By: rogelio saenz & Carlos siordia  (Page 5/8)

The increasing mexicanization of latino immigrants

While historically Mexicans have represented the majority of Latino immigrants, their dominance has increased over the last three decades. For example, Mexicans increased their %age of all Latino immigrants from 54 % in 1980, to 57 % in 1990, and to 61 % in 2000 (Figure 2). The increasing presence of Mexicans (i.e., those who immigrated in the last ten years) is also apparent among the most recent group of Latino immigrants in each of the three decades. By 2000, Mexicans accounted for nearly two-thirds of Latino immigrants who came to the United States between 1990 and 2000.

The changing distribution of latino immigrants: new destinations

The Latino immigrant population has historically been concentrated in certain parts of the United States. For example, over the last three decades, the majority of Latino immigrants have been found in the Southwest (Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas). Nonetheless, the %age of Latino immigrants in this region declined somewhat between 1990 (60.5%) and 2000 (54.5%) (Figure 3). During the same period, Latino immigrants increased their presence in the Midwest, South, and western states other than Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico.

The recent growth of Mexicans in new destination areas is illustrated by the shifting geographic distribution of Mexicans who immigrated in the last ten years in each of the three decades covered in this analysis (1980, 1990, and 2000). For instance, the share of recent Mexican immigrants in the Southwest dropped from 85% in 1980 to 63% in 2000 (Figure 5). Indeed, there were more than one-fourth fewer new immigrants (who came to this country within the last ten years of a given census) in the Southwest than were there in 1980. The other regions increased their share of recent Mexican immigrants. By 2000, slightly more than one-fourth of Mexican immigrants who came to this country between 1990 and 2000 were living in the South and Midwest.

The growth of Latinos in new destination regions has been quite impressive. Table 1 lists the ten states with the most rapid relative growth in the Latino (including Mexicans and all other Latino groups) population between 1990 and 2000. Aside from Nevada, these states are located in the South and Midwest. North Carolina had the most rapid growth with its Latino population increasing about five-fold between 1990 and 2000, with the Latino populations of Arkansas and Georgia quadrupling during this period. Other southern and midwestern states with the greatest levels of growth in the Latino population include Tennessee (278%), South Carolina (211%), Alabama (208%), Kentucky (173%), Minnesota (166%), and Nebraska (155%). It will be important to monitor the extent to which Latino newcomers in new destinations are racialized and become subject to discrimination, prejudice, and hostility or whether they are integrated into their new communities. While there are islands of hope where Latinos have been fairly well integrated—such as in Dalton, Georgia (see Hernandez-Leon and Zuniga 2003)—it is likely that Latinos are likely to encounter greater ill will in these regions (see Chiricos et al. 2001).