Published: 08.23.2006

Tucson's minority residents top 50%
Phoenix also joins ranks of minority-majority cities
By Lourdes Medrano
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Population breakdown
Tucson population (total) 507,362
Black/African American: 19,129 3.8%
Am. Indian/Alaskan native 14,848 2.9%
Asian 12,782 2.5%
Native Hawaiian/ Pac. Islander 759 0.1%
Hispanic/Latino (any race) 206,958 40.8%
*Source: 2005 American Community Survey and U.S. Census Bureau
The signs have been there for some time. José is a popular baby name in Arizona, and salsa has outsold ketchup for years around the country.
Now Tucson officially has joined a list of 31 cities with a predominantly minority population. Phoenix and Denver also are new additions.
In the Old Pueblo, slightly more than half of the 507,362 residents belong to an ethnic minority group. Most, about 41 percent, are Hispanic, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data. In all of Pima County, Anglos remain the majority.
"Cities in the West are now experiencing a lot of the diversity that was first experienced in California,"said William Frey, a demographics expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.
Although his numbers vary slightly, Frey's own analysis of census data also shows that the population growth from 2000 to 2005 transformed Tucson into a predominantly minority city.
Frey noted a wide age gap between the minority and Anglo populations. Particularly in Arizona, he said, minority residents tend to be younger while Anglos are older.
Lorraine Lee, who leads the nonprofit Chicanos Por La Causa, said the demographic shift will be felt in many areas, including education and politics. Minorities, she said, eventually should be reflected in all sectors of the community —both public and private.
"We should not be feared, but rather, we should all work together to recognize that through our differences we can become stronger and better as a community," said Lee, who is of Mexican and Chinese descent.
Celestino Fernandez, a University of Arizona sociologist, noted that along with the growth in minority residents come challenges to better meet their needs. In the education field, for instance, there is a shortage of teachers committed to working with culturally diverse student populations, he said.
The large numbers of minority residents don't necessarily "translate into social justice, equality and opportunity," he said.
The 2005 figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey released last week. It provides yearly data from about 3 million households nationwide.
Population breakdown
Tucson population (total) 507,362
Black/African American: 19,129 3.8%
Am. Indian/Alaskan native 14,848 2.9%
Asian 12,782 2.5%
Native Hawaiian/ Pac. Islander 759 0.1%
Hispanic/Latino (any race) 206,958 40.8%
*Source: 2005 American Community Survey and U.S. Census Bureau
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