For the first time, more than half of the children born in the U.S. are non-white. New census data released today shows 50.4 percent of U.S. children under one year are minorities.
The number is even higher in Texas. Here, about 70 percent of kids under one are non-white.
Altogether, minorities make up more than 36 percent of the U.S. population and more than 55 percent in Texas. Texas is one of only five regions — along with Hawaii, the District of Columbia, California, and New Mexico — to have a minority-majority.
The Texas state demographer says that in the next five years, the state may not just be majority-minority but majority Hispanic.
"How much longer are we going to be able to use the term minority?" said City of Austin demographer Ryan Robinson. "I think we have to start talking about just simply pluralities as opposed to old-fashioned majorities."
The Austin metro is seeing a similar trend. Last month we learned the area was the second-fastest growing in the country. Robinson says if you looked specifically at the growth in the demographic of children under five— about 95 percent were Hispanic.
“Growth and change," said Robinson. "That is now part and parcel associated with this strong, strong increase in Latino, Asian, and in some parts of the country, to a lesser extent, African-Americans.”
Robinson says he believes the Austin metro population will surpass the 2 million mark in the next three to four years, thanks in big part to this growth among minority groups.
