LITTLE ROCK, AR -- The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the oldest and largest Hispanic civil rights organization in the United States, announced during their national convention in Little Rock, AR, on June 27 that Latinos are no longer limited to the 10 largest metropolitan areas in the country including Los Angeles and Miami. They are demonstrating new patterns of dispersal, moving from large cities into suburbs and new areas such as the mid-South, Suburbs, mid-South new Latino destination.

According to Census 2000, Latinos now compose 13.3 percent of the total U.S. population. Hispanics became the fastest growing U.S. minority group increasing their numbers 67 percent nationwide from 22.4 million in 1990, to 37.4 million. The change occurred relatively rapidly and in places that had never before witnessed influxes of Latinos including Little Rock, AR, Cicero, IL and Orlando, FL, which has experienced a hypergrowth since 1980 with an 800 percent increase in the Latino population.



In 2004, Hispanic buying power reached $686 billion. It is projected to reach one trillion dollars in 2008.

“The rapid Hispanic presence in these communities is re-defining the social, demographic and cultural landscape that was really not being experienced before,” said National President Hector Flores. “Although this causes some challenges, Latinos also bring with them unique assets and skills. By bringing a greater awareness of this trend, it is our hope to assess how the U.S. can facilitate an improved quality of life for all of our residents,” he added.



LULAC recognizes some of the barriers that exist when receiving communities are unprepared for the arrival of the quick influx of Hispanics in their area, many of which have not yet mastered the English language. As a result, newly arrived Latinos often face a series of challenges that can range from ...