Census figures show Hispanic population growth
August 07, 2008 11:22 pm
— The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY — Census figures indicate a growing Hispanic population in Oklahoma, although the statistics are not current enough to gauge the effects of an anti-illegal-immigration law blamed for causing thousands of Hispanics to flee the state.

The figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau show the Hispanic population increased in all but two of the state’s counties with 10,000 or more population from 2006 to 2007.

Canadian County (13.3 percent) saw the highest increase in its Hispanic population, followed by Nowata County (12.8 percent) and Wagoner County (10.7 percent). The Hispanic population of Oklahoma County grew by nearly 4,000 residents (4.8 percent), while Tulsa saw an increase of nearly 3,700 residents (7.2 percent).

Statewide, the increase was about 5.5 percent.

The figures, which break down 2007 census data by minority group, were tallied before a new law went into effect in Oklahoma that eliminates public subsidies, makes it illegal to house or transport illegal aliens and makes it harder for illegal aliens to receive state identification.

State Rep. Randy Terrill, the author of the law and an outspoken critic of illegal immigration, said he suspects next year’s figures might indicate a slowing of the growth of the Hispanic population only because a large portion of that population is illegal.

“Their numbers (Hispanics) are increasing quite substantially independent of the illegal alien population,â€