David G.

Gutierrez, Editor

The Columbia History of in the United States since 1960

CHAPTERS 1-4 Intro Globalization, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cubans and Central America

Introduction
1960 is the beginning of a period when Americans became aware of the growing Latino minority. There was a demographic revolution in the last 4 decades of 20th century. Latinos of all national origins, heritages, and class backgrounds reside and intermingle in urban and rural areas.
1-2

Latinidad
A collective sense of cultural affinity and identity deeply rooted in what many Latinos perceive to be a shared historical, spiritual, aesthetic, and linguistic heritage, and a growing sense of cultural affinity and solidarity in the social context of the United States.
2

Changing demographic structure of the pan-Latino pop

The 2000 U.S. census revealed that more immigrants entered the U.S. between 1990 and 2000 than in any other ten-year period in U.S. history. 1990-99, 8.6 million new immigrants. In 2001, 30 million foreign born people living in the U.S. Including 2nd gen, = 56 million.
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Pop. Explosion in L.A.

Until 1950, the populations of Latin American and the United States were roughly comparable. Since 1950, the Latin American population has exploded.
1960 218 million in L.A. 2001 520 million in L.A.
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Pop. Growth compared

600 500

400

300

1960 2001

200

100

0 L.A. N.A.

The Hart-Celler Immigration and Nationality Act.

1965, the Hart-Celler act liberalized U.S. immigration policy by abolishing the discriminatory national-origins system in place since the 1920s. The passage of Hart-Celler cleared the way for a dramatic shift in the composition of immigrant populations coming to the United States.
4

The shift in Immigration

In 1960, 75 percent of all immigrants to the U.S. came from Europe. Only 14 percent from L.A. In 2000, only 15 percent of the foreignborn immigrants were from Europe; and the vast majority, 77 percent, originated in Latin America and Asia.
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The growth in Latino Immigration

In 1960, fewer than one million foreignborn Latin Americans in the U.S. During the 1960s, another one million additional Latin Americans entered the country legally. In 1980s, the number jumped to 2.8 mill 1990s, an additional 4.6 million immigrants from L.A. entered legally.
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Legal immigrants from L.A. to the U.S.

5 4.6 5

2 1 1

0 1960s 1980s 1990s

Dominant Immigrant Nationalities

Mexico Puerto Rico Cuba Dominican Republic 8 Million 3.1 Million 952,000 692,000

From Central America

According to 2000 census: El Salvador 765,000 Guatemala 372,000 Honduras 250,000 Nicaragua 245,000

From South America

According to 2000 census: Colombia 435,000 Peru 328,000 Ecuador 281,000 Venezuela 126,000 Argentina 89,000 Chile 83,000
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Total Latino Immigration by Nationality

Mexico Puerto Rico Cuba El Salvador Dom Rep Colombia Guatemala Peru Ecudor Honduras Nicaragua
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Latinos as a minority
1960, Latinos formed 3.9% of U.S. pop. 1970, 4.9% or 9 million 1980, 14.6 million 1990, 22.35 million 2000, 38 million or 13% of U.S. pop. Jan. 2003, Latinos surpassed African Americans to become the largest minority of U.S. pop.
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Latino youth
The Latino pop is generally much younger than the native U.S. population and therefore has as much higher proportion of individuals in their childbearing years. Latino children of all nationalities constitute more than half of the school-age population.
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Latino youth
The Latino pop is generally much younger than the native U.S. population and therefore has as much higher proportion of individuals in their childbearing years. Latino children of all nationalities constitute more than half of the school-age population.
8-9