The best-selling book "Megatrends" predicted in 1982 that minority demographics would change the U.S. work force, economy, and political structure. Three years earlier, Hispanic Business began documenting this change by tracking data on Hispanic empowerment. The magazine's 25th anniversary provides a historic moment to look back at the Hispanic market's transformation over the past quarter century, as well as to look forward to the changes yet to come.
 VIDEO: A New Millennium |
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Twenty-five years ago, futurists had an easy task in pointing to a future Hispanic population wave. But with surprising speed, Hispanics have advanced beyond "new immigrant" status to enter the U.S. middle class. The implications of this transition will continue to define the progress for the U.S. Hispanic market during the next 25 years.
"Certainly, the U.S. Hispanic market can be characterized as being in a state of dynamic flux, especially during the last 25 years," states the introduction to "Hispanic Consumers in Transition," a book from HispanTelligence, the research service unit of Hispanic Business. "This market's growth has been dramatic – fueled by demographic expansion, as well as by rising demand and opportunity in the U.S. labor and entrepreneurial markets."
| POPULATION GROWTH (in millions) | ||||||
| Group | 1980 | 1990 | 2000 | 2010 | 2020 | 2030 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 180,256 | 188,128 | 195,729 | 201,112 | 205,936 | 209,176 |
| African American | 26,495 | 29,986 | 35,818 | 40,454 | 45,365 | 50,442 |
| Hispanic | 14,609 | 22,354 | 35,622 | 47,756 | 59,756 | 73,055 |
| Asian | 3,500 | 7,274 | 10,684 | 14,241 | 17,988 | 22,580 |
| Other | 6,758 | 9,805 | ||||
