Hispanics news stories on Newser

Hispanics Key to 2012 Electoral Map

Matt Cantor — Mon, 07 May 2012 08:47:45 CDT

If he wants to win in November, Mitt Romney will need to make giant strides among Hispanics, and he knows it. A failure to do so "spells doom for us," he was caught saying at a fundraiser. President Obama already appears to have a large electoral-vote lead—247 to 191—...

Justice Dept. Strikes Down Texas Voter ID Law

Kevin Spak — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 11:44:05 CDT

The Obama administration has stepped in to block a controversial Texas law requiring voters to have a special ID card, on the grounds that it discriminates against minorities, particularly Hispanics. The Justice Department concluded that there was little evidence of voter fraud that would justify the law, and that it...

Ala.: OK, Kids Don't Need to Show Birth Certificate

Kevin Spak — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 12:39:49 CDT

Alabama issued a statement yesterday imploring parents to send their children to school even if they don’t have a birth certificate, after thousands of Hispanic students failed to show up for classes this week. Alabama’s strict new immigration law requires all enrolling students to present a birth certificate, but state...

Hispanics Now the Majority Sent to Federal Prison

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:39:37 CDT

With immigration offenses on the rise, more than half of those sent to federal prison for felonies this year are Hispanic. Though Hispanics already outnumbered other ethnic groups in that category, this is the first year they have been the majority of such offenders, the AP reports. A new government...

Obama Makes Push for Latino Voters

Matt Cantor — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 11:27:17 CDT

President Obama will speak today to La Raza, the country’s top Hispanic advocacy group, as he aggressively pursues the Latino vote in 2012. He’s already been the first sitting president since JFK to visit Puerto Rico, nominated the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice, given a major speech on immigration reform,...

'Jose' Falls From Top 50 Names in US

John Johnson — Wed, 18 May 2011 17:14:51 CDT

A milestone of sorts from last year's federal survey of US baby names: "Jose" has dropped out of the top 50, something that has happened only once since 1972, notes the New York Times . Jose has long been the most popular name for Hispanic boys born in the country, but...

US Hispanic Population Exceeds 50M

John Johnson — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 19:14:04 CDT

The latest Census Bureau numbers mark a milestone for the Hispanic population in the US—the figure exceeds 50 million for the first time. The total (50,477,594 to be exact) is a 43% increase from a decade ago, reports CNN . Related stats: Hispanics, now the nation's second largest...

Census: California Power Shifting Inland to Hispanics

John Johnson — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:43:05 CST

California's census numbers confirm the rise of the state's Hispanics: Latinos now make up 37.6% of the population (or 14 million), just a shade below the 40.1% of whites (15 million). And the trend is clear—that's a 28% increase for Hispanics over the last decade and a...

SC Lawmaker Under Fire for 'Brothers' Remark

John Johnson — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:56:49 CST

A black state senator in South Carolina has caused a ruckus with his argument against a law curbing illegal immigration. The US needs these immigrants, said Robert Ford, because they're willing to do hard work that ordinary Americans won't. Except he used far more colorful language: "I know brothers—and...