Other news from last week that reminds me of former state demographer, Dr. Steve Murdock, and his many predictions more than 2 decades ago. Read, for example, this 2011 piece in the El Paso Times where he expresses the following:
"I used to say the Texas of today is the U.S. of tomorrow," he said. "I no longer have to say that because the U.S. is where we are in many, many ways in terms of its demographics."In light of these shifts, we absolutely need leadership prepared to abide by democratic principles. These include shared decision-making across political majorities and minorities and who abide by the rule of law, while embarking on the progressive project of restraining the power hoarding of the political and economic elite, while eliminating poverty and in so doing, reducing society's gaping inequalities.
This is all within reach, but we must elect folks to office with an inclusive, racially just, progressive vision for our state and country.
In the best of cases, this leadership is knowledgeable and considerate of the wide-ranging diversity within the Latino community itself. We're not all "Mexicans," itself a referent to the modern notion of nation states that comes into being with European expansionism together with the conquest and colonization of America's native peoples.
Accordingly, we're also Indigenous, Afro-Indigenous, and Afro-Latina/o. We are queer, straight, transgendered, immigrant, Spanish-speaking or English monolingual, and economically diverse and stratified. Hence, for us to be in good hands, we need future leaders with a textured understanding for an increasingly diverse demographic that understands well and can speak constructively and positively to this diversity in terms of policy proposals and on-the-ground practices and priorities in such places as work, schools, and in our religious communities.
I get it that for white folks and others—including many Latinas/os themselves—they are feeling a tad de-centered and perhaps a bit poorly armed for this future. Here is where a good and virtuous education comes in, especially Ethnic and International Studies, as well as dual language and bilingual education. Policy studies, too.
These are the areas of study that are uniquely poised to equip us all intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually for what I truly hope will be a movement beyond a past and present that is racially and ethnically charged, to one that is not just tolerant, but epistemically curious and open to the many changes ahead that I sincerely think are mostly promising and hopeful.
Sí se Puede! Yes we can!
-Angela Valenzuela
Hispanics are now largest demographic group in Texas: Census
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the Hispanic population.
For the first time, Hispanics are the largest demographic group in the Lone Star State, according to figures released by the US Census Bureau Thursday to mark the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month.
The numbers showed that as of July 1, 2021, there were an estimated 11.86 million Hispanic Texans, 40.2% of the state’s population.
White, non-Hispanic Texans made up 39.4% of the population, an estimated 11.63 million people.
The growth is even more pronounced in young Texans, The Texas Tribune noted, with Hispanics making up 49.3% of under-18s.
The numbers have been trending toward a Hispanic plurality for years in Texas, with nearly 11 residents of that ethnic group gained for every additional white non-Hispanic resident over the previous decade, the outlet noted.
Of the 4 million new Texas residents over the past 10 years — the highest population growth in the country — nearly half were Hispanic, according to the Tribune’s analysis.
However, Hispanic residents are more than twice to live below the poverty line (19.4%) as whites (8.4%).
The median income for a white Texas household in 2021 was $81,384 — compared to just $54,857 for a Hispanic one, according to the new data.
And while 95% of white Texas adults have at least a high school diploma, only 70% of Hispanic adults can say the same. In addition, just 18% of Texas Hispanics graduated from college with s bachelor’s degrees or higher, compared with 42% of white adults, the data shows.
“Those are issues that are of concern to the state,” state demographer Lloyd Potter told the Houston Chronicle.
“A fair proportion of our population has lower levels of educational attainment, and our economy is growing in a way that is demanding more and more high skill or higher-skilled.
