Hispanic children now for the first time make up the majority of Texas public school students, the Associated Press is reporting. The story notes that Texas Education Agency officials say Latinos make up 50.2% of Texas' 4.9 million public school students. This trend is only expected to continue. White students are expected to continue following a trend of declining numbers. Two of every three public school students students are now minorities--a funny word to use nowadays and really a misnomer.
So Irving ISD is not alone and certainly has been leading in this trend for quite some time. Currently, about 73% of the district's elementary students are Latino.
In recent years other suburban districts, including Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD, have tipped to become majority Hispanic as well.
The El Paso Times also has a story on this.
Steve Murdoch, the state's former demographer, said the future of Texas depends on improving performance of minority students--otherwise the state will face a poorer population and a decline in college-educated residents. READ MORE
Education (242)
It's official: Latinos are the new majority across the Coachella Valley.
Their numbers are up, and dramatically so.
In 2000, roughly 122,000 Latinos called the valley home.
In 2010 U.S. Census data released Tuesday, that number is now 187,900, a 54 percent increase. The total includes the valley's nine cities, Bermuda Dunes, Mecca, Thermal and Thousand Palms.
The 65,900-plus Latinos gained in the past decade across the valley are nearly the equivalent of adding another Desert Hot Springs and Palm Springs.
Proximity to the border, available jobs, lower housing costs and weather are among some of the reasons why Latinos might choose to live here, some local Latino residents said.
“They feel like they're at home,” said Erika Omier, a Spanish teacher at Palm Springs High School. “If you go to Montana or Seattle, you're not going to feel like you're at home.
“When you're in California, you feel like you're in Mexico or Nicaragua.”
Erika Omier and her husband, Julio Omier, an assistant principal at Raymond Cree Middle School, are among the valley's recent transplants, having moved here from Oregon five years ago.
Erika Omier is originally from Mexico, Julio Omier from Nicaragua.
For an educator passionate about English language learners, as Julio Omier is, California was the obvious choice. READ MORE
BabyCenter®, the #1 pregnancy and parenting online destination worldwide, has released the results of a comprehensive study about Latina moms. The Hispanic Moms Acculturation study, part of the 21st Century Mom™ Insight Series, offers key insights into the influence of acculturation on moms' behaviors and preferences related to shopping, mealtime, media consumption, and more.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110214/CL46994LOGO-a )
The acculturation study interviewed 2,479 Hispanic and 1,472 non-Hispanic moms across BabyCenter® en Espanol (www.babycenter.com/espanol) and BabyCenter® (www.babycenter.com). The Hispanic moms ranged from recent immigrants to native-born English-speakers.
With one in four babies born in this country being Hispanic, and Hispanics representing 55% of the population growth in the United States, this study sheds new light on the behaviors of Latina moms as they go through the acculturation process and integrate elements of American culture with those of their own heritage. Additionally, the study aims to provide marketers with insights about how best to reach this diverse and fast-growing audience.
Isidra Mencos, editorial director of BabyCenter for the Americas and Spain, says, "While Hispanic moms are linguistically diverse, culture acts as a powerful force for uniting them. Marketers that integrate authentic cultural elements into their media can craft a message that resonates with Latina moms' deepest values and aspirations."
Shopping: Hispanic Moms Are Brand Loyal and Love to Shop With Their Families
Across all levels of acculturation, Latina moms are much more likely to purchase brand-name CPGs. Additionally, Latina moms are much more likely than the general population to purchase global heritage brands that resonate emotionally. This presents a great opportunity for CPGs facing competition from less expensive generic brands, especially in these difficult economic times.
Hispanic moms are avid consumers, with 57% saying they love to shop vs. 30% for the general population. This behavior diminishes, however, as they become busier and acculturate. Shopping is also regarded as a family affair. Hispanic moms are three times less likely to shop alone. Despite stereotypes about machismo, 54% of Latinas share their purchase decisions with spouses or partners vs. 44% of non-Hispanics. READ MORE
