Census Estimates Latino Youth are Driving Force

We’ve all been waiting for this, so consider the news the first wave,  indicator, yardstick…

The US Census has released its first estimate of nation’s population, based on last spring’s people-count. The estimates vary, not surprisingly, according to the immigrant count. And while the official numbers are set to be released in about three weeks, these preliminary estimates are used to gauge the accuracy of the count. There are five different estimates, but they point to a number of things we should look out for.

• The nation’s population is lower than we thought.
• The estimates include Latinos younger than 20 years of age.
• The Census put out 5 estimates, according to USA today, as “a reflection of the churn in immigration patterns this decade caused by the recession and crackdowns on illegal immigrants.”

Here’s what I think will cause the most concern and attract the most attention: “Hispanic young people accounted for all the growth in the youth population since 2000. The U.S. population is becoming more diverse from youngest to oldest and Hispanics are the driving force behind this youth diversity.”