted the growing numbers of Hispanics from Central and South American countries. The census also showed the geographic distribution of Hispanics, with most residing in the West and South, particularly in California and Texas, but with emerging communities in states like North Carolina and Georgia. This detailed enumeration allowed for a deeper understanding of the diversity within the Hispanic community.
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How has information from the 2000 Census helped shape policies or services for Hispanics in the U.S.?
The 2000 census revealed a significant rise in the Hispanic population in the U.S., growing by nearly 60% between 1990 and 2000, totaling 35.3 million Hispanics in the United States: The U.S. Census of 2000. This information highlighted the increasing ethnic and racial diversity of the country, influencing policy and services by revealing demographic shifts and needs Hispanics in the United States: The U.S. Census of 2000.
With Hispanics becoming a mainstay in labor-intensive industries, the data from the census likely informed policies related to employment, education, and social services, especially in states with rapidly growing Hispanic populations Hispanics in the United States: The U.S. Census of 2000. The census data also played a role in understanding the obstacles and opportunities facing Latinos in the U.S., influencing discussions and initiatives in education, politics, economics, and immigration Latinos and America at the 2010 Census: Obstacles and Opportunities.
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The 2000 census of the United States revealed that the country had become even more ethnically and racially diverse as cities and suburbs filled with new immigrants. During the 1990s, the overall U.S. population grew by 13 percent to more than 280 million people, and some 13 million of the country’s 30.5 million foreign-born residents arrived during the period.
Perhaps most striking was the growth in the country’s number of Hispanics, defined by the U.S. government as a “person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin,” regardless of skin colour. From 1990 to 2000 the Hispanic population in the United States rose by nearly 60 percent, from 22.4 million in 1990 to 35.3 million in 2000, and some two in five Hispanics residing in the United States had been born outside the country. Each census respondent was asked, “Is this person Spanish/Hispanic/Latino?” and presented with five options:
- No, not Spanish/Hispanic/Latino
- Yes, Mexican, Mexican Am., Chicano
- Yes, Puerto Rican
- Yes, Cuban
- Yes, other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino
Demographers had long anticipated that Hispanics would supplant African Americans as the country’s largest minority group, but this had not been predicted to happen until 2005. By the time of the 2000 census, however, the number of Hispanics in the United States had outpaced African Americans by more than half a million (35.3 million to 34.7 million), and it was predicted that the number of Hispanics in the United States would exceed 100 million and constitute nearly one-fourth of the total population by the mid-21st century. The Hispanic population was younger than the rest of the U.S. population; whereas about one in four non-Hispanics was under age 18, more than one in three Hispanics were 18 or younger. In addition, some 30 million U.S. residents spoke Spanish at home, with about half speaking English “very well.”
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Mexicans accounted for three-fifths of the country’s total Hispanic population and were by far the largest group in the United States—their numbers soaring by more than 50 percent in the 1990s, from 13.5 million in 1990 to 20.6 million in 2000. Puerto Ricans (3.4 million) and Cubans (1.2 million) were the second and third largest groups, and their numbers also increased dramatically—by 25 percent and 19 percent, respectively. Smaller numbers of Hispanics hailed from Central and South America. The largest Central American groups were from El Salvador (more than 650,000) and Guatemala (more than 370,000); Colombians (470,000), Ecuadorans (260,000), and Peruvians (230,000) were the largest groups from South America.
Hispanics lived in all regions of the United States but made up the largest share of the overall population in the West, where nearly one in four residents was Hispanic. More than three-fourths of all Hispanics lived in the West or South, with more than half residing in California and Texas. Hispanics made up the largest share of the population of New Mexico, accounting for more than two in five residents, while they made up about one-third of the population of both California and Texas. The country’s three largest Hispanic groups were concentrated in different parts of the country, with most Mexicans living in western states, most Puerto Ricans living in northeastern states, and most Cubans living in southern states (primarily Florida). Although Hispanics remained concentrated primarily in the Southwest, California, Florida, and New York, new immigrants from Mexico and Central America moved to states such as North Carolina, Georgia, and Iowa, where the Hispanic population was almost nonexistent in 1990. For example, in 1990 Hispanics made up 1.2 percent and 1.7 percent of the population in North Carolina and Georgia, respectively, but constituted nearly 5 percent and more than 5 percent in 2000 (the number of Hispanics in North Carolina increased by more than 1,000 percent between 1990 and 2000). Georgia and North Carolina also had the largest concentration of Hispanics who were foreign-born, with some three-fifths of Hispanics in both states born outside the United States.
In states such as Georgia and North Carolina, Hispanics became a mainstay in low-paying, labour-intensive industries, though they generally experienced a higher level of unemployment than whites. For example, Hispanics occupied some one-fourth of construction jobs, one-third of crop-production slots, and two-fifths of animal-processing and landscaping positions. Also, more than one in three persons employed in private households were Hispanic. In addition, more than one million Hispanics had served in the U.S. armed forces.
At the county level, Hispanics in 2000 made up the majority of the population in 50 of the country’s some 4,000 counties, including 34 of 254 counties in Texas and 9 of 33 counties in New Mexico. Hispanics also accounted for more than one-fourth (but less than one-half) of the population in 152 counties. The county with the largest concentration of Hispanics was Los Angeles county, with more than four million Hispanics; counties with more than one million Hispanics included Miami-Dade (encompassing Miami) in Florida, Harris (Houston) in Texas, and Cook (Chicago) in Illinois.
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At the city level, New York City had the largest number of Hispanics, with more than 2 million in 2000, accounting for 27 percent of the population. Los Angeles was second, with more than 1.7 million Hispanics, encompassing nearly half the total population. Other cities with large concentrations of Hispanics included Chicago and Houston, each with well over 700,000 Hispanic residents.