ASU, ALRE release major study on Arizona’s Latino population – (direct link to report & powerpoint)

Download the report [ here ]
Download the PowerPoint presentation [ here ]

Some of the key findings:

• Demographics: The Latino population in Arizona is young and mostly of Mexican origin, with more than one-third under 18 years of age and three-quarters of whom were born in the United States or are naturalized U.S. citizens.

• Politics: While the political influence of the Latino population has grown significantly in the past 40 years, the community’s ability to shape elections and public opinion lags behind its numbers, suggesting the need to focus on voter registration and turnout.

• Education: Latino students struggle to achieve academic success relative to their Anglo and Asian peers, regardless of grade, subject matter or income level. They attained only 13 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded by the state universities in 2007, while representing about a third of the population.

• Economics: Latinos are a cornerstone of the economic dynamism that defines Arizona as a gateway border state, and Latino-owned businesses are rapidly growing. But education is the key variable in ensuring that economic rewards are equitably earned and distributed.

• Health: Latinos are disproportionately exposed to health hazards and affected by a set of conditions and diseases that include diabetes, obesity, heart disease, violence and injury at the workplace, accentuated by lack of health insurance.

• Arts: Mexican origin populations have a strong tradition in literature, theater, music, painting and sculpture, and now in film. A current explosion of arts reflects the needs and aspirations of the Latino population.