Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 - (Page 29)

* “I THINK ONE OF THE MOST STRIKING THINGS WE FOUND RECENTLY WAS THERE’S A SHARP UPTURN IN THE RATE AT WHICH THEY ARE APPLYING TO BECOME CITIZENS.” took over from blacks as the largest minority. And the gap will keep increasing because the non-Hispanic white and the black populations are more or less at a standstill, growing at less than 1 percent a year, and the Hispanic population is growing. HE: What kind of role will Hispanics play in politics in 2008? RK: Will they play? I wish I knew. Our latest numbers are a year old, so 2006 is the last time we asked which party they identiﬁed with. It was 60/40 in favor of Democrats in 2004. It now is heading toward 70/30 at the last count. I think people do naturally infer that the immigration debate has something to do with this [shift], but that has had less of an impact than you might think because the blame tends to fall on both Democrats and Republicans. HE: Will Hispanics vote? RK: When they vote, historically they do so at a much lower rate than whites or blacks Out of the roughly 17 million eligible in 2006, close to 6 million cast a vote, or 30 to 32 percent. HE: What role do Hispanics play in our economic system? It must be burgeoning. RK: Yes, it is. But where they’re really making a difference is going forward. One out of every two new workers is Hispanic. It’s a real change in the character of the labor force looking ahead, and [Hispanics] are critical in some sectors such as construction. Their share in the construction workforce has more than doubled in the space of 10 years; they are now one out of four. It depends on the industry you look at, at which region HISPANIC ENTERPRISE you look at. Some places Hispanics are very important, and some places they are indeed reshaping, not just the local labor market but what it means for the community and the neighborhoods I think one of the most striking things we found recently was there’s a sharp upturn in the rate at which they are applying to become citizens HE: Is that good? RK: That is good for several reasons. It is good for people, for example, worried about assimilation. Or it is good for people who worry about whether they identify with the country of residence or the country of origin. It is also something that the social scientists don’t quite understand; citizenship is associated with much improved outcomes economically speaking and outcomes for children. Why that happens is not entirely clear but that’s another reason to be looking upon that positively. And of course the more citizens, the more eligible voters. We don’t know what they’re going to do, but we do know they will be a larger voice. HE: Are Hispanics changing the American culture? RK: Again, it’s another thing you can’t quantify. What is culture and how it is evolving? There is no doubt they are adding to cultural diversity, and particularly so at school. You see counties that have never experienced any diversity getting more and more diverse. English language learning programs are spreading like wildﬁre, which again tells you that diversity is increasing. HE: How will Americans adjust to that? RK: It will be a different place, but you know our children will have grown up in that place, so for them it will be America as they know it. 29 October/November 2007 http://2004.It

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007 Contents BIZBUZZ: Business Briefs Trendsetters BIZTECH: Personally Digital BizLife - Travel: The Mobile Meeting Motoring: Is What You Drive, Who You Are? Q&A - Fact Tank for the Hispanic Population Hispanic Commerce Cover Story: Tiles with Style Success & Motivation: Grammy Whammy Finance: Talking Code Event: Masterminds NCLR Report - Improving your Triple Bottom Line Politics & Government: Keep on Truckin' Managing: Avoiding an Identity Crisis Franchising: Beyond the Brand Finance & Investing - Talking Money Movers & Shakers Regional Report - Louisiana, Louisiana Chamber Focus - On the Island of Enchantment

Hispanic Enterprise - October/November 2007

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