Hispanics/Latinos

The nation’s Hispanic student population reached several milestones in 2011, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of newly available U.S. Census Bureau data.

This posting includes links to newly released Census Bureau research on how Americans should be asked about their race and ethnicity. It links to a previous posting that explains the background behind this ground-breaking research.

The race and Hispanic origin categories on the 2010 Census form (and many other government forms) do not always match people's self-identification, and this is especially true for Hispanics. The Census Bureau will present results of research on alternative questionnaire designs and wording that attempts to address the issue.

Among the 50.7 million Hispanics in the United States, nearly two-thirds (65%), or 33 million, self-identify as being of Mexican origin, according to tabulations of the 2010 American Community Survey.

We invited journalists, scholars and civic leaders to share their views.

The Pew Hispanic Center's recent report finding that most Hispanics don't embrace the terms "Hispanic" or "Latino" drew comments from hundreds of people and was the subject of scores of newspaper and website articles. The Center has invited journalists, scholars and civic leaders to weigh in with commentaries, and the public to share their views on Facebook.

A new Pew Hispanic Center survey includes findings on how U.S. Latinos prefer to describe themselves, as well as their views on race, shared culture, language use, the immigrant experience and other topics. A central finding is that slightly more than half prefer to describe themselves by their family's country of origin, while only a minority use the words "Hispanic" or "Latino."

A majority of Hispanics say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin; just 24% say they prefer a pan-ethnic label.

This statistical profile of the foreign-born population is based on Pew Hispanic Center tabulations of the Census Bureau’s 2010 American Community Survey.