State’s Hispanic population triples in 10 years

Thursday, May 10, 2001 | 10:32 a.m.

If recent census numbers are any indication, Nevada has become a more attractive state for Hispanics.

As the Hispanic population in the state tripled between the 1990 and 2000 censuses, the percent of the nation's Hispanics living here doubled, numbers released today show.

In 1990 0.55 percent of the total Hispanic population lived in Nevada. In last year's count, that percentage increased to 1.1 percent.

That increase, while it may seem small compared with New Mexico's 42 percent Hispanic population, was significant for Nevada.

The 1990 Census reported 124,419 Hispanics living here, or 10.4 percent of the state's population. In 2000 the Hispanic population increased to 19.7 of the total, or 393,970.

That puts Nevada above the national average of 12.5 percent Hispanic, Betsy Guzman of the Census Bureau said. "And none of these states has seen such an increase, as far as percentage goes," she said.

Of the Hispanics living in Nevada, 285,764 are of Mexican descent, according to the report.

"Nevada's growth in the Hispanic population is primarily due to jobs," Jeff Hardcastle, Nevada state demographer, said. "And it's no secret that these are mainly in the service and construction sectors."

The implications of these trends are various, depending on whom you ask. "One question I have is, Will there continue to be opportunities for these Hispanics?" said Bob Agonia of the Hispanic Employment Program, a nonprofit organization.

"Also, how is the state going to deal with education, health and other social services?" he added.

The report also shows that more than three-quarters of the nation's Hispanic boom occurred in the South and West, with half of the total Hispanic population of 35.3 million living in just two states: California and Texas.

"I would be curious to know if some the Hispanics we're seeing here in Nevada are coming from neighboring states," Hardcastle said. "But we don't yet know this."

Of the 281.4 million residents counted in the United States as part of the 2000 Census, the report states, Mexicans represented 7.3 percent, Puerto Ricans 1.2 percent and other Hispanics 3.6 percent of the total population.

The term "Latino" appeared on last year's census form for the first time, one of three basic categories, along with "Spanish" and "Hispanic."

"These changes reflect a circular process, where the federal government reacts to political and social issues, and then people react to our efforts at getting things right," Guzman said.

"One thing is for sure," Hardcastle said. "This data is backed up in Nevada by current trends in politics, labor and other aspects of life here.

"You can see this in how the two political parties are approaching Hispanics, trying to line up support for their redistricting schemes. Or in how the construction and culinary unions have tried to improve standards for Hispanics.

"If they continue to coalesce around bettering their living conditions, they'll be even more of a force to be reckoned with," he said.