Carolinas leading the way in Hispanic growth

The economies in North and South Carolina may be slowing down, but the population growth of Latinos is not.

"New Census data show South Carolina's Latino population ranked first among states in per capita growth from 2006 to 2007. North Carolina was third, with Tennessee between them," says the Charlotte Observer.

"The new arrivals come not only from Mexico, Central and South America, but also New York, New Jersey and California, where U.S. economic problems have taken a greater toll, immigrants and advocates say. Latinos continue to see the Carolinas as having more jobs, cheaper housing and a better climate. ...

"It's all about the jobs, says Angeles Ortega-Moore, executive director of the Latin American Coalition in Charlotte.

" 'The moment companies in Charlotte, or in any place, stop hiring undocumented people, that's the moment we will actually start seeing the decline,' she said. 'Enforcement is something people are willing to risk in order to provide for their families.' ...

"The Census says 633,488 Latinos lived in North Carolina in 2007, nearly an 8 percent increase from the year before. South Carolina had 168,000, up 8.73percent. Many experts believe the actual numbers are much higher. Nationwide, the Hispanic population is projected to nearly triple, from 46.7 million to 132.8 million by 2050 and nearly 1 in 3 U.S. residents would be Hispanic."

'We're No. 6! We're No. 6!'

According to Census Bureau statistics, North Carolina is the sixth-fastest growing state in America, up to a population of more than 9 million people.

"North Carolina grew by 2.2 percent in the year ending July 1, adding more than 190,000 new people to reach 9,061,032," says the Associated Press.

Among other states with marked population growth is Louisiana, which gained 50,000 residents and appears to be rebounding from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. ...

The Census Bureau estimate is reached by measuring births, deaths and migration into and out of each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. ...

The fastest-growing states continue to be in the Rocky Mountain region and the Southeast. Texas also is still attracting new residents at a rapid rate.

Nevada returned to the top spot having increased in population by 2.9 percent to 2.6 million. Nevada held that title for 19 years in a row before being bumped off by Arizona last year. Arizona is the second-fastest-growing state according to the current estimate, with a population increase of 2.8 percent to 6.3 million. ...

Besides Nevada and Arizona, other Western states that made the top 10 list for fastest growth were Utah and Idaho, ranked third and fourth. In the Southeast, Georgia was fifth nationally, North Carolina was sixth, and South Carolina was 10th. ...