Latino kids now majority in California's public schools

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Latinos now make up a majority of California's public school students, cracking the 50 percent barrier for the first time in the state's history, according to data released Friday by the state Department of Education.

Almost 50.4 percent of the state's students in the 2009-10 school year identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino, up 1.36 percent from the previous year.

In comparison, 27 percent of California's 6.2 million students identified themselves as white, 9 percent as Asian and 7 percent as black. Students calling themselves Filipino, Pacific Islander, Native American or other total almost 7 percent.

... It's no surprise that Latinos make up the new majority in California schools, considering that their numbers have grown by leaps and bounds in recent decades. In 2009, Latinos made up 37 percent of the state's population, a number that continues to increase, according to the California Department of Finance.

But their electoral sway has not grown by similar amounts, because almost 40 percent of adult Latinos in California are ineligible to vote, said Lisa Garcia Bedolla, an associate professor at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Education.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/11/13/MNIG1GBD0C.DTL&tsp=1

[madmax]

1. Seems to me that a lot of Americans harbor a deep

aversion to learning a second language. The kids in Cali will naturally learn a bit of Spanish because, kids are like that :) If not through a formal part of their curriculum - they'll pick up a lot interacting with their friends.

I find them to be more open minded than their parents. Of course that's just my take within my little world and not a scientific poll. More like CNN's polls. :evilgrin:

My grandson is taking Spanish 1 in HS and so far all his girlfriends are Mexican. Loves the olive skinned, dark eyed beauties.

[theophilus]

2. Wow. Just like the "good old days". Anyway, those who don't like

the "minorities" best start caring and fund a great education for all these kids. When they are needing to be cared for as elderly (the boomers) and they turn around to see who will be pushing their wheelchairs they might just see one of these little ones grown up and in the healthcare field. Ha! Mui bueno.

[Roma]

3. That's a bit condescending, pushing wheelchairs?

My attorney and CPA are both Hispanic. My IT lady is Korean and my wife's oncologists are a Lebanese husband and wife team at the Mayo. That's Arizona though.

Somehow my insurance broker is shanty Irish.