Hispanics and Latinos in Nevada

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Hispanic and Latino Nevadans are residents of the state of Nevada who are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 28.3% of the state's population. [1]

Contents

History

Francisco Garcés was the first European in the area. He explored the present-day Nevada in the 1770s. [2] Nevada was annexed as a part of the Spanish Empire in the northwestern territory of New Spain. As part of Las Californias, the area of Nevada belonged to the Commandancy General of the Provincias Internas in the Viceroyalty of New Spain. However, no Hispanics migrated to Nevada. Nevada became a part of Alta California (Upper California) province in 1804 when the Californias were split. With the Mexican War of Independence won in 1821, the province of Alta California became a territory—not a state—of Mexico, due to the small population. As when Nevada was Spanish, the territory remained unattractive to Mexicans, and no Mexicans settled there.

Rafael Rivera was the first non-Native American to encounter the modern-day Las Vegas Valley, in 1829, [3] [4] [5] [6] while Antonio Armijo traveled along the Spanish Trail to Los Angeles, California in 1829. He led a troop of 60 men. [7] [4] As a result of the Mexican–American War and the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Mexico permanently lost Alta California in 1848. Unlike present-day California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, Nevada had no Hispanic population when it joined the US. The new areas acquired by the United States continued to be administered as territories. As part of the Mexican Cession (1848) and the subsequent California Gold Rush that used Emigrant Trails through the area, the state's area evolved first as part of the Utah Territory, then the Nevada Territory (March 2, 1861; named for the Sierra Nevada). [8] Since its incorporation into the US, Nevada has absorbed a lot of Hispanic migration, mainly from Mexico. In fact, all Hispanics who migrated to Nevada until 1960 were of Mexican origin. From 1960, many Cubans fleeing the Castro regime and many East Coast Hispanics, mainly of Puerto Rican origin, have migrated to Nevada. Many of the first Cuban newcomers had worked at Cuba's casinos and migrated to Las Vegas to continue working in that profession. [9] Subsequently, Hispanics from other countries also migrated to Nevada, although most of the immigrants remained Mexicans, who migrated to improve their social conditions and provide better education for their children. Between 1990 and 2010 the growth of the Hispanic population accelerated. Thereafter, growth slowed down. [10] [11]

Demographics

Hispanics of any race made 26.5% of the population. [12] In 1970, non-Hispanic whites made up 88% of the state's population. [13]

The principal ancestry of Nevada's residents in 2009 has been surveyed to be the following: [14]

Nevada also has a sizable Basque ancestry population. In Douglas, Mineral and Pershing counties, a plurality of residents are of Mexican ancestry, with Clark County (Las Vegas) alone being home to over 200,000 Mexican Americans. Las Vegas is home to rapid-growing ethnic communities, including Spaniards. According to the 2000 US Census, 16.19% of Nevada's population aged 5 and older speak Spanish at home. [15] Las Vegas was a major destination for immigrants from Hispanic America seeking employment in the gaming and hospitality industries during the 1990s and first decade of the 21st century, but farming and construction are the biggest employers of immigrant labor.

According to the 2010 census, Hispanics are majority in Jackpot (55.6%) and West Wendover (61.7%), and are the main (though not the majority) ethnic or racial group in Sunrise Manor (48.5% [16] ) and Winchester (44.6% [17] ).

Hispanic ancestries

(self-identified ethnicity, not by birthplace)
Ancestry by origin (2019 surveys) [18] Population%
Argentine 3,564
Bolivian 1,125
Chilean 2,222
Colombian 6,526
Costa Rican 2,974
Cuban 36,041
Dominican 5,234
Ecuadorian 1,291
Guatemalan 23,410
Honduran 4,634
Mexican 677,268
Nicaraguan 5,038
Panamanian 1,353
Paraguayan 68
Peruvian 10,159
Puerto Rican 30,968
Salvadoran 40,576
"Spanish"7,892
"Spaniard"12,227
"Spanish American"316
Uruguayan 516
Venezuelan 4,661
All other20,808
Total900,599
Ancestry by regionNumber (2010 Census) [19] [20] % [19] [20]
Mexican 540,97820.0%
Caribbean 44,5691.7%
Central America 55,9372.1%
South America19,0560.7%
Other Hispanic55,9612.1%
Total

Historic Hispanic/Latino population (1900-2020)

Flag of Nevada.svg NevadaNumber of people of Mexican Origin (1900-1930)
and of Hispanic/Latino Origin (1940-2020) in Nevada
[10] [21] [11] [a]
+% of Population of Mexican Origin (1900-1930)
and of Hispanic/Latino Origin (1940-2020) in Nevada
1900 N/A N/A
19109001.1%
19201,3931.8%
19303,3693.7%
19403,0462.8%
1950N/AN/A
196011,4114% [22]
197027,142 (15% sample)5.6%
198053,8796.7%
1990124,41910.4%
2000393,97019.7%
2010716,50126.5%
2020890,25728.7%

Politics

Hispanics and Latinos in Nevada remains a strongly Democratic constituency, as the party habitually wins the Latino vote nationally. In 2020, Democratic nominee Joe Biden carried 61% of Latinos in Nevada, according to exit polls by Eddison Research, while Republican Donald Trump won 35%. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nevada</span> U.S. state

Nevada is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, the 32nd-most populous, and the 9th-least densely populated of the U.S. states. Nearly three-quarters of Nevada's people live in Clark County, which contains the Las Vegas–Paradise metropolitan area, including three of the state's four largest incorporated cities. Nevada's capital is Carson City. Las Vegas is the largest city in the state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark County, Nevada</span> County in Nevada, United States

Clark County is located in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,265,461. Most of the county population resides in the Las Vegas Census County Divisions, which hold 2,196,623 people as of the 2020 Census, across 435 square miles (1,130 km2). It is by far the most populous county in Nevada, and the 11th most populous county in the United States. It covers 7% of the state's land area but holds 73% of the state's population, making Nevada one of the most centralized states in the United States.

The term Hispanic refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nye County, Nevada</span> County in Nevada, United States

Nye County is a county in the U.S. state of Nevada. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,591. Its county seat is Tonopah. At 18,159 square miles (47,030 km2), Nye is Nevada's largest county by area and the third-largest county in the contiguous United States, behind Coconino County of Arizona and San Bernardino County of California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mexican Americans</span> Americans of Mexican ancestry

Mexican Americans are Americans of full or partial Mexican heritage. In 2019, Mexican Americans comprised 11.3% of the US population and 61.5% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans. In 2019, 71% of Mexican Americans were born in the United States, though they make up 53% of the total population of foreign-born Hispanic Americans and 25% of the total foreign-born population. The United States is home to the second-largest Mexican community in the world, behind only Mexico. Most Mexican Americans reside in the Southwest, with over 60% of Mexican Americans living in the states of California and Texas.

Race and ethnicity in the United States census, defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the United States Census Bureau, are the self-identified categories of race or races and ethnicity chosen by residents, with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether they are of Hispanic or Latino origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispanic and Latino Americans</span> Demographic of Americans

Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. These demographics include all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino regardless of ancestry. As of 2020, the Census Bureau estimated that there were almost 65.3 million Hispanics and Latinos living in the United States and its territories.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Majority minority in the United States</span> Places with less than 50% non-Hispanic white population

In the United States of America, majority-minority area or minority-majority area is a term describing a U.S. state or jurisdiction whose population is composed of less than 50% non-Hispanic whites. Racial data is derived from self-identification questions on the U.S. Census and on U.S. Census Bureau estimates.. The term is often used in voting rights law to designate voting districts that are designed under the Voting Rights Act to enable ethnic or language minorities "the opportunity to elect their candidate of choice." In that context, the term was first used by the Supreme Court in 1977. The Court had previously used the term in employment discrimination and labor relations cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Race and ethnicity in the United States</span>

The United States has a racially and ethnically diverse population. At the federal level, race and ethnicity have been categorized separately. The most recent United States census officially recognized five racial categories as well as people of two or more races. The Census Bureau also classified respondents as "Hispanic or Latino" or "Not Hispanic or Latino", identifying as an ethnicity, which comprises the largest minority group in the nation. The census also asked an "Ancestry Question," which covers the broader notion of ethnicity, in the 2000 census long form and the 2010 American Community Survey; the question worded differently on "origins" will return in the 2020 census.

In the United States, a Hispanic or Latino is an individual who is of full or partial Hispanic or Latino descent, the largest group being Mexican Americans. Although not differentiated in the U.S. Census definition, White Latino Americans may also be defined to include only those who identify as white and either originate from or have descent from countries in Latin America that speak Romance languages other than Spanish, such as Brazil, Haiti, and French Guiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Demographics of Hispanic and Latino Americans</span>

The demographics of Hispanic and Latino Americans depict a population that is the second-largest ethnic group in the United States, 62 million people or 18.7% of the national population.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hispanics and Latinos in California</span> Ethnic group in the U.S. state of California

Hispanic and Latino Californians are residents of the state of California who are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 39.4% of the state's population, making it the largest ethnicity in California.

Hispanic and Latino Floridians are residents of the state of Florida who are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of the 2020 US Census, Latinos of any race were 26.2% of the state's population. The labels Hispanic and Latino tell us that within each community, many group themselves differently based on different "qualifications". The statistics in the PEW report show that the justification of the definition of “Hispanic” is based on Spanish language in Latin America or if a person is from Spain, while Latino is based on Latin American origin disregarding people from Brazil or Portugal. The same study presented the findings 27% preferred to identify as “Hispanic” while 18% preferred the term “Latino”. The Census Bureau has changed its framed terminology towards the question since it was first introduced in 1930 as a “Mexican Race” option and it is still changing to this day to become more inclusive and specific to each person who identifies as Hispanic, Latino, and/or Latinx. Latinos in Florida accounted for 5.3 million of the US Latino population. At around 28.5% of the population as of 2017, Cubans are the largest Latino group in Florida. Puerto Ricans are one of the fastest growing Latino groups in Florida, with one out of every five Latinos in the state being of Puerto Rican origin. Cubans and Puerto Ricans together make up almost half of Florida's Latino population. Other sizable Latino groups include South Americans (17.9%), Mexicans (13.5%), Central Americans (10.7%), and Dominicans (4.8%); all other Latinos make up 3.6% in total.

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Hispanic and Latino Coloradans are residents of the state of Colorado who are of Hispanic or Latino ancestry. As of 2020, Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 21% of the state's population, or 1,269,520 of the state's total 5,770,545 residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spanish Americans</span> Americans of Spanish birth or descent

Spanish Americans are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly from Spain. They are the longest-established European American group in the modern United States, with a very small group descending from those explorations leaving from Spain and the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and starting in the early 1500s, of 42 of the future U.S. states from California to Florida; and beginning a continuous presence in Florida since 1565 and New Mexico since 1598.

The Latin American diaspora refers to the dispersion of Latin Americans out of their homelands in Latin America and the communities subsequently established by them across the world.

The state of Utah has an increasingly diverse population, home to hundreds of thousands of Hispanic/Latino people who share ancestry from Latin American countries. It is estimated that there are roughly 383,400 residents of Hispanic/Latino descent currently living in Utah.

References

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  2. "Explorers and Settlers in Nevada" (PDF). Washoe County School District. p. 2. Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  3. Lake, Richard (December 17, 2008). "Road Warrior Q&A: Foliage removed for widening". Las Vegas Review-Journal . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Ponce, Victor Miguel. "Las Vegas, how did Las Vegas get its name, groundwater depletion". San Diego State University . Retrieved September 13, 2014.
  5. "History of Las Vegas". Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide. Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  6. Land, Barbara; Land, Myrick (March 1, 2004). A Short History of Las Vegas. University of Nevada Press. p. 4. ISBN   978-0874176438 . Retrieved December 18, 2020.
  7. "FAQs/History". Clark County, Nevada. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  8. "Online Etymology Dictionary" . Retrieved 2010-05-20.
  9. Bowers, Michael W. (2021). "The Sagebrush State: Nevada's History, Government, and Politics" (6th ed.). University of Nevada Press. ISBN   9781647790271.
  10. 1 2 Campbell Gibson; Kay Jung. "Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals By Race, 1790 to 1990, and By Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, For The United States, Regions, Divisions, and States". United States Census Bureau. p. 77. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-08-12. Retrieved 2021-10-02.
  11. 1 2 "The Hispanic Population: 2010" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  12. "Nevada QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Quickfacts.census.gov. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  13. "Nevada – Race and Hispanic Origin: 1860 to 1990". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on December 24, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  14. Nevada – Selected Social Characteristics in the United States, 2009 American Community Survey 1-year Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau, 2009. Retrieved November 2, 2011.
  15. "Language Map Data Center". Mla.org. July 17, 2007. Retrieved July 31, 2010.
  16. 2010 census report for Sunrise Manor
  17. 2010 census report for Winchester, Nevada
  18. "HISPANIC OR LATINO ORIGIN BY SPECIFIC ORIGIN: 2019 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. 2019.
  19. 1 2 US Census Bureau: "Redistricting Data, First Look at Local 2010 Census Results" Archived 2013-10-20 at the Wayback Machine
  20. 1 2 US Census Bureau, Systems Support Division. "Population by Race and Hispanic or Latino Origin for the United States: 1990 and 2000 (PHC-T-1)". Census.gov. Archived from the original on 20 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2018.
  21. "The Hispanic Population: 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Retrieved 2015-07-30.
  22. Jens Manuel Krogstad; Mark Hugo Lopez (June 10, 2014). "For three states, share of Hispanic population returns to the past". Pew Research Center.
  23. "Nevada 2020 President exit polls". www.cnn.com. Retrieved 2022-08-31.