Global Forces and Latino Population Growth in the Midwest: A Regional and Subregional Analysis

The last decade has seen a significant growth of the Latino population in the Midwest, particularly in rural communities. We discuss the forces that have stimulated the growth of the Latino population in the region. We use data from the Current Population Surveys (1988-1997) to assess the demographic and employment growth of the Latino population in the Midwest. Because of the limitations of secondary data, we also illustrate the growth of the Latino population with evidence from Nebraska and a selected area of the state. Data analysis suggests that population estimates of the Latino population generated by the US Bureau of the Census do not accurately reflect the magnitude of the Latino population growth in the region. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of Latino population growth to midwestern communities