Texas: Blue State to Red State? Try Brown State

The San Antonio Express lead story Sunday tells about the changing face of Texas. Currently, Hispanic children now make up 49% of the K-12 public school enrollment, whereas Anglo children now make up 33% of public school enrollments.Using 2000 census figures, we can see the percentage changes over just 9 years. In 2000, Anglo children comprised 43% of the enrollment and Hispanic children slightly less at just under 40%. In slightly less than a decade, Hispanic children now outnumber Anglo children 3:2. Projections to 1940 show that the percentage of Anglo children in state schools would be less than 20%. Hispanics would make up 2/3rds of the school population three decades from now.

(source of data below from window.state.tx.us/specialrpt/workforce/demo.php)

 

As of 2006, the table below shows ethnicity changes in Texas from 1980 to 2006. As of 2006, the Anglo population was significantly higher than the Hispanic population, however the figures are virtually reversed when only considering the school age demographic. Today's voters represent an Anglo majority, if there is such a thing, in terms of ethnicity. Tomorrow's votes, as the statistics show, will represent a Hispanic majority. No group is homogeneous as far as political ideology, but the numbers are something to think about.

Exhibit 1-1

Race/Ethnicity in Texas, 1980-2006

Racial/Ethnicity Group	Percent of Population 1980	Percent of Population 1990	Percent of Population 2000	Percent of Population 2006
Anglo	65.7%	60.6%	53.1%	48.3%
Hispanic	21.0%	25.6%	32.0%	35.7%
African American	11.9%	11.6%	11.6%	11.4%
Other	1.4%	2.2%	3.3%	4.6%

 The Houston Chronical reports the following:

Almost six out of 10 Texas public schoolchildren hail from low-income families, marking a troubling spike in poverty over the last decade, a new state report finds.

The increase coincides with a significant jump in the number of Hispanic students, while fewer Anglo students were enrolled last year than 10 years ago, according to the study by the Texas Education Agency. Schools also are educating many more children whose primary language is not English.

 These figures are staggering. If these children do not rise above their current economic status, that would indicate at some point in the future 60% of the adult population could fall below the poverty level. There is no possibility that either the State or the Federal Government could provide a safety net large enough to cover all of their needs.