Associated Press
WASHINGTON — With the explosive growth of the Hispanic population over the 1990s came an increase in the number of U.S. residents speaking Spanish at home, according to 2000 census figures released so far for 13 states.
Nationally, the Hispanic population rose 58 percent during the decade to 35.3 million, with Hispanics now rivaling blacks as the nation’s largest minority group.
The latest figures come from detailed 2000 census long form data being released by the Census Bureau over the next month. Ten states, including Washington, received figures on Tuesday.
The figures may stir more debate on the best way for U.S. schools to educate students with little or no knowledge of English.
Some school districts in states like Wisconsin and Mississippi "don’t really have a lot of experience doing this, right or wrong," said Raul Gonzalez, a policy analyst with the National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic advocacy group.
And some communities in the Midwest and South that only started attracting large waves of Hispanic immigrants in the 1990s are struggling to break down language barriers to meet the needs of their newest residents, said demographer William Frey.
Copyright ©2002 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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