[quote]Census estimates point to slowing of Hispanic trend

Tools SponsorBY ART HOVEY / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, May 01, 2008 - 12:28:18 am CDT
The number of Hispanics in Nebraska continues to grow, but at a slower pace than earlier this decade, according to new census estimates released Thursday.

Between July 1, 2006, and July 1, 2007, Nebraska’s overall population grew by 10,800 residents, according to census estimates.

Hispanics made up 47.7 percent of the increase. That’s down from the 62.6 percent cumulative share for Hispanics for the years 2001-2007.

Census data breakdown by race and ageIt’s also the smallest one-year share of total population gain coming from Hispanic ranks since 2001.

Meanwhile, there are continued signs in today’s numbers that in-migration and rising numbers of births have reversed a pattern from earlier this decade in which the white, non-Hispanic portion of the state’s population was shrinking.

The number of non-Hispanic whites in Nebraska fell slightly in 2001 and 2002.

Between July 2006 and July 2007, the number of non-Hispanic whites in Nebraska grew by 2,936 — the fifth straight increase and, modest though it may be, the largest of the five gains.

David Drozd, a population researcher at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, said there does seem to be a trend in the Hispanic category.

“It does appear that we have a slowdown in Hispanics and neighboring states do not,â€