To understand Latino immigrants you have to consider two main characteristics: their youth and commitment to succeed. Latino immigrants are already a fundamental element for this country’s future.
Even in the middle of the Trump storm and all it’s noise, nobody in his/her right mind could dare to ignore the huge influence of Latinos in everything related with politics, economics in America.
As established in our last edition, Education may constitute the best path toward complete integration of Hispanics to mainstream U.S.A. Also, the current crisis detonated by the extravagant entertainer brings a huge opportunity to advance the agenda of this 55 million people with a $1.5 buying power that surely will define the immediate future of this nation.
Beside the understandable frustration among the Latino activists due the poor results of the Obama promises in the immigration fix, nowadays it is very clear who is pushing an agenda of hate, racism and discrimination against this community.
There, Mr. Trump demagoguery and ignorance are not alone. His hot rhetoric has been shared, or at least tolerated, by most of the others pre-candidates of the G.O.P. Their efforts to seduce the extremist wing of their party will define their permanent divorce with all minorities in the country.
Nowadays Latino immigrant families –there are 10.7 million and in the next few decades will be one third of the nation population– are visible everywhere, but mostly at the school –the average U.S. born is High School age—and at a workplace. Latinos have the highest labor-force participation rate (nearly 67%) of any American demographic group.
Immigrant-owned small businesses employed an estimated 4.7 million people and generated an estimated $776 billion in receipts in 2007. In fact, over the past two decades, immigrants made up 30 percent of the growth in small business creation. Immigrants, who represented about 13% of the U.S. population, accounted for 39% of net growth in homeowners between 2000 and 2010.
With 3 of every 4 foreign born U.S. 40 million residents having roots from Latin America and share the same language (Spanish, of course) it should be no surprise no anybody, the creativity of the new comers: Immigrants founded 18 percent of 2010 Fortune 500 companies, creating jobs for 3.6 million people. When including immigrants and their children, the number of Fortune 500 companies with immigrant roots jumps to 40 percent, employing more than 10 million people.
Said that, it’s crystal clear that Latino vote is now more important than ever. The more than 9 million Latinos that helped to re-elect Obama in 2008, became over 11.2 million in in the 2012 presidential election. And from that, their electoral presence will only increase. With over 1 million Latinos getting their 18th birthday every year –a solid trend for the next two decades– they are already in the path of becoming one third of America’s demography by the middle of this century.
Therefore, beside the Trump phenomenon, daylight will come back soon enough. And most Latinos will still be here to witness and enjoy payback time. Not only to Mr. Trump and his clones, but also to the other political actors that have help his cause with their actions and omissions.
