HOUSTON — Hispanics officially make up the largest population group in the state of Texas, according to freshly updated population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The bureau said that in 2022, Hispanic people made up 40.2% of the population, surpassing white people who make up 39.8%. Additionally, 13.4% of Texans are Black and 5.7% are Asian, according to the data.
"All race ethnicity groups, there has been a decline in fertility. Having said that, you do see higher rates of fertility among Hispanics," said Rice University's Kinder Institute Research Director Daniel Potter.
Researchers said the data doesn't change much for cities like Houston, where Hispanics have held the largest portion of the population for around a decade.
According to Dr. Laura Murillo, the president of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, 42% of all businesses in the city are owned by Hispanic people, accounting for more than 150,000 businesses.
"In many ways, the Houston area has embraced that growing diversity," Potter said.
Many hope this shift in demographics will spark a change for the betterment of Hispanic people.
"We know we are still far behind in pay equity representation, seats on corporate boards, the list goes on and on," Murillo said.
Researchers also hope that local and federal governments see this shift and embrace this new diversity by offering proportional resources to all.
"They should all have opportunities to get education, access to training to build and push forward and keep Texas competitive in the economy of tomorrow," Potter said.