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America is becoming more diverse. This past May, the Census Bureau revealed that “for the first time, whites represented a minority –49.6 percent– of all U.S. births” (1). Many minorities are immigrants with Limited English Proficiency, and roughly 9% of the US population is Limited English Proficient.

By 2050, America’s racial composition will undergo a major demographic shift. Combined, minority populations will grow from 116 million to reach 241 million in 2060. According to areport by Pew Research, the US population in 2050 will comprise of:

• Non-Hispanic whites, 47%
• Hispanics, 29%
• Black, 13%
• Asians, 9%

This demographic shift to a “majority-minority” population will occur even sooner for the American youth. Whites will become a minority group in the under-18 age group by 2018.

The Diversity Effect

Changing demographics increasingly affect politics. In the most recent election, minority votes accounted for 28% of the total votes cast. Over the next four elections, 46% of newly eligible voters will be minorities compared to today’s 29%.

Politicians are not the only ones recognizing demographic change. In November, Reutersexplained the trend of catered shopping malls in response to the growing minority population. In Atlanta, developers transformed a 220K sq. ft store into a mall catered to customers with roots in southern India. The article stresses reaction to diversity stating, “If mall and shopping center owners fail to adapt to the changing demographic make-up of the country, they risk seeing their properties become mausoleums of a less-diverse American past.”

The US will be a completely different country in the future. What will your America look like in 2050?

-Gina

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Voiance Language Services provides multilingual support in over 200 languages to business and government. Organizations use Voiance’s telephone interpretation to facilitate communication with customers. Voiance is a subsidiary of CyraCom International, Inc., the 2nd largest provider of Over-the-Phone Interpretation in the United States.