In a nutshell:
The faces in America are changing, and it might be a little faster than originally thought. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the birth of whites are no longer a majority in the U.S. Racial and ethnic minority groups are growing more rapidly than the Caucasian white population. Among the highest growth populations are Hispanics, who are now more than 25% of the nation’s youngest residents, including roughly 26% of the population younger than age 1.
Non-Hispanic whites made up 49.6% of all births, while minorities which included Hispanics, blacks, Asians, and mixed race accounted for 50.4% of the population – a majority for the first time in U.S. history. The 2010 Census indicates that racial and ethnic minorities accounted for 91.7% of the population growth since 2000; most of the increase was due to Hispanics (56%). From the 2011 Census report, minorities now account for 93.3% of the population growth.
While there are several reasons for the changing demographics, one important explanation is that the minority populations are younger than the white population and therefore more likely to have and raise children. Non-Hispanic whites have the oldest median age at 42.3 years, while Hispanics have the youngest at 27.6 years.
The times are changing, the population is changing, and U.S. businesses and policy makers must make the changes needed to reflect the concerns of the increasingly diverse population of U.S. citizens.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Show video discussing the report at http://nyti.ms/L32N15
- Divide students into groups. Have students review the Pew research report at http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2012/05/17/explaining-why-minority-births-now-outnumber-white-births/?src=prc-newsletter
- What are significant findings from the report?
- What are the implications for marketers?
- What are the implications for new product development?
- What are implications for policies and laws in the U.S. to reflect the changing demographics and concerns of ethnic populations?
Source: Pew Research Center, Brookings Institute, New York Times, LA Times, other news sources, 5/17/12
