According to demographers, Hispanics are set to become the largest ethnic group in Austin. What will happen to all the Hipster Austinites? See below…
Hispanics three decades ago made up just 18 percent of the Austin area’s population. Now one out of every three people here is Hispanic. Demographers expect Hispanics to become the area’s largest ethnic group — larger than whites — as soon as the early 2030s. Hispanics might become an outright majority by 2050. Perhaps the most important indicator of Austin’s demographic future: Hispanics are already a majority in Austin public schools.
The rapid growth of Austin’s Hispanic population, the result of both immigration and high birth rates, has far-reaching implications for Central Texas. Despite gains, Hispanics still lag behind the general population in education, job skills, income, health and political involvement, among other measures. How the region addresses those challenges will have a lot to do with Austin’s continued success as a center for innovation and job growth.
Austin’s Hispanic culture was never a geographic or social monolith. But there once was one easy-to-identify Hispanic community in Austin, with a social hierarchy, political ecosystem and geographic boundaries. Now there are several distinct communities, some of which have little in common with the glittering Austin of national repute.
Read more: Austin American-Statesman
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