WASHINGTON – The numbers of Asians and Hispanics in Maryland grew by more than 13 percent between 2000-2003, raising their total population in the state to more than half a million, according to Census data released Thursday.
The state’s Asian population grew to an estimated 247,690 in 2003, up from 218,387 in 2000, while the number of Hispanics went from 230,332 to 262,351 during the same period.
The growth rate for the two groups far exceeded the rate for non-Hispanic whites, a group that the Census said grew by 3.3 percent during the three-year period.
Whites still accounted for 3.6 million of the 5.5 million people in the state, or almost two-thirds of the population. But Mark Goldstein, an economist with the Maryland Department of Planning, said the numbers show that the state is slowly inching toward “majority-minority” status, in which minorities will outnumber non-Hispanic whites in the state.
Although the state is still a ways off from achieving a majority-minority status, Goldstein said it is “clearly heading in that direction.”
“The white growth share of the population . . . it’s still a positive, but it’s starting to decline,” he said.
The Washington suburbs saw the greatest growth in Asians and Hispanics. The number of Hispanics in Prince George’s County jumped from 57,666 to 71,532, while the number of Asians in Montgomery County went from 102,282 to 117,946. Each was the biggest increase in the state.
Hector Torres, executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Hispanic Affairs in Maryland, said he was not surprised that the Hispanic population is growing, but he questioned the Census estimate of a 13.9 percent leap in just three years.
“I think the Hispanic population is growing very rapidly,” Torres said. “I just question any huge leaps in population and that the methodology needs to be studied closely.”
He said that because many Hispanics do not trust the government, they are reluctant to fill out Census forms. That, in turn, leads to a historic undercounting of that population.
Census officials said the 2003 estimates take 2000 census population numbers, then factor in changes in births, deaths, migration, geographical changes and race category names to get the most recent figure.
State officials and community groups attribute the growth of Asians and Hispanics to various factors, including a relatively strong economy in the state, attractive schools and services, and established ethnic communities in the region.
“Washington, D.C., is a destination for many of these immigrants,” said John Iceland, demographics professor at the University of Maryland, College Park.
“Immigrant destinations are increasingly located in the suburbs themselves. Those in many cases are the areas where job growth is occurring, and you already have immigrant communities,” he said.
Jobs were a big draw for the state’s growing Asian population, as well as a strong, established Asian community, good schools and attractive living environment, said Lisa Lee, executive vice president of the Greater Washington chapter of the Organization of Chinese Americans.
As their numbers have grown, Lee said Asians have played a more prominent role in state politics and social issues.
“You definitely see more Asian-Americans coming out to public events, public forums, representatives in government,” Lee said. “Actually, in all walks of life you’re able to see more Asian and Chinese representation.”
Both Torres and Lee said that language remains a barrier for many new arrivals. An increase of non-English-speaking immigrants has resulted in a larger portion of the population trying to get by without the language skills they need.
Will Campos, the Latino affairs liaison for Prince George’s County, agreed that while the county’s Hispanic growth has brought more international businesses and workers to the region, the county still faces the challenge of acclimating immigrants to their new home.
“They can’t adapt as quickly and it becomes hard to communicate, and we have to work with them and see how we can narrow the communication gap,” he said.
-30- CNS 09-29-04