By: Daniel Nardini
One of the things that the 2010 U.S. Census data has revealed is the phenomenal growth of poverty in America. The Great Recession has spared no one from the jobless rate and the economic uncertainty that now haunts this land. There is no question that with a 9.1 percent unemployment rate and a trillion plus dollar national debt, the United States is in serious trouble, and many people feel that the country is heading in the wrong direction and that the politicians do not seem to know what to do or keep arguing about what to do. The 2010 U.S. Census data also shows another disturbing trend—that African Americans and Latinos in particular—are suffering even greater from the Great Recession than non-Hispanic whites.
According to the data, the poverty rate for Latinos is 26.2 percent as of 2010. This means that one out of every four Latinos in the United States is living in poverty. An estimated 13 millions Latinos are poor. The national average poverty rate—the highest it has ever been since 1959—is 15.1 percent. According to the data, the Latino unemployment rate is 12.5 percent—compare that for the national average of 9.1 percent and you get the idea that it is that much harder for Latinos to find work or to keep their jobs. And you must remember that this is the “official” unemployment rate. The real unemployment rate for Latinos is most likely higher. In 2010, the Latino median household income (that is the income of all family members per household) fell to $37,758 per year from $38,667 per year in 2009. On the scale of median household incomes, only African American households did worse at $32,068 per year. For non-Hispanic whites the median household income per year is $54,620, and for Asian Americans the median household income stands at $64,308 per year.
These numbers are very revealing of just how bad things are for Latinos as a whole in this country. Of course like all families and households from region to region it varies. But a couple of things are very clear from these statistics. First, the bad economy has affected most Americans. We have 14.9 millions Americans who are officially listed as unemployed, and probably many more not listed as unemployed because they cannot receive unemployment benefits or have long exhausted theirs but still remain unemployed. We have a 15.1 percent poverty rate, and this is undermining the social fabric of our country. However much ethnic and racial minorities may be suffering that much worse, we are all in this together. Even though state and federal social programs may be preventing more people from into destitution and homelessness, this country cannot endure what we are going through now without the possibility of even greater consequences in the short-term future. What people need are jobs, and what people need is income to pay for taxes and spend to put money into the economy. This will do more for everyone, including African Americans and Latinos, than anything else.
The Growing Latino Poverty Crisis
By: Daniel Nardini
According to the data, the poverty rate for Latinos is 26.2 percent as of 2010. This means that one out of every four Latinos in the United States is living in poverty. An estimated 13 millions Latinos are poor. The national average poverty rate—the highest it has ever been since 1959—is 15.1 percent. According to the data, the Latino unemployment rate is 12.5 percent—compare that for the national average of 9.1 percent and you get the idea that it is that much harder for Latinos to find work or to keep their jobs. And you must remember that this is the “official” unemployment rate. The real unemployment rate for Latinos is most likely higher. In 2010, the Latino median household income (that is the income of all family members per household) fell to $37,758 per year from $38,667 per year in 2009. On the scale of median household incomes, only African American households did worse at $32,068 per year. For non-Hispanic whites the median household income per year is $54,620, and for Asian Americans the median household income stands at $64,308 per year.
These numbers are very revealing of just how bad things are for Latinos as a whole in this country. Of course like all families and households from region to region it varies. But a couple of things are very clear from these statistics. First, the bad economy has affected most Americans. We have 14.9 millions Americans who are officially listed as unemployed, and probably many more not listed as unemployed because they cannot receive unemployment benefits or have long exhausted theirs but still remain unemployed. We have a 15.1 percent poverty rate, and this is undermining the social fabric of our country. However much ethnic and racial minorities may be suffering that much worse, we are all in this together. Even though state and federal social programs may be preventing more people from into destitution and homelessness, this country cannot endure what we are going through now without the possibility of even greater consequences in the short-term future. What people need are jobs, and what people need is income to pay for taxes and spend to put money into the economy. This will do more for everyone, including African Americans and Latinos, than anything else.