Washington — The fast-growing Hispanic population has drawn nearly even with blacks, according to preliminary Census Bureau estimates that analysts say show an America more diverse than ever.
Hispanic population growth outpaced predictions by at least 2.5 million in the 2000 Census, with much of that increase due to higher-than-expected rates of immigration, analysts said Wednesday.
There were about 35.3 million Hispanics in America last year, an increase of 58 percent from 1990, the preliminary Census Bureau estimates show. The black population, meanwhile, ranged between 34.7 million and 36.4 million, with the exact figure uncertain because Americans, for the first time, were allowed to check off more than one race on the 2000 census form.
"It's a little surprising. But still, we've known the trends for some time," said Hans Johnson, demographer with the Public Policy Institute of California in San Francisco. "We know eventually Hispanics will become the largest minority group in the United States."
Though the figures are from a Census Bureau committee report, they are not final and may change, cautioned Jorge del Pinal, a senior agency official in charge of race and ethnicity statistics.
The bureau is scheduled to release more detailed statistics on America's racial makeup next week, including figures for other racial categories.
Assuming the numbers remain roughly the same, lawmakers will be dealing with the public policy implications sooner than expected, said Marisa Demeo, general counsel for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund.
For instance, recent Census Bureau data showed that Hispanics had lower rates of educational achievement, and higher percentages of people living in poverty, than non-Hispanic whites.
"Our hope is perhaps now we will finally receive the needs we should have been receiving all along," she said.
The government may have done a better job than expected in counting undocumented immigrants, including newly arrived Hispanics, the Census Bureau has said.
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