By To-wen Tseng, Examiner.com
The racial demographic of the United States has hit a milestone, with the Census Bureau reporting that for the first time U.S. minorities represent more than half of America’s population one year or younger. The report, released on May 17, shows that in 2011, 50.4 percent of children younger than one year old were black, Latino or Hispanic, Asian, or of other minority groups. Currently minorities make up approximately 37 percent of the U.S. population, and are the majority in four states including California.
In Los Angeles, the demographic has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Census data show that between 2000 to 2010, the number of Asian Americans living in Los Angeles county increased 18.7 percent to 1,345,149, while Hispanic or Latino Americans increased 1.1 percent to 4,683,474, and black population decreased 8.4 percent to 854,218. In other words, although Latino or Hispanic American remains to be the largest minority group in Los Angeles, Asian American is now the fastest growing minority group in the area.
This shift affected the community in many ways. As the Asian American population grows, the community’s desire for equal rights also grows. The most significant example is that that last year, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution apologizing for Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The act was the first U.S. law that singled out a particular minority group and subsequently split many Chinese families apart for 60 years. The resolution was introduced by congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA).
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Chinese Exclusion Act enacted by the Congress. While the resolution already passed the Senate unanimously, the House has yet to act. Last month, Rep. Chu once again called for action, and joined the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California in Los Angeles to recognize Chinese American community leaders. In a statement the congresswoman said: “...it reflects how far we have come since then.”
The racial demographic of the United States has hit a milestone, with the Census Bureau reporting that for the first time U.S. minorities represent more than half of America’s population one year or younger. The report, released on May 17, shows that in 2011, 50.4 percent of children younger than one year old were black, Latino or Hispanic, Asian, or of other minority groups. Currently minorities make up approximately 37 percent of the U.S. population, and are the majority in four states including California.
In Los Angeles, the demographic has changed dramatically over the past 10 years. Census data show that between 2000 to 2010, the number of Asian Americans living in Los Angeles county increased 18.7 percent to 1,345,149, while Hispanic or Latino Americans increased 1.1 percent to 4,683,474, and black population decreased 8.4 percent to 854,218. In other words, although Latino or Hispanic American remains to be the largest minority group in Los Angeles, Asian American is now the fastest growing minority group in the area.
This shift affected the community in many ways. As the Asian American population grows, the community’s desire for equal rights also grows. The most significant example is that that last year, the U.S. Senate approved a resolution apologizing for Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The act was the first U.S. law that singled out a particular minority group and subsequently split many Chinese families apart for 60 years. The resolution was introduced by congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA).
This year marks the 130th anniversary of Chinese Exclusion Act enacted by the Congress. While the resolution already passed the Senate unanimously, the House has yet to act. Last month, Rep. Chu once again called for action, and joined the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California in Los Angeles to recognize Chinese American community leaders. In a statement the congresswoman said: “...it reflects how far we have come since then.”
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