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Should We Pick a New Word? Minorities to Be Majority by 2042

Thu, 08/14/2008 - 10:01am by CitizenSugar
667 Views - 49 comments

According to new Census Bureau projections, ethnic and racial minorities won't be that way for very long. The census calculates that by 2042, Americans who consider themselves a minority including Hispanic, black, and Asian will in combination outnumber non-Hispanic whites. Even earlier, minority children will be the majority by 2023.

The change happened quicker than previously expected, one reason being significantly higher birthrates among immigrants. Also projections of the growing influx of foreign-born immigrants show it's set to rise from 1.3 million per year now to 2 million per year by the mid-2000s, and the aging and dying of the less prolific whites. It's like a melting pot on speed; a demographer says, “no other country has experienced such rapid racial and ethnic change.”

To see what this means for the state of the population, read more.

Some states have already made the shift, with "minorities" becoming "majorities," like in CA and TX. The way we talk and report about race will follow suit. Chief Census Bureau projector says, “The way people report race 20 or 30 years from now may be very different."

Perhaps more interesting than the shift in racial makeup is the sheer growth in population: they're predicting the total US population will top 400 million in 2039, a couple of decades earlier than previously thought. Where will all those people go? Is it time to start building more condos? How will the bigger population and greater diversity affect the country?

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49 Comments Add a Comment

  • Jillness's picture
    Jillness
    1

    Whites are already a minority in Los Angeles. I believe there are more people of hispanic/latino descent. Hasn't changed my life!

    16 weeks 8 hours ago Report Comment
  • True Song's picture
    True Song
    2

    I can't wait to see the white supremacist campaign, urging us to become more "prolific" to keep up with our immigrant neighbors' higher birthrates.

    16 weeks 8 hours ago Report Comment
  • jenintx's picture
    jenintx
    3

    Hispanics are already the majority in Texas, as well. I kinda like being a minority Smiling

    16 weeks 8 hours ago Report Comment
  • True Song's picture
    True Song
    5

    Oh, I forgot...does this mean I will qualify for affirmative action? Because I could really use an undeserved promotion.

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • hypnoticmix's picture
    hypnoticmix
    6

    You know that once everyone is brown we'll be argueing about what shade is supperior. People just can't let that $#!+ go.

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • Jude C's picture
    Jude C
    7

    So like...

    ...is this the real reason behind certain segments of the radical right wanting to ban or at least severely restrict contraception and abortion access? Last-ditch attempt to get the majority birthrate up by any means necessary?

    Eye-wink (I'm 95% kidding.)

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • YayaOzoHead's picture
    YayaOzoHead
    9

    Sounds good to me. I grew up in TX and now live in LA. What I love most about growing up in Texas was that I didn't feel like a minority and what I love about LA is that I was introduced to such a diverse community of people, cultures, and not to mention food. I think food will be the great uniter! Yes, I often think with my stomach. Sticking out tongue

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • popgoestheworld's picture
    popgoestheworld
    10

    There is plenty of room in the US for all the growth. Anyone been to South Dakota recently?

    Anyway, I grew up in So Cal and now live in DC so feeling like a "minority" in terms of numbers is nothing new.

    My only problem is with the illegal immigrant aspect of all this. Most illegal immigrants are hardly well off, and if they're having a lot of kids, the math behind that just isn't good.

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • Great Sommelier's picture
    Great Sommelier
    11

    Hispanics are not the majority in Texas. Whites are still the plurality, not majority though. All the other minority groups outnumber the total of whites. Meaning, as a whole there are more minorities than whites in Texas, but whites are still the largest single ethnicity.

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • zeze's picture
    zeze
    12

    Majority, to me, is measured by power, no people - so I think it is safe to say whites will still be a "majority" by 2050.

    16 weeks 7 hours ago Report Comment
  • imLissy's picture
    imLissy
    13

    majority has nothing to do with power zeze. You can say you think whites will be in power then, but that has nothing to do with numbers.

    I would like to know when race will no longer be an issues. Seriously, shouldn't there more interracial couples by now? Mix things up and everyone will be a minority!

    16 weeks 6 hours ago Report Comment
  • Jillness's picture
    Jillness
    14

    Interesting point, Zeze!

    "what I love about LA is that I was introduced to such a diverse community of people, cultures, and not to mention food. I think food will be the great uniter!"

    I completely agree!

    16 weeks 6 hours ago Report Comment
  • organicsugr's picture
    organicsugr
    15

    Haha nice one Torg. Speaking of minorities and affirmative action, I think votes for Barack Obama should count a just a little more. You know, give him a little extra help for being a minority.

    16 weeks 5 hours ago Report Comment
  • UnDave35's picture
    UnDave35
    17

    So should Hillary's votes count "just a little more" since she is a token minority?

    16 weeks 5 hours ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    19

    Organic, I was thinking votes for Obama could count as three fifths of a vote...

    16 weeks 5 hours ago Report Comment
  • Great Sommelier's picture
    Great Sommelier
    22

    Hmmm, moving back to Norway sounds better and better everyday. Yup, that sentence is indecipherable! Eye-wink

    16 weeks 2 hours ago Report Comment
  • Jude C's picture
    Jude C
    24

    I still will be, but if I minded that, I'd be living in Taiwan anyway.

    16 weeks 14 min ago Report Comment
  • flutterby moon's picture
    flutterby moon
    26

    Well judging by some comments above i only hope that society will become more open and less xenophobic and racist.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • j2e1n9's picture
    j2e1n9
    27

    This sounds good to me. So we are truly the melting pot of diverse people, ideas and cultures. How could anything bad come out of that?

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • jenintx's picture
    jenintx
    30

    oops! re: texas. i wouldn't be surprised if it changes here after the next census, though.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • amybdk's picture
    amybdk
    33

    "what does Norway have to do with anything?"

    Is this the comment being talked about? Where does anyone call anyone else dumb? (NOT trying to be snarky... just wondering if there was a comment removed?)

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • thetoneishopeful's picture
    thetoneishopeful
    35

    I'm sorry but...have you ever driven more than an hour outside of any major city? You quickly find open, empty land...soo...we're going to just have to build more suburbs rather than cramming people into the big cities and build better public transportation to get those people into the cities.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • rabidmoon's picture
    rabidmoon
    36

    Damn, and I missed it. Sticking out tongue

    I am looking forward to trolling the web tonight to see what kind of freak-out responses this story got. For some reason even the UK papers online felt the need to make this a BIG STORY!!

    But then again, it is a TOTAL crisis - I mean, what will they do with all those unwanted baseball caps and Bon Jovi albums in 2040?

    Sticking out tongue

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • amybdk's picture
    amybdk
    37

    ha, rabid! I too always miss the awesome comments that spark so much discussion!

    ... shoot!

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • stephley's picture
    stephley
    38

    Wasn't dealing with the merits of the original argument GS, just pointing out that the period jab is a new low.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    39

    I have GOT to start getting up before noon. I missed the whole drama! I wish I could see what got deleted Smiling

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • popgoestheworld's picture
    popgoestheworld
    40

    I must be evil because I actually thought it was pretty funny. But then again I think lots of inappropriate stuff is hilarious. It gets me into trouble.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    41

    Steph, she actually was on her period. Said so in one of her blogs. Anyway, I don't think that's any lower than calling somebody stupid. Obviously, the moderators thought both comments were too low.

    And I'm glad you appreciated it, pop.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • popgoestheworld's picture
    popgoestheworld
    43

    Whoops. Jude, you win subtletly points. I never think of PM-ing anyone.

    In this case would it be PMS-ing someone? Muahaha.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Jude C's picture
    Jude C
    44

    Oh, it's okay--I PMed her a totally different post anyway (the one where someone was called stupid for "failing to miss a post," which incidentally wins today's Best Turn of Phrase award Eye-wink ).

    And I actually spelled out "private message" to avoid PMS puns!

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment
  • Michelin's picture
    Michelin
    46

    I know! I thought that was funny too. The other person is stupid even though you just accused her of "completely failing to miss the point". Those double negatives can be tricky.

    15 weeks 6 days ago Report Comment