Hispanic population expected to exceed 50 million

The data are expected to show that Hispanics have accounted for more than half the nation's growth since 2000. STORY HIGHLIGHTSDemographers say the Hispanic population will exceed 50 millionThe figures are expected to show the Asian population is also growingThe non-Hispanic white population is staying the same, the figures are expected to showRELATED TOPICSHispanic and Latino IssuesU.S. Census (CNN) -- U.S. Census Bureau demographic data to be released Thursday are expected to show that the Hispanic population of the United States has reached a new milestone, topping 50 million people, demographers told CNN.

The results are expected to show that Hispanics accounted for more than half of the nation's growth since 2000.

"The face of the country is changing," Jeffrey Passel, demographer at the Pew Hispanic Center, told CNN.

The non-Hispanic white population is staying the same, while the Hispanic and Asian populations are quickly growing, Passel said.

Demographic data have already been released for all states except New York and Maine and for the District of Columbia.

Nearly 47 million Hispanics were counted in those 48 states, and the Hispanic population of New York alone is expected to push the number past the 50 million mark and as high as 50.5 million, Passel said.

The Asian population is growing just about as fast as the Hispanic population, but there are three times more Hispanics in the United States, he said.

Hispanics are the growth engine for most of the country, according to William Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution. Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky and five other states have doubled their Hispanic populations, he said. He estimates the Census will reveal a Hispanic population of 50.3 million.

In fast-growing states where whites and blacks dominated past growth, Hispanics are now the greatest growth engine, Frey said.

The significance of the numbers to the United States is more than just an increase of an ethnicity. Research shows that along with the changing demographics, the country has become more diverse, Passel said. For instance, there is a substantial mixing of the American population through inter-racial marriage, he said.

Another change is the concentration of the growing populations.

Previously the Hispanic population was concentrated in eight or nine states; it is now spread throughout the country, Passel said.

Frey also predicted more diversity among children. Most of the data released so far show losses in the population of white children as a result of the aging white population, he said.

Minorities will have a greater presence among future generations, he said. For example, in Nevada, 61% of children are minorities, compared to 41% of adults.

In border states like Texas, demographers say Hispanic populations are expected to surpass non-Hispanic populations within the next decade.

"Without question we are becoming a Hispanic state," said Texas state demographer Lloyd Potter.

"I live in San Antonio, and there you see Spanish advertisements, television shows and newspapers everywhere," he said.

In cities and towns across the region, there are Spanish-speaking restaurants, retailers, and annual festivals.

"It's helpful to be able to speak a little Spanish if you're non-Hispanic," Potter said. "My neighbors don't really speak much English. While my Spanish isn't great, at least we can interact and be neighbors."

But while the labor force may absorb Spanish-only employees, an emerging debate among policy makers asks whether their children face added challenges in English-speaking schools.

"Education attainment is the single best determinant for a whole variety of social outcomes," said Steven Camarota, director of research at the Center for Immigration Studies in Washington.

Analysts speculate that while population levels swell, comparable rises in education levels may take some time.

"In New York City, Italians once had a much higher high school dropout rate," Camarota said, noting an Italian immigration flux in the U.S. that spanned the years of 1890 to 1920. "It took them 60 to 70 years to lower those levels and close the socioeconomic gap."

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