Latino Stats

February 1, 2015
By 2050, nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population will claim Latino heritage, and trends within this demographic will impact more Americans than ever before. Malav' and Giordani, a mother-and-daughter research team of Puerto Rican heritage, have compiled hundreds of stats, facts, and figures to catalog such trends among Latinos, including linguistic practices, voting habits, economic impact, incarceration rates, and more. Much of the information may not be surprising, such as the increasing numbers of Latino citizens and the lack of Latino CEOs and politicians. But the most interesting tidbits provide starting points for productive conversation, like the fact that U.S. racial categories don't accommodate Latinos well, as evinced by nearly 40 percent of Latino respondents to the 2010 census identifying as other, or the fact that from 192939 the U.S. illegally deported 600,000 citizens of Latino descent. While the authors stop short of drawing clear conclusions, and the quoted figures occasionally alternate between percentages and raw numbers, each concise chapter is thoroughly researched, with extensive citations for further reading. An accessible and stimulating primer.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)