Wednesday (August 13, 2008), the Census Bureau confirmed that by 2042 - 8 years earlier than previously thought - the United States will no longer have a racial majority, that white Americans will no longer be the majority.
Here’s the new data calculated for 2050:
Whites - 46%
Blacks - 15%
Hispanics - 30%
Asians - 9%
But does any of this really matter? Is race a 21st century issue?
When pollsters say the majority of Americans will vote for Barack Obama or John McCain, the major finding in every poll – no matter who’s conducted the survey – is the generational divide. Each survey suggests that the majority of young people prefer Obama to McCain, and many say young adults (18-32) will vote for Obama because they don’t have a problem supporting a Black presidential candidate.
In fact, a few weeks ago in a Newsweek article titled, The End of the South, Christopher Dickey exposed how Southerners feel about Obama’s skin color. He highlighted middle aged and old Southerners “Southern Discomfort,” and white youngsters willing to break with family traditions and support Barack Obama.
White young voters probably don’t see race as a 21st century. At the same time, young voters are rebellious sponges. They’re easily adaptable and love to go against the grain; they’re the, “open-minded” type. And why not? Some white middle class young adults’ list of worries probably matches Lucas Scott’s life crisis on One Tree Hill or Meredith Gray’s on Gray’s Anatomy, two of my favorite TV shows.
But as life piles on and we approach 2042, so does the list of worries. Moments to reflect on the world are scare and new political beliefs sometimes vanish. The optimistic and “open minded” feeling of youth can disappear and be replaced with your mom and dad’s political sway.
OR, young adults may continue to see the world outside of themselves.
Who knows. Maybe the new Census Bureau (CB) data means nothing. Maybe its irrelevant and only causes more harm than good. In fact, some who disagree with the new data say the categories the CB uses for people to label themselves white, Hispanic, Asian, or African American are skewed.
Either way, it’s an interesting topic. What do you think? Will racism increase? Are you Black, White, Hispanic or Latino/a, and or Asian? How do you label yourself?
Don’t wait, vote today! The poll closes this Friday, August 22nd.
Don’t worry, it’s completely anonymous, so no one will know your answer.
All you have to do is choose one of the answers on the upper right hand side of your computer screen.
*Image gratefully borrowed from iwishiwashannah’s photostream.