Latinas Are Economic Engine of Arizona

This article, by Maritza Lizeth Félix, appeared in the Prensa Hispana, and it’s got interesting facts that support the positive contribution of Latinos, Latinas specifically, to the Arizona economy. It goes well with our post: Sheriff Arpaio Stand’s Down His Dragnets, but… Why does that read like a cooking show?

PHOENIX — Latinos represent more than 30 percent of Arizona’s population and bring more than $31 billion to the state’s economy, according to a recent study by Arizona’s Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, reports Maritza Lizeth Félix for Prensa Hispana. The report, “Datos: Focus on Arizona’s Hispanic Market 2010,” finds that Latina women have become an economic engine in the state. The study does not include the economic impact of undocumented immigrants.

In Numbers
$31.3 billion – the buying power of Latinos in Arizona
$47.9 billion – the amount Latinos are expected to spend in 2013
$951 billion – Latino buying power in the U.S., not including Puerto Ricans, whose buying power is estimated at $50 billion
63% of Arizona’s Latino population lives in Maricopa County
42% of the residents of Phoenix are Latino
1 in 4 children born in the U.S. in 2008 was of Hispanic descent

Fun Facts
Latinos spend $128.50 a week on food, compared to the $91 that others spend.
A Latino goes to the grocery store at least 4 times a week on average.
Young Latinas are the biggest spenders on cosmetics and personal hygiene products.
Latino families continue to prefer options in Spanish, since the majority speaks Spanish at home.
Latina mothers are more likely to buy fresh food to cook, than to eat at a restaurant.
Nearly 41 percent of the Latino population plans to buy a TV or computer in the next six months.
Every two minutes, a Latino baby is born in the U.S.