Multi-racial demographics in the United States is something I wrote a blog some time ago when discussing the rapid growth of the Hispanic/Latino population and its implications for the country’s political future.
Demographics are irrefutable, and that means we should pay closer attention to the roles of the different minorities in U.S. society. The statistic that stood out in the interim Census report, when I originally wrote the blog, was that the Hispanic/Latino population was already the dominant minority, and projections showed they will reach 30% of the population by 2030. This was compared to a virtually stagnant growth number for the Black population, currently at 12% of the total, and small growth rates of other minorities.
The 2020 full Census Report has just been published, and that seems to confirm this trend. However, the full Census Report also highlights another trend, which I think is even more important.
News reports, as usual, have emphasized what they consider as sensational in the Census statistics. Most have reported the apparent decline in the “White” population “for the first time in American history”. However, if you read the analysis carefully, this decline is probably a result of some ethnic categories being redefined in this Census. In any case, this media emphasis misses a much more important trend that, I think, is positive for the country’s future – the multi-racial category. Some of the highlights of the 2020 Census are:
- The overall population of the United States is 333,172,543.
- The White population remained the largest race or ethnicity group in the United States, with 204.3 million people identifying as White alone. Overall, 235.4 million people reported White alone or in combination with another group. However, the White alone population decreased by 8.6% since 2010. It is 61% of the total population.
- The Two or More Races population (also referred to as the Multi-racial population) has changed considerably since 2010. The Multiracial population was measured at 9 million people in 2010 and is now 33.8 million people in 2020, a 276% increase.
- The Hispanic or Latino population, which includes people of any race, was 62.1 million in 2020. The Hispanic or Latino population grew 23%, while the population that was not of Hispanic or Latino origin grew 4.3% since 2010.
The most important statistics, for me, in this list, are the multi-racial numbers. They have experienced a 276% increase over those from the 2010 Census.
Maybe, just maybe, if this trend continues, and demographics don’t lie, we may be on the way to solving the racial issues in the country.
THE PROBLEM TENDS TO GO AWAY, OR AT LEAST DIMINISH, WHEN YOU CAN’T DRAW LINES! Multi-racial demographics can only show us the way forward.
It is a long-term solution but, because it is based on demographics, is actually stands a chance of working.
