LATINA/O
DEMOGRAPHIC EXPLOSION
BY
NICOLE D.
In
urban and suburban cities all across the U.S., cultural diversity is shaping
and transforming the places in which we live and work together as a society. The
Latino population, in particular, has been one of the fastest growing
populations in our nation and is projected to continue to grow and ultimately supersede
that of non-Latino whites in the future. According to the Census Bureau, the
U.S. Latino population has grown from 14.6 million people in 1980 to nearly 52
million people in 2011 (Badger). Latinos,
therefore, are playing a central role in our developing nation
with their Latino culture and ethnic diversity. How is
this demographic explosion and population growth of Latinos influencing how we
define these metropolitan areas in which they live and
what does it mean to be a Latino in the 21st century?
As
a Hispanic growing up on Long Island, I can say that Latin American culture was
not as widespread or generally acknowledged as it is today. My parents, who are
both Puerto Rican, moved from Brooklyn to the Long Island suburbs in the early
1970’s. Their goal was to provide more opportunity for their children and a better
quality of life. My father was a police officer in East Harlem and the inner
cities of New York and watched firsthand how drugs and street violence was
affecting these neighborhoods. Unfortunately, growing up on Long Island years
ago with no other Latino families in the area and being the minority, there was
a personal struggle for ethnic identity and ability to relate to others. A lot
has changed since then and I believe this recent
growth of the Latino population in urban and
suburban areas is an example of a positive change where Latinos
can better relate to their environment and the people they
associate with in these everyday
public spaces.
The
purpose for writing about this Latina/o demographic explosion is so people who
live in these areas, especially policy makers and people in authority, can become
conscious about how to
incorporate more equality into their laws. For example, there will need to be
more Latino decision makers who can represent this growing population. This is
important because it will empower and give a voice to the minority group. I
believe that the places in which we live have the ability to shape our
identities. So the question we should ask ourselves is
how can non-Latinos incorporate
themselves into this growing
Latino population and fully
embrace the beauty of our nation’s
multicultural and ethnic diversity.
Badger,
Emily. “The Extraordinary 30-Year Growth of the U.S. Hispanic Population.” The
Atlantic Cities: Place Matters: 30 Aug 2013. Web. 20 Mar 2014 <http://www.theatlanticcities.com/neighborhoods/2013/08/extraordinary- growth-americas-hispanic-population/6733/>
Davis,
Mike. Magical Urbanism: Latinos Reinvent the US Big City. New
York: Verso. 2000.
