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White population down in 43 counties, while Asians, Hispanics grow
By Colette M. Jenkins and David Knox
Beacon Journal staff writers
Published on Thursday, Aug 09, 2007
Whites are now the minority in about 10 percent of the nation's counties.
While none of those counties are in Ohio, the racial and ethnic makeup of the state's 88 counties has changed substantially since the 2000 census, according to population estimates for last year, released today by the Census Bureau.
Asians and Hispanics are the fastest-growing groups in nearly three-quarters of Ohio's counties. The Asian population increased the most in 45 counties, while Hispanics grew fastest in 20 counties.
The non-Hispanic white population was down in 43 counties a statewide decrease of 47,256 since 2000.
Across Ohio, the number of Hispanic residents grew by 50,627 up 23 percent since 2000. The Asian population grew somewhat faster 31 percent. But the 41,181 overall increase was less because there are fewer Asians than Hispanics in Ohio.
Ohio's black population grew by only 4 percent, but the 57,001 increase was the most for any racial or ethnic group. That's because blacks remain, by far, the largest minority group in the state with an estimated population last year of more than 1.35 million, or about 12 percent of Ohio's total.
Jeff Stewart, who works with the Hispanic population throughout Ohio with the Immigrant Worker Project, said the Census Bureau's estimate of 267,750 Hispanic residents in Ohio seems ''extremely low.''
Stewart said the lowest estimate provided by demographers and groups that work with new Hispanic immigrants is 400,000.
''There are always groups that are vastly undercounted. One of the factors is there is a lack of Spanish-speaking enumerators,'' Stewart said. ''Another factor is that a lot of new immigrants are coming from areas where this kind of census data is used for things like forced military recruitment and other governmental programs that could be detrimental to them, so they shy away from being counted.''
The Immigrant Worker Project, based in Canton, provides leadership training and economic and educational empowerment opportunities to Hispanic immigrants throughout the state.
Rural Wayne County saw the fastest Hispanic growth in the area a 40 percent increase since 2000.
Immigration is fueling the rapid growth of both the Hispanic and Asian populations in Ohio, said Michael Byun, deputy director of Asian Services In Action Inc. in Akron.
''Most people do not come to this area specifically for jobs because we're still challenged generally with the availability of jobs,'' said Byun. ''From our experience here, most of the growth is centered around family unification. The cost of living is also another factor.''
Byun, whose organization helps Asian-Americans throughout Northeast Ohio, said local Asian ethnic groups include Asian-Indians, Chinese (from the mainland and Taiwan), Koreans, Filipinos, Vietnamese, Japanese, Hmong and Cambodians.
Nationally, non-Hispanic whites made up less than half the population in 303 of the nation's 3,141 counties, according to Census Bureau estimates. Whites were a minority in 262 counties in 2000, up from 183 in 1990.
The Census Bureau defines a minority resident as anyone who is of Hispanic origin or a race other than white alone. Hispanics can be of any race.
Los Angeles County had the largest minority populations: 4.7 million Hispanics, 1.4 million Asians and 150,000 American Indians and Alaskan natives.
Chicago's Cook County had the largest black population (1.4 million), followed by Los Angeles County (1 million). Honolulu County had the largest Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander population (177,000).
Colette Jenkins can be reached at 330-996-3731 or cjenkins@thebeaconjournal.com. David Knox can be reached at 330-996-3532 or dknox@thebeaconjournal.com.
Whites are now the minority in about 10 percent of the nation's counties.
Get the full article here.
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