Texas newest state to have majority minority population

[sonias]

http://www.statesman.com/metrostate/content/auto/epaper/editions/thursday/metro_state_24af9f1194a6a1e200b9.html
Census estimates show that 50.2% of Texans are minorities
Thursday, August 11, 2005

EL PASO -- With a growing Hispanic population, Texas has joined three other states and the District of Columbia as a majority-minority state, according to population estimates to be released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Hispanics are now the largest minority group in California, New Mexico and Texas. In Hawaii, Asian Americans are the largest minority, and in the nation's capital, African Americans are.

According to population estimates based on the 2000 census, about 50.2 percent of Texans are minorities. In the 2000 census, minorities accounted for about 47 percent of the nation's second-most populous state.

Well if we can get more of us out to vote, then we might change a few things around our state.

Sonia

[slackmaster]

1. Welcome Aboard!

I believe you'll find that life goes on as usual, but the food gets a little better.

:pals:

[DBoon]

2. It's been good for CA

School bonds now get passed. The "minority majority" actually cares about their kids' education.

And maybe someone like Antonio Villaragosa will become mayor of Dallas someday.

[slackmaster]

5. Please don't make the mistake of assuming minority people are all liberal

That assumption helped put Gray Davis out of office and was one of the core issues that kept Cruz Bustamante from replacing him as governor. Non-white people are just as diverse within their groups as are white people. I know a LOT of conservative people of color, even a couple of gay Hispanic Republicans. It's too easy to get complacent and assume that some kind of "progressive" gene accompanies brown, yellow, black, or olive skin.

The "minority majority" actually cares about their kids' education.

If you look at the demographics, actually it's people with children who care most about education. The fastest growing segment of the white population is divorced empty-nester curmudgeons like me.

I usually vote Yes on school bonds BTW - better to educate the little brats now so they can get decent jobs and live good lives rather than paying for their incarceration and welfare later.

[ochazuke]

6. And the other side of the coin

The soon-to-be largest minority (whites) have become increasingly Republican. About 75% of white males voted for Bush in 2000, I heard. We Dems can't pull such numbers from Hispanics, and we can't get voter turnout among African-Americans up to the national average.

Stumbling blocks to the Emerging Democratic Majority.

[DBoon]

7. It's a fact - not an assumption

Hispanics overwhelming register and vote Democratic. This has been well proven.

I have yet to see a conservative Republican elected in a Hispanic majority election.

It took Prop 187 to get this population to actually register and vote. Prior to that election, electoral participation rates were very low diluting their impact severely.

[sonias]

8. Absolutely agree with that fact

At the DNC Hispanic Leadership Summit this past weekend in San Antonio, that fact was discussed quite a bit. There is lots of evidence, in the polls, in research and in registrations and voting results. Hispanic/Latinos still overwhelmingly prefer to vote Democrat. We just need to keep them engaged and informed about when to vote.

Sonia

[slackmaster]

9. Sure, but many Hispanics are strongly conservative on some issues

Like abortion. About 90% of Hispanics in California identify themselves as Roman Catholic.

It took Prop 187 to get this population to actually register and vote. Prior to that election, electoral participation rates were very low diluting their impact severely.

I stand by my original point: Taking the Hispanic vote for granted is a mistake for anyone to make. There are no guarantees.

[sonias]

10. We're not taking the Hispanic vote for granted

We know that we need to do more work in that area. The DNC knows it too. That's why Howard Dean has committed to hiring 4 new field outreach positions (three of them Latino/Hispanic) to work these areas of Texas. The DNC is paying for these positions.

Another thing, just because you may be conservative on those issues (my Mom is a religious conservative Roman Catholic) you don't necessarily vote on a single issue. I know my Mom voted for John Kerry and she thinks bu$h is an ass. She would not let her priest tell her what to do. Let's not make the assumption that all Latinos follow the church teachings blindly. We have brains and can make up our own minds.

We may not have the Prop 187 issue but we have the Minute Men rearing their ugly racist heads right now, and those are the kinds of issues that will impact the Latino/Hispanic population.

Sonia

[friedcatfish]

12. Sonia, the ability to make up your own mind

has little to do with Hispanics or any other race's voting
pattern.  Look at the overwhelming votes for repubs by white
males, especially in Texas.  We can say all we want about
these guys voting against their own interest, but when they
get into the voting booth, their brains say republican.  Why? 
That's the 64k question.
     Even though a large number of them say they are Christian
or evangelicals, they are no more religious in their beliefs
or actions than Hispanics, African-Americans, and white
liberals.  Yes, Hispanics have voted overwhelming for
Democrats throughout the years, but that is eroding.  Spin is
not going to reverse that.
     In an increasingly complicated and dangerous world, those
who can make things simple and easy to understand have the
advantage.  Look no farther than corporations and msm -
efficiency and sound bites.  They strip everything down to
neatly packaged concepts and products.  Unfortunately, the
repubs have the bully pulpit, and do such a thing.  
     What is Justice Sunday about? It is to reinforce to their
base that God holds the answers, and all that has happened or
will happen is because of God.  A simple concept.  God is
against abortion, gay marriage, stem cell research.  What is
God's solution?  Who cares.  Solutions are difficult, takes
years to develop.  Remember, it's a complex world - who has
time to understand.  God is against that and that is final. 
Hispanics are subjected to this like everyone else.
     GOTV is a major component of maintaining Hispanics vote,
but the Dems message better be strong, consistent, and simple
to grasp by all groups and beliefs.

[iconoclastic cat]

3. My plea to new citizens: Please don't become complacent or cynical!

Stand up for yourselves! Don't make the same mistake that a lot of people in this country have made.

[tanyev]

4. Even in Plano, people are starting to realize that soon our

schools will be minority majority. I can't wait.

[rainbow4321]

11. Plano school officials worry about their "test scores"

It is the only thing that gets the district's attention....heaven forbid their numbers start to look bad.

The district shut down the social worker dept, blaming budget cuts. Said that the teachers and counselors could do the work that the social workers used to do.

Then the school officials were quoted in the DMN how they were concerned that the school population was quickly changing to where there were more and more minority, lower income students and that this change would effect standardized test scores...they were trying to figure out a plan to "help" these students, like one teacher was sent off to an after school help session at some apartment complex, blah, blah, blah.

HELLO, idiots..that group of social workers you FIRED, that was their JOB. They were the ones who followed and helped this same population that you are now wringing your collective hands over.

Long term planning is NOT one of the district's strong points.

They denied a steroid abuse problem til a Plano West kid ended up on the front of Newsweek with a Plano West sweatshirt--under the headline "steroid abuse". Only then did the district hire a steroid czar..funny how we need a full time administrator to deal with a problem we don't have! I imagine his salary could have paid the entire social worker department's salary for a few more years!!