Latino population growth in Chicago, U.S. slowing, study says

The Chicago Tribune reports:

A 2012 Pew Research Center study reported that net migration from Mexico had become zero for the first time since the Great Depression. The worst recession in decades dried up jobs and economic prospects across the nation, and the birthrate for immigrant women plunged, according to the study.

Between 2007 and 2014, the U.S. Hispanic population grew annually on average by 2.8 percent. This was down from a 4.4 percent growth rate between 2000 and 2007 and down from 5.8 percent annually in the 1990s. Latino settlement to traditionally non-Latino areas also slowed, the study shows.


Illinois' Latino population ranked fifth in the nation in 2014 at 2.2 million people, falling behind New York, Florida, Texas and California, which took the top spot with 15 million people. Illinois also ranked fifth in 2007, with 1.9 million Latinos.

In metropolitan areas, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin ranked sixth in Latino population at 2.1 million people in 2014, with 64 percent of the Latino population born in the U.S. The metropolitan area of Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif., came in first with a Latino population of 6 million people. In 2007, Chicago came in third at 1.8 million Latinos.

The declining population growth rate and dispersion rate has been observed by the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, and Fred Tsao, senior policy counsel, said many are returning to their homelands because of the economic downturn and tougher immigration enforcement.

"Those Latinos who have remained, however, have deeper roots in the U.S., and for those who still lack status, those roots should justify policies that protect them from deportation, remain with their families, and enable them to gain status," Tsao said in an email.

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