Census: Most Babies Now Minorites; Black Families Mostly Led by Single Moms
The U.S. Census Bureau confirmed this week that more than half of children under age 2 are of a minority race or ethnicity. The change was expected as the Census Bureau previously estimated the U.S. would be majority minority by 2050.
Previous estimates, however, had not predicted a mostly minority baby population to occur this soon. The results were based on the recent 2010 census, which gives a more accurate picture of the demographic makeup of the U.S. population than the Census Bureau's previous estimates.
Currently, 12 states (Hawaii, California, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Mississippi) and the District of Columbia have non-Hispanic whites comprising over half their children under age 5. Seven more states are expected to join that list over the next decade – Illinois, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, South Carolina and Delaware.
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Also, there are now more households without a father than with a father among black families. This change marks a first for any race or ethnic group since the 1950 census. This trend also mirrors a trend in the overall population toward more single-parent households, unmarried couples, and a declining marriage rate.
Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, expressed concern over the decline in two-parent households.
“The decline of the traditional family will have to correct itself if we are to continue as a society," said Perkins. He also said that the answer does not lie in “another dose of big government.” Rather, we need “a new Hippocratic oath of 'do no harm' that doesn't interfere with family formation or seek to redefine family.”
The findings come amid debates over immigration and same-sex marriage. Alabama recently passed the most stringent law governing undocumented immigrants in the nation, and New York approved marriage for same-sex couples on Friday.
Some Republicans have expressed concern over what an increase in minorities, particularly Latinos, might mean for the future of the Republican Party. Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, in particular, has criticized anti-immigrant rhetoric heard from some Republicans. Like his brother, former President George W. Bush, Jeb Bush supports immigration reform.
Due to Jeb Bush's appeal to Latino voters, Juan Williams argued in an editorial for FoxNews.com on Tuesday, that Bush, along with Ohio Senator Rob Portman, would make a “the perfect GOP ticket in 2012.”
“With Bush at the top of the ticket, the Republicans may be able to undo the damage the hardliners have done to their brand by opposing immigration reforms like the DREAM Act and the 2007 McCain-Kennedy package,” according to Williams. Williams also calculated that a strong appeal to Latinos would make Republicans competitive in some important swing states like Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, and Florida.
The Census Bureau will be releasing more results from the 2010 census throughout the summer.
