Hispanic Population and Demographic Census Information
The 2003 United States Census Bureau estimates that there are over 39.9 million people that identify themselves as Hispanic/Latino Americans. This number represents about 13.7% of the nations total population. This number does not include the 3.9 residents of Puerto Rico. Mexican Americans account for approximately 67% of this population. The remaining population consists of 14% Central (Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica) and South Americans (Venezuela, Colombia), 9% Puerto Ricans, 7% Dominicans and Spanish origins, and 4% Cubans. Hispanic Americans are the nationÆs largest minority group. (U.S. Census Bureau July 2003).
Large populations of Hispanic Americans live on the east coast and Southwest Border States, e.g., California, New Mexico, and Arizona. The top ten states that indicate Hispanic populations of 1 million or more are California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Arizona, New Jersey, New Mexico, Colorado and Nevada respectively. Two-thirds of Puerto Ricans on the mainland live in New York and New Jersey, and two-thirds Cuban Americans live in Florida (Population Reference Bureau, 2000). Many Southwestern Latinos are recent immigrants; others are descendants of Mexican and Spanish settlers who lived in the territory before it belonged to the United States. These regions have high concentrations of Hispanics however; the population growth is expanding throughout the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003).
Washington State Hispanic Demographic Information
In the state of Washington, the 2003 US Census Bureau estimates a total population of 6,131,445. In King County there are approximately 1,761,411 residents. Out of this population, there are approximately 441,509 Hispanic residents that live in the state and approximately 95,242 that reside in King County. Thus Hispanics represent about 7.5% of the state population and 5.5% of the county popula...