Hispanic American/Latino Demographics in a Changing America

Overview

The word Hispanic is a generic term derived from the word España, which is the Spanish word for Spain. People of any race who trace their family origin to a Spanish-speaking country are Hispanic. Hispanic people can be of any race. They constitute a pluralistic society of many national origins.

Growing ethnic diversity will continue to create new challenges and opportunities for the Hispanic Emphasis of the Boy Scouts of America.

U.S. Hispanics experienced the largest population growth of any racial or ethnic group between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2002. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, the Hispanic population rose to 38.8 million, bringing the total U.S. Hispanic American/Latino population to 42.7 million people.

Hispanic Demographics

• More than three-quarters of Hispanic Americans/Latinos live in the West and South; half of all Hispanics live in just two states: Texas and California.
• The Hispanic population has increased by more than 50 percent since 1990.
• People of Mexican origin represented the largest group of Hispanic Americans/Latinos, at 58.5 percent, followed by Puerto Ricans (9.6 percent), and Cuban Americans (3.5 percent).
• Some counties in nontraditional Hispanic states, such as Georgia and North Carolina, had sizeable proportions of Hispanic populations.
• Thirty-five percent of Hispanic Americans/Latinos were less than 18 years of age.
• The median age for Hispanic Americans/Latinos is 25.9 years.

Challenges Faced by the BSA

Many professional Scouters and volunteers have discovered some real challenges in organizing traditional Scouting units in predominately Hispanic communities. The reasons are many, but two factors seem to contribute to the struggles many unit-serving executives face:

1. The perception that Scouting is for wealthy families.
2. Scouting is not a household experience shared by most Hispanic Americans/Latinos.

Many newly arrived immigrants (first-generation Hispanics) from Mexico and parts of Central and South America, and a large number of second-generation families perceive Scouting as a youth program reserved for wealthy families. When a child brings a Cub Scout flier home from school, the conclusion many of these parents draw is that Scouting can't possibly be for them.

The second factor is equally challenging. Most Hispanic Americans/Latinos don't have a long tradition of Scouting in their families. The vast majority can honestly say their grandfathers, fathers, and uncles were not in Scouting as youths. This is an unfortunate reality when one takes into account that Hispanic Americans/Latinos are among the most "brand loyal" consumers in this country.

Solutions to These Challenges

Council executives who are serious about serving their growing Hispanic American/Latino communities should keep in mind that it will take some time for unit-serving executives and volunteers to establish the trust and confidence of Hispanic American/Latino parents about a program that's fairly new to them. Hiring local Hispanic men and women who are bilingual and knowledgeable about the benefits of Scouting can quicken the pace. Also, recruiting Hispanic community leaders to serve in council Scoutreach committees is a tremendous plus.

Community Resources Available to Local Councils

Most cities in the United States have Hispanic community-based organizations that address the social, political, and economic growth of their communities. Members of these organizations are themselves "movers and shakers" of Hispanic communities, and can be great resources to councils. Examples of these organizations include

• Hispanic/Latino chambers of commerce
• League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
• Local chapters of the National Council of La Raza

Letters of endorsement from these and other national Hispanic organizations are available through the Scoutreach Division and can be helpful in selling Scouting to local Hispanic chapters.

Other community resources include

• Hispanic-owned community newspapers and TV stations
• Hispanic small business owners
• Churches with a large Hispanic population (e.g., Roman Catholic Church)

Scoutreach Resources Available to Local Councils

The Scoutreach Division at the national office produces a wide array of Spanish-language resources, almost 85 in all, designed to assist unit-serving executives in promoting Scouting's awareness in Hispanic communities. These resources, most of which are parent-focused, include bilingual, colorful brochures, fliers, posters, booklets, videos, and training manuals. All of these materials are listed in Scoutreach Bin Resources catalog No. 11-067. Especially helpful to unit-serving executives are the following:

• Marketing to Hispanic Americans in Your Local Council (No. 94-070)
• Scouting: It Works for Your Youth brochure (No. 94-098)
• !Scouting! Vale la Pena (It's Worth the Effort) posters (No. 94-110)
• Your Organization and Scouting brochure for prospective chartered organizations (No. 94-003)
• Que Es Scouting? (What Is Scouting?) orientation video for parents (94-124)
• Spanish version of the handbooks: Tiger Cub (94-219), Cub Scout Wolf (94-244), and Cub Scout Leader Book (94-217).

Unit-serving executives can order these and all other Spanish materials directly from the National Distribution Center by calling 800-323-0732.

BSA's Spanish Web Site

Introduced to local councils in January 2005, www.scoutingvalelapena.org was designed to give the Spanish-speaking, specifically Latino parents, an overview of the various traditional Scouting programs, including BSA's new Soccer and Scouting program. A council locator enables interested parents to identify the council service center near their homes and provides the names of bilingual staff who can assist them.

Top Hispanic Markets for 2000