The Hispanic population has become the largest and fastest growing minority community, accounting for half of the country’s population growth since 2000.1 The purchasing power of more than 40 million Hispanic U.S. residents reached $870 billion in 2008.2 The annual growth rate of Hispanics in the workforce has been four to eight times greater than that of non-Hispanics for nearly a decade.2 And, in last year’s presidential election, the increasing influence of the Hispanic population was evident as three out of four Hispanics voted for President Obama in key battleground states including California, Florida, Colorado, New Mexico, and Nevada.
This exponential growth has not been without challenges. Approximately 28% of Latino children live in poor families. Rates of child poverty among Latino children range from 20% in New Jersey, Florida, and Illinois to 35% in Texas.4 Hispanic youth are 3 times more overrepresented in the high school drop out rate. The out of wedlock birth rate among Hispanics remains high while research shows that Latino children of single mothers are more than twice as likely to be poor as those in two-parent families.5 Finally, despite comprising nearly 15% of the country’s population, Hispanics are under-represented in policy-making, administrative, and elected office positions. For example, only 5% of Congressional seats are held by Hispanics.
In spite of the growing and unmet needs set against the backdrop of a rapidly growing population, the greatest asset among the Hispanic community remains the family. Regrettably, strategies and initiatives aimed at supporting the Hispanic community have focused on individual needs outside the context of the family, resulting in outcomes that fall short of achieving long-term, sustainable impact. Families are the “system” in which individuals, especially Hispanics, thrive or fail. Research shows that strong families provide an environment in which children and youth flourish, and where individuals can learn the skills that will enable them to effectively function in today’s challenging environment.
Recognizing a vacuum of comprehensive strategies that strengthen Hispanic families, national and local leaders have joined together to form the National Alliance for Hispanic Families. To achieve the goal of ensuring that families are the foundation to any social initiative, the Alliance will engage in three key areas: Program Intervention and Prevention facilitates increased resources to comprehensively serve Hispanic children and families, at the core of which is family relationship development through problem solving skills, communication skills, conflict management, and shared family values; Public Policy that educates policy makers on family relationship development strategies within the Hispanic community; and Research highlights the unique strengths and needs within the Hispanic family.
Collectively, the founding members of the National Alliance for Hispanic families represent a politically and geographically diverse collection of organizations committed to strengthening the Hispanic family.
1Research and Markets report, released May 19, 2008
2U.S. Census Bureau
3Pew Hispanic Center, The Hispanic Vote in 2008
4National Center for Children in Poverty
5Fact Sheet on Latino Youth: Poverty and Income, University of California – San Francisco