Politics: The Myth of Majority-Minority America

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Politics The Myth of Majority-Minority America I have one Cuban grandparent. Why does the census count me as Hispanic? By Matthew Yglesias Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012, at 05:49 PM ET It's rare that a Census Bureau press release dominates the front pages, but last week's headline "Most Children Younger Than 1 Are Minorities, Census Reports" was the thrilling exception. The shortage of white Anglo babies, the press was eager to tell us, was a glimpse of things to come, of America's future as a majority-minority nation. I have my doubts. "A minority," the census release clarified, "is anyone who is not single-race white and not Hispanic." It's not that the census is counting the wrong thing. Rather, I suspect an awful lot of these "minority" babies are going to be white when they grow up. When I filled out my 2010 census form I was, like many Americans with Spanish surnames, a bit puzzled. Prompted to ask if I am "of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin" I said that I was. But it seems like a bit of a fraud. My grandfather is José Yglesias, and his parents immigrated to the United States from Cuba. He grew up speaking Spanish at home in the Spanish-dominant community of Ybor City in Tampa, Fla. His books are published (in English) by Arte Público Press as part of their Pioneers of Modern U.S. Hispanic Literature series. It's right there on the cover. And I am, obviously, a descendant of my own grandfather. So if he's a pioneer of Hispanic literature, then clearly I am of Hispanic origin. Back in the real world, though, I'm ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Weigel: How Conservatives Are Generating Sympathy for George Zimmerman Roiphe: "Gay Cure" Psychiatrist Robert Spitzer Isn't Nearly Sorry Enough How Do Cranes Get on Top of Skyscrapers? How Do They Get Down?	Advertisement
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