May 17, 2012

"Minority babies are now majority in United States."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau. 
Population estimates show that 50.4 percent of children younger than 1 last year were Hispanic, black, Asian American or in other minority groups. That’s almost a full percentage point higher than the 49.5 percent of minority babies counted when the decennial census was taken in April 2010. Census Bureau demographers said the tipping point came three months later, in July.
Wait... Were any of those Hispanic babies "white Hispanic"?

Anyway, once you divide people into groups, isn't the majority always "minority"? Or, more accurately, we can decide whether we want to be able to say the majority is minority by choosing which groups — in a heterogeneous, pluralistic society — we want to classify as minority.

60 comments:

Mark O said...

Were any of those Hispanic babies "white Hispanic"?

No. All octoroons.

Scott said...

If a "White Hispanic" baby grows up learning only English, do they cease being Hispanic?

This is even more confusing than being 1/32 Cherokee.

Anonymous said...

This means the Quiverfull movement will have to kick it up a notch or two, or twenty.

edutcher said...

The Lefties (and this is Dictator Zero's Census, let's remember) have been pulling this nonsense forever with the media running stories about how in 20 years, your grandchildren will look like Ricardo Montalban, or something.

In any case, white babies are still the majority ethnicity, as Ann notes, and a lot of those Hispanic babies are headed South of the Border, anyway.

Dante said...

The truth is genes that determine skin color is a weak method of trying to right past injustices.

A properly running Affirmative Action program would try to stamp out cultures and cultural mores that are destructive to America. For instance, the low scholastic achievement of 2nd generation Hispanics, with a college matriculation rate of around 13%, compared to blacks of 26%, and Asians around 48%.

Or those cultural elements that lead to gangs, or terrorism, etc. Somehow, though, that is verbotten.

Dante said...

Oh, sorry, blacks college matriculation is 16%. Fat fingers.

Bill Harshaw said...

Now you define "minority" as being not members of the "plurality", non-Hispanic whites being the plurality. I can remember when Polish-Americans and Italian-Americans were in the minority.

Anonymous said...

Tanning Mom is then a minority, right?

Brent said...

OBSCENE:

New York Times in it's front page NEWS article on this:

The contrast raises important policy questions. The United States has a spotty record educating minority youth; will older Americans balk at paying to educate a younger generation that looks less like themselves? And while the increasingly diverse young population is a potential engine of growth, will it become a burden if it is not properly educated?

The New York Times: Playing the race card every time it can.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... your grandchildren will look likeRicardo Montalban, or something..."

In terms of skin color, he was quite a few shades lighter than many Italians or Greeks.

I wonder what a minority white population will mean for AA or the need for diversity officers.

Andy said...

I bet the right wing culturally revanchist folks are enjoying this news.

Andy said...

In any case, white babies are still the majority ethnicity, as Ann notes, and a lot of those Hispanic babies are headed South of the Border, anyway.

Does that include the Hezbollah terrorist anchor babies?

Lyle said...

I claim myself to be native-American now. Now I'm back in the majority. Woot.

Anonymous said...

Were any of those Hispanic babies "white Hispanic"?

That depends. If it makes whites look bad, then yes. If not, then no. This is how crime statistics are reported. When "whites" commit crimes, Hispanics are always included. When "whites" are victims of crimes, then Hispanic whites are broken into a separate category.

How can Hispanics have any grievance if they are lumped in with whites when they are victims? And to make sure any blame directed at Hipsanics fall on whites as well, when Hispanics commit crimes, they are lumped with whites.

edutcher said...

Andy R. said...

I bet the right wing culturally revanchist folks are enjoying this news.

I'll bet they don't care as much as Hatman seems to.

In any case, white babies are still the majority ethnicity, as Ann notes, and a lot of those Hispanic babies are headed South of the Border, anyway.

Does that include the Hezbollah terrorist anchor babies?


I thought the Hezbollah guys just want to strip joints and wanked off.

(not unlike Hatman)

Chip S. said...

We are all minorities now.

Stephen said...

Begs the big question explicitly raised by the article, which is whether older whites will support public services and, in particular, quality public education, for younger persons of color. Got a thought on that, Prof?

Jane the Actuary said...

no, the big question, which the article missed, is whether the new crop of brown babies will be willing to pay Social Security and Medicare for their white elders.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... I bet the right wing culturally revanchist folks are enjoying this news..."

Actually its you who should be worried Andy. The up and coming majority isn't neatly as tolerant of your lifestyle as whitey.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... no, the big question, which the article missed, is whether the new crop of brown babies will be willing to pay Social Security and Medicare for their white elders..."

Bingo. Fact is the payroll tax is going to have to be raised because there really isn't an alternative. Raise the age to 70? I don't think so. Means testing? Oh so the Democrats lied all along and it really wasn't a retirement program.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

whether older whites will support public services and, in particular, quality public education, for younger persons of color.

Well, this "older white" doesn't support providing unending public services for younger persons (or older persons either) of any color. The permanent gravy train has to stop.

I don't support providing any public services to illegal aliens.

I also don't support tax payer subsidy of college education. The cost of college would come down without the flood of taxpayer money propping it up. Get scholarships from the college or private foundations or charities.

There is no such thing as "quality" public education in this country. The education you are getting since the unionization of public education and imposition of politically correct government propagandized teaching...is pure crap. 40 years of declining educational standards = generations of morons.

If I thought that we could actually GET quality education for anyone, I would support it, but I'm not in support of throwing more money down a rat hole.

Young people should support my non-support since it means that they won't be harnessed forever to the yoke of government to pay for all of this free stuff that isn't free at all.

But....they won't because they have been brainwashed to think that the government exists to give out candy and have no concept of economics and where that candy has to come from.

From themselves. Those who work in the younger generation will be in perpetual servitude to those getting "public support".

Have a nice life.

Rob said...

Affirmative action for everybody! What a great day for America!

Andy said...

I imagine at some point the Republican Party is going to have to stop being the party of straight white people.

Joe said...

At least those Irish bastards aren't reproducing at high rates.

Scott M said...

I imagine at some point the Republican Party is going to have to stop being the party of straight white people.

Hysterical given Obama's re-election team's racial makeup.

I imagine at some point the Democrats are going to have to stop obsessing about identity politics.

I imagine at some point the blacks in this country won't be viewed by the Democrats as wholly theirs and stop demonizing those that stray off their plantation.

I imagine at some point Andy will realize that whites aren't the most stridently anti-gay racial group in the country.

I imagine Andy will someday make some friends with people that disagree with his viewpoints to the point of having joined the GOP, but I doubt it. He does so like the echo chamber.

Hoosier Daddy said...

At some point folks like Andy better hope the new majority of non white folks are as tolerant of his sexual orientation as white people tend to be.

Might be fun to watch. Can you eat popcorn with dentures?

tim maguire said...

When you can be 31/32nds white and be officially not white (unless liberals need you to be white to serve some higher purpose, in which case those proportions can be reversed), "minority" doesn't mean much outside of affirmative action statistics.

Wisco said...

When people were calling the Arizona "papers please" law racist, conservatives were crawling out of the woodwork to point out that Hispanic isn't a race.

Now that it's more convenient to laugh at the term "white Hispanic," suddenly Hispanic is a race -- "Hahaha! You can't be Hispanic and white at the same time!"

It's like the concept of a black Hispanic is completely foreign to you.

Whatever, just pick an argument and stick with it.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... When people were calling the Arizona "papers please" law racist, conservatives were crawling out of the woodwork to point out that Hispanic isn't a race."

They were? Personally I don't think enforcing existing immigration laws isn't racist.

I think liberals are the racists for promoting lax immigration laws directed to one specific demographic.

Hoosier Daddy said...

"... Whatever, just pick an argument and stickwith it..."

Actually you first. No one threw around the term white Hispanic until George Zimmerman didn't resemble a toothless redneck wearing a stars and bars t-shirt.

Anonymous said...

Affirmative actions for white babies?

Scott M said...

Affirmative actions for white babies?

Me first! I'm 7/8 white. Do I qualify?

ricpic said...

Well that does it. Liberals have no reason for opposing the white equivalent of the NAACP or La Raza any longer, not if their constant touting of minorities rights to organize against oppression is for real and for EVERY minority. But of course it isn't. The liberal war on whites must continue or what's a liberal for?

Andy said...

Liberals have no reason for opposing the white equivalent of the NAACP or La Raza any longer

I'm sure the Republican Party is looking forward to the white supremacist/Derbyshire wing of the party becoming more vocal.

Mark said...

Hey, my kids are 100% White Hispanic. I'm ~100% White, my wife is 100% Puerto Rican, their features would best be described as Castilian, and at five years old, geniuses though they are, they wouldn't have a clue as to why any of this crap might be significant.

Their perspective is the correct one.

Hoosier Daddy said...

Supremacist groups are ok for minorities.

Hoosier Daddy said...

You know Andy, those Hispanic folk are pretty devout Catholics. That must suck for you knowing they'll be running things before too long.

Alex said...

Andy is ok with racial supremacy groups as long as they are the correct ones.

Sorun said...

Affirmative action will end when white males are down to 10% of the population.

n.n said...

This is the result of disparate impact. Clearly it is time for a reformulation of affirmative action.

Well, it is and isn't. This begins with dreams of instant gratification without consequence, which are rare in reality. Followed by a subset of our population that receives incentive to reproduce, with a further incentive to abdicate or defer responsibility for their voluntary behavior. Finally, an immigrant population -- especially illegal aliens -- which retains a superior grasp of the natural order, and subsidized at the expense of the native population.

Normalization has its consequences. We should be careful when we classify behaviors. Or, perhaps, enjoy our inherited decadence for as long as we are capable of exploiting it.

Fernandinande said...

That's pretty funny because the US Census says: "People who identify their origin as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race."

I wish they could keep their Newspeak straight.

Anonymous said...

Andy R,

I imagine at some point the Republican Party is going to have to stop being the party of straight white people.

Didn't the democratic president finally come to the same conclusion that evil, white, and uber-republican Dick Cheney came to years ago (except Cheney came to that conclusion for personal reasons, not just to get re-elected).

I'm sure the Republican Party is looking forward to the white supremacist/Derbyshire wing of the party becoming more vocal.

Why would you be sure of this? The whole white supremacy thing has been part of the democratic party, not the republican party.

Fen said...

If you are free today, go thank a White Male.

Anonymous said...

Well, yeah, whites are still the technical majority, but I'm here to tell you, being from CA where this already happened some time ago, that it really does matter, but in a far more subtle way than is usually supposed.

It's not that you freak out because you see people with different skin colors. You might not even realize that some of your new feeling of nostalgia or homesickness has a cultural component if you think about it.

It's similar to when a new political part wins the White House. There is a different feeling in the air. The media cover it differently. Your neighbors are in a better or worse mood depending on which type dominates your neighborhood. What is "cool" or "not cool" to do according to those in power changes and so suddenly you are going with or against the grain whereas it was the opposite before. This all matters. The background feeling changes, but in a very slow, amorphous way.

I grew up with a pack of multi-culti friends, but the *culture* was still dominantly white. Now, it's not, especially in SoCal. When I go visit my relatives in NoCal, it takes me a while to figure out what is so different. I think, what is it? It's like living in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. It's the same socio-economic level, so what is it? It's like a little toy town here. It's like going into the past... Oh, oh oh...It's SO WHITE. TING! TING! TING! (It's a university town whose creed is diversity, but it's still so so so white which is simply not the case in SoCal except in very specific zip codes and even there, it is white/Asian. You go shopping, you leave Planet White completely.)

Side note: A friend of mine who is Asian actually loved being the "exotic" minority and hates it when she's not. She enjoyed the glamour.

Anonymous said...

Scott M: Elizabeth Warrens qualifies: 31/32 white; you 28/32, too little white, do not.

Icepick said...

Wait... Were any of those Hispanic babies "white Hispanic"?

only if Obama can use it as a campaign issue.

Anonymous said...

Another attempt: you are forced become much more aware of what "white culture" actually is/was on a day-to-day level whereas before you had the conceit of thinking what was "white culture" or "dominant culture" was all just "human" culture. You can't do that anymore when it changes to something else.

Scott M said...

Scott M: Elizabeth Warrens qualifies: 31/32 white; you 28/32, too little white, do not.

What about my 1/8th ginger?

wyo sis said...

Stephen said...
Begs the big question explicitly raised by the article, which is whether older whites will support public services and, in particular, quality public education, for younger persons of color.

"Older whites," of which I'm one I suppose, will have more and more grandchildren of mixed heritage. If they really do discriminate on the basis of race, (which I don't buy) their attitudes change as the attitudes of their children and grandchildren change. In fact, they may be the original agents of change. Racism is much more ingrained in institutions than in people.

Robert Cook said...

"Or those cultural elements that lead to gangs, or terrorism, etc. Somehow, though, that is verbotten."

You mean poverty?

Robert Cook said...

"I can remember when Polish-Americans and Italian-Americans were in the minority."

Aren't they still?

Robert Cook said...

"...those Hispanic folk are pretty devout Catholics. That must suck for you knowing they'll be running things before too long."

That shouldn't be a problem if we adhere to the Constitutional separation of church and state.

kimsch said...

I wonder what a minority white population will mean for AA or the need for diversity officers.

Nothing. Whites will never, ever "pay" for their oppression of all the people of color everywhere.

Anonymous said...

Scott M: What about my 1/8th ginger?

Nope. When you are a minority's minority, you don't can't, e.g. Asians are unAffirmative Actionables.

Blue@9 said...

Side note: A friend of mine who is Asian actually loved being the "exotic" minority and hates it when she's not. She enjoyed the glamour.

I understand the feeling. I was one of the few Asians in my HS class (and town). The first time I visited SF my head was spinning. It's strange to be different all your life and then suddenly find yourself in a sea of sameness.

It's always interesting to get off an airplane and get a sense of what you're walking into. Based on the places I've lived:

Washington DC: Fat blacks.

Colorado: Skinny whites.

San Francisco: Fat Hispanics and skinny Asians.

Alaska: Fat whites.

Anonymous said...

Robert Cook,

How can you say poverty causes gangs?

k said...

I still don't get where that leaves me, when my dad is Eastern Asian, and my mom is .. oh, that typical amalgam of German, English, American, Martins Ferry, Ohio, whatever whatever whatever. Yah, sometimes I clicked the box (Asian/Pacific Islander) ... mostly cuz I thot Pacific Islander sounded cool ... but still. Where am I in these statistics?

NotWhoIUsedtoBe said...

I'm sure Asians count as "minority" for this count.

Palladian said...

Andy R. pops a boner because he gets to use the word "revanchist" again!

chickelit said...

Andy R. pops a boner because he gets to use the word "revanchist" again!

Isn't he a big proponent of polyglottery?