The Census Bureau recently released data regarding the racial/ethnic population growth in Nebraska since 2010.
David Drozd, Research Coordinator at UNO’s Center for Public Affairs Research, says the numbers are from the years 2010-2014.
He says when they compared that data with numbers from the 2000s, they found out that the growth of the Hispanic/Latino population had dropped significantly, from 80% in the 2000s to 35% in the years 2010-2014.
And he says there was another major factor they identified in the report.
"The other factor that’s changing is an acceleration of growth among the Asian, non-Hispanic population. And that’s a group that’s seeing rising births. They really didn’t drop too much during the recession. And then we are seeing increased immigration both of refugees and those coming to the United States for education and work purposes.”
Drozd says the information is important for policy and planning purposes.
He says certain institutions, such as schools and hospitals, need to be prepared to deal with the challenges that might be associated with certain groups of people who might not be able to speak the language.