National Alliance For Hispanic Families Releases Hispanic Data Source

Washington, DC (September 26, 2012) — The National Alliance For Hispanic Families today released Hispanic Data Source – a concise look at key data critical to understanding issues facing the nation’s growing Hispanic population.

“The state of our country’s future is very much intertwined with how we strengthen our Hispanic community today,” said Dr. Luis Zayas, Dean of the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work.  ”Latinos are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. population, and yet 28 percent live below the poverty line.  Further, Hispanic youth have the highest school dropout and teen pregnancy rates.  Now is the time for our federal government, policy makers, and investors to realign priorities to meet the specific needs and challenges of this growing population.”

Hispanic Data Source provides information on the explosive growth of the Latino population, and the states and cities in which they live. Poverty is detailed among immigrants and those born in the U.S., and data is provided for the growing numbers of Hispanics in the child welfare system, along with statistics for school dropout, teen pregnancy, gang activity, and maternal healthcare.

“The dire numbers found in this publication speak to the importance of investing in youth,” said Sylvia Zaldivar, Executive Director of the Lake County Community Foundation. “High proportions of Hispanic youth are disconnected—from school, work, family, and their communities—and this disconnection can lead to teenage pregnancies, involvement in the child welfare system, high dropout rates, increased rates of gang activity, and a higher likelihood of involvement with the criminal justice system.“

Leaders of the National Alliance for Hispanic Families call on decision makers to carefully align the flow of federal and private resources with the changing demographic landscape detailed in Hispanic Data Source.

Click Hispanic Data Source to download.