Bibliographies 

CMU Library Collections 

CMU Library
Services and Staff 

Other Diversity Forums

Diversity Links

Last updated: 11/20/07
library.reference@cmich.edu

Compiled by Dave Shirley. For more information and/or reference assistance, please contact Dave Shirley (Email: david.b.shirley@cmich.edu, Phone: 989-774-3414) or ask at the Reference Desk on the second floor of the Park Library (Phone: 774-3470).

• Hispanic households experienced a 4.5% increase in their real, or inflation-adjusted, median income between 1996 and 1997, from $25,477 to $26,628. Meanwhile, the real per-capita income of Hispanics rose 4.8% during the same period, from $10,279 to $10,773. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-178.html
• Overall, the number of poor and the poverty rate among people of Hispanic origin dropped from 8.7 million and 29.4% respectively, in 1996 to 8.3 million and 27.1% in 1997. Hispanic families, meanwhile, experienced a decline in their poverty rate, from 26.4% in 1996 to 24.7% in 1997. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-178.html

RETURN TO TOP

• The proportion of the Hispanic population age 25 and over with a high school degree or higher increased from 51% in 1988 to 56% in 1998. The proportion of Hispanics with a bachelor's degree was 11% in 1998, not significantly different from the 10% with this level of education a decade earlier. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-221.html
• In 1998, about half a million (514,000) Hispanics age 25 and over had an advanced degree (e.g., Master's, Ph.D., M.D. or J.D.). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-221.html
• Hispanics are an increasingly large presence in the nation's schools. They comprised 14% of all elementary and high school students in 1997, up from about 6% in 1972. Similarly, 8% of college students in 1997 were Hispanic, up from 4% in 1977. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-124.html

RETURN TO TOP

• In 1997, the nation's total foreign-born population numbered 25.8 million, of which about 1 in 2 (13.1 million) was a native of Latin America or the Caribbean. Looking at individual countries, Mexico (7.0 million), Cuba (913,000), the Dominican Republic (632,000) and El Salvador (607,000) were among the biggest contributors to the nation's foreign-born population. The totals for the Dominican Republic and El Salvador are not statistically different from one another. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-57.html
• As of 1997, nearly 4 in 10 of the nation's Hispanics were foreign-born. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-57.html

RETURN TO TOP

• In 1998, 36% of the nation's 8.6 million Hispanic households consisted of traditional families - married couples with their own children -18 versus 25% for all U.S. households. Also, more than half (57%) of all Hispanic households contained related children under 18 versus just over one-third (37%) for all the nation's households. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-228.html
• Hispanic families were larger in 1998, with an average of 3.92 members than either African American (3.42) or non-Hispanic White families (3.02). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-228.html
• In 1998, Hispanic children under 18 years old were twice as likely to live with both parents (6.9 million) as to live with only one parent (3.4 million). The other 551,000 lived with neither parent. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html
• About 701,000 Hispanic children lived in a grandparent's home in 1998. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html
• Among Hispanic men age 18 and over in 1998, 35% had never been married, 58% were currently married, 1% were widowed and 6% were divorced. Among women, the corresponding percentages were 24%, 60%, 6% and 9%. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-03.html

RETURN TO TOP

• On June 1, 1999, an estimated 31.3 million Hispanics lived in the United States. They comprised 11.5% of the total population on June 1, 1999, up from 9.0% on April 1, 1990. (These totals do not include persons living in Puerto Rico, estimated at 3.9 million as of July 1, 1998). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html
  html http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-241.html
• The nation's Hispanic resident population increased by 8.9 million people between April 1, 1990, and June 1, 1999. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html
• The nation's Hispanic resident population is young, with an estimated median age on June 1, 1999, of 26.4 years - nine years younger than the median age for the nation as a whole. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) of the nation's Hispanics in 1997 were of Mexican origin, while 14% were of Central or South American origin, 11% were of Puerto Rican origin and 4% were of Cuban origin. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-137.html
• It is estimated that between April 1, 1990, and June 1, 1999, the Hispanic resident population accounted for 37.3% of the nation's resident population growth. It is projected that, between July 1, 2000, and July 1, 2020, this group will account for 44.2% of the nation's population growth. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb96-36.html
• By July 1, 2020, according to middle-series resident-population projections, the nation's Hispanic population is expected to reach 52.7 million (16.3% of the nation's total population). Long before that, by 2005, it is projected that Hispanics will surpass non-Hispanic African Americans to become the nation's largest minority group. Estimates indicate that this transition has already occurred among children under 18. On June 1, 1999, there were 11.1 million Hispanic children residing in the United States, outnumbering non-Hispanic African American children by 858,717. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb96-36.html
  http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/1999/cb99-101.html

RETURN TO TOP

• The percentage of U.S. public high school students taking Spanish courses more than doubled between 1982 and 1994, from 12% to 27%. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html
• In less than a decade's time, the number of registrations in Spanish courses at U.S. colleges and universities climbed by nearly 50% from 411,000 in fall 1986 to 606,000 in fall 1995. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html
• As of 1998, the United States had 19.6 million Spanish-speaking adults age 18 and over - 10% of the total adult population. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html

RETURN TO TOP

• The nation had 862,605 Hispanic-owned businesses in 1992, up 76% from 1987. These comprised 5% of all U.S. Firms and had receipts of $76.8 billion (up 134% since 1987). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb96-110.html
• As of 1992, 8% of the nation's 17 million small businesses could conduct transactions in Spanish. Among Hispanic-owned small businesses, the proportion was 60%. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb97-182.html
• About two-thirds (68%) of U.S. Hispanic-owned firms in 1992 were located in California, Texas or Florida. And two counties - Los Angeles County, Calif., and Dade County, Fla., combined - were home to 1 of ever 4 of them. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb96-110.html

RETURN TO TOP

• In 1997, among employed persons age 16 and over, 12% of Hispanic men and 19% of women worked in managerial and professional specialty occupations (e.g., engineers, dentists, teachers, lawyers and reporters). http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-137.html
• As to individual occupations, the United States had 77,000 Hispanic engineers, 35,000 Hispanic physicians and about the same number of Hispanic lawyers in 1997. http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/cb98-226.html

RETURN TO TOP

• The Hispanic homeownership rate - the percentage of Hispanic families owning the house or apartment in which they lived reached 46.2% during the first quarter of 1999. This represents an increase of about 6% from the first quarter of 1994. http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/housing/hvs/qtr199/q199prss.html

The preceding facts come from the Current Population Survey, the Statistical Abstract of the United States, population estimates and projections, the Survey of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises and the Characteristics of Business Owners Survey. The data are subject to sampling variability and other sources of error. If you have questions or comments, please contact David B. Shirley, Government Documents Service, University Library. Phone (989) 774-3414. Email to: David.B.Shirley@cmich.edu