Four Facts From the Pew Research Center on U.S. Latinx Communities
It's National Hispanic Heritage Month, 2021! Between September 15th and October 15th, the team here at Dissertation Editor is participating in celebrating the Resilience and Hope of our Latinx and Hispanic communities with weekly blog posts. You can check them all out here. This week, we're showcasing a few facts from the Pew Research Center that shine a white hot light on the resilience of our U.S. Latinx communities.
Population Growth
The largest non-white population in U.S, our Hispanic communities grew to just over 60 million in 2020. But the population could not be more diverse. Here are a few things to note:
- Growth Rates Across Different Populations: Some With a population drawn from many different countries, some Hispanic/Latin American regions are growing faster than others. Specifically, Venezuelans, Guatemalans, and Dominicans have the fastest growth rate (since 2010).
- Decline in Immigrants: The Hispanic/Latinx population is no longer the biggest immigrant group entering the U.S. Added to that, growth among the population is attributable to people of Hispanic/Latinx origin who are already living in the U.S. and not to those immigrating to the country.
- Youth Defines the Population: With 6 in 10 people in our Hispanic/Latinx communities being under the age of 35, the group is defined by youth.
College Enrollment
College enrollment rates for our Hispanic/Latinx communities is around 35%, increasing by 13% since 1993 when 22% of people aged between 18-24 were enrolled. While the percentage increase since 1993 is more dramatic for Hispanic/Latinx communities than for the Black community (i.e., 13% and 8%, respectively), the White community saw a 42% increase in enrollment for this age group. Clearly improvements can be made! Shameless plug for us here, as the folks at Dissertation Editor not only offer services to help students succeed in college, but we are both passionate about and dedicated to that goal. Our services range from editing, formatting, coaching, and feedback, to statistical analysis, and transcript coding, so please get in touch. We would be delighted to speak with you and review your work and offer a free quote (including a detailed order of service, price, and turnaround time).
Importance of Heritage
Education and familiarity with our origins is ranked as more important to self-identity for Hispanic/Latinx and Black adult than for White adults. Since we know from social theory that a sense of belonging to community is integral to wellbeing, this strong self-identification with community and heritage bode well for the emotional health of our Black and Hispanic/Latinx groups.
Growing use of the Term Latinx Versus Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that refers to people of Spanish origin (who also speak Spanish) and so excludes Brazilians (who speak predominantly Portuguese). Latino/Latina refers to men and women, respectively, of Latin origin, and therefore includes Brazilians, although it does exclude Hispanic. The growing use of the term Latinx (i.e., a gender neutral term that encompasses both Latino and Latina) is a rejection of the term Hispanic, which for many has become associated with Spanish colonialism of South and Central America.
Resilience and Hope
I'll end where I started on the theme of this year's National Hispanic Heritage Month. Nothing says resilience and hope like pursuing a PhD, right? All the folks at Dissertation Editor have earned PhD's (in a diverse range of fields), and we are committed to helping the next generation of scholars achieve their dreams of earning a doctorate. Get in touch with us, tell us your story, let us know how we can help move you forward in that dream. We'd be delighted to work with you!
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