White: The New Minority

According to a new census bureau report, whites of European ancestry account for less than half of newborn children in the united states. For the first time in America’s history, Caucasians are no longer the largest newborn generation.

Demographics have been changing in the United States for decades. Anyone over the age of fifty would have grown up in a country largely dominated by white and black citizenry. Those of generation X, generation Y, the millennials and younger grew up a nation with a much more hispanic population.

Hispanics are the fastest growing and second largest demographic in the United States behind non-Hispanic whites. The reason – white families are having few babies while Hispanic families are having more. On average, white mothers gave birth to 1.8 babies per mom while Hispanic women gave birth to 2.4.

While many point to a younger Hispanic average age as a root cause of a higher birth rate, it may actually be simpler than that – their belief system. Hispanics are overwhelmingly pro-life Catholics – abortion is not as socially acceptable as it is in other groups. Catholic families are also much less likely to use birth control.

As this new generation grows, it will ultimately spell the end of notion of America as a largely Caucasian population. Non-Hispanic whites will simply be one of several minorities that make up the nation’s citizenry – which could cause problems for affirmative action programs, minority business designations and other social justice programs based on the concept of “minority”. How will those determinations be made once all races are in the minority?

Whites of European decent still make up a large portion of American society – roughly 70%. What this new report shows is that in just a few generations, that will change drastically.