The Hispanic population is now the majority in Phoenix, as the census shows
The latest figures from the US Census Bureau Data show that Phoenix is now a majority minority, with residents who identify themselves as Hispanic or Latinos outnumbered those who identify only as white.
Data released by the US Census Bureau shows that 42.6% of the population of the city of Phoenix identify as Hispanic or Latino, compared to 42.5% of the population who chose the white category alone rather than Hispanic or Latino. That makes those who identify as Hispanics a majority – by a narrow margin. Phoenix is representative of a larger trend in a diversifying America.
ALSO READ: The economic impact of Arizona Hispanics will hit an all-time high by 2022
The way the federal government separates race and Hispanic ancestry can be confusing at first. According to the US Census Bureau’s website, the US Office of Management and Budget requires racial data for at least five groups: Whites, Blacks, or African-Americans, Native Americans or Alaskan, Asians and Native Hawaiians, or other Pacific islanders. Respondents can also indicate more than one racial category.
Phoenix in numbers
Spanish or Latino: 42.6%
Know not Hispanic or Latino: 42.5%
Black or African American: 7.1%
Asian: 3.8%
American Indians and Native Americans: 2.1%
Because the concept of Hispanic ancestry is segregated from race, a person can select any race and further identify themselves as Hispanic or Latino on a census form. For example, the data shows that 72.9% of Phoenix residents chose white as their only breed. However, if you take away those who identify as white and Hispanic or Latino, the number drops to 42.5%.
In other words, the 42.5% of Phoenix residents who identify as non-Hispanic whites are now a smaller cohort than the 42.6% multiracial Hispanic or Latin American ethnic groups.
The growing Hispanic population is good for Arizona’s economy, according to the 2020 DATOS report released by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (AHCC).
According to DATOS:
• The purchasing power of Arizona Hispanics is projected to reach an all-time high of $ 57.3 billion by 2022
• US Latino purchasing power could reach $ 1.9 trillion by 2023
• Hispanics now make up 31.7% of the population of Arizona, according to the Census report
• Phoenix is the sixth largest city in the Hispanic population, with a population of over 716,000
• The US Hispanic high school graduation rate increased from 57% in 2000 to 71.8% in 2019
A clear sign of the future: Among the state’s K-12 students, Latinos make up 50% of the total, meaning a greater percentage of the state’s future workforce will be Hispanic.
“If you look at the latest census data, it shows us that the Caucasian group as an ethnic group is shrinking as part of our total population in the United States,” said John Bailitis, chairman of the Labor & Employment Practice group at Jennings Strouss. “As our population becomes more diverse overall, I believe that workforces and companies need to focus more on diversity so that they are a true reflection of our population as a whole.”
With those who identify as white are now the minority in Phoenix, having a representative workplace is the right thing from a moral standpoint, but it also makes good business sense. “In companies, it’s about finding creative solutions. The more ideas and viewpoints you have in the room, the better decisions you make, ”argues Julia Acken, member of Jennings Strouss, chair of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee and one of the most influential women in Az Business 2021 magazine.
Balitis believes the workforce will not diversify naturally due to demographic change. “Some business leaders will step back and look at the data you describe and think, ‘We don’t really need to put a lot of energy or effort into a diversity program because, in theory, our workforce should at some point reflect our people in your state,'” says he. “I think the possibility of complacency is a real problem because if you think you don’t have to make an effort because it will happen organically, you will not succeed.”
As Phoenix and the United States continue this trend of demographic change, executives can act as role models to gain approval for diversity initiatives among their employees.
“As a manager or a group of managers in a company, you show everyone else in your organization that you are committed to this. It has priority, then everyone goes shopping, ”explains Balitis. “But if you don’t devote the resources to diversity initiatives, or if you think our population is generally becoming more diverse, don’t worry because your desire for diversity will never be visible to your employees. And it won’t be successful either. “
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