Who's the minority now?
Whites outnumbered in 1 in 10 US counties, straining race
relations
WASHINGTON Fuelled by immigration, higher birth rates among
blacks and Hispanics and an explosion of jobs attracting immigrants
to the nation's suburbs, the American ethnic landscape now features
whites as a minority in nearly one in 10 counties in the United
States.
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And this increased diversity is straining race relations and
sparking a backlash against immigrants in many communities.
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"There's some culture shock," said Mr Mark Mather from the
Population Reference Bureau, a Washington-based research agency.
"But the momentum is building and it's going to continue."
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Many of the nation's biggest counties have long had large minority
populations. But that diversity is now spreading to the suburbs and
beyond, causing resentment in some areas.
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Whites, excluding Hispanics, now make up less than half the
population in 303 of the 3,141 counties in the US, according to
figures the Census Bureau released yesterday. Whites were a
minority in 262 counties in 2000, up from 183 in 1990.
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The Census Bureau's report has population estimates by race and
ethnicity for every county in the nation. They are the first such
national estimates since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast in
2005, scattering hundreds of thousands of people.
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The biggest changes were in Orleans Parish county, home to New
Orleans. The share of non-Hispanic whites in Orleans Parish grew
from 27 per cent in 2005 to 34 per cent last year, while the share
of blacks dropped from about 68 per cent to 59 per cent.
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Many Latinos say they are experiencing a growing resentment against
them, especially in the debate over illegal immigration.
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For example, in northern Virginia, Ms Teresita Jacinto said she
feels less welcome today than when she first arrived 30 years ago,
when she was one of few Hispanics in the area.
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"Not only are we feeling less welcome, we're feeling threatened,"
said Ms Jacinto, a teacher in Woodbridge, which is part of Prince
William County. "I don't think Latinos or any other minority group
is seeking to make white people a minority."
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"It's just a reality," she added.
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Prince William County has seen its Hispanic population more than
double since 2000 to nearly 70,000 last year.
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Non-Hispanic whites account for a little more than half the
population, down from about two-thirds in 2000.
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Woodbridge, located about 32km southwest of Washington, recently
passed a resolution seeking to deny public services to illegal
immigrants. Similar measures have been approved or considered in
dozens of communities across the nation. In all, state lawmakers
have introduced more than 1,400 measures related to immigration
this year, the National Conference of State Legislatures
says.
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Supporters say local laws are necessary because Congress has failed
to crack down on the estimated 12 million illegal immigrants in the
US. But many legal Hispanics say they feel targeted, too.
AP
Whites outnumbered in 1 in 10 US counties, straining race
relations
