More Than Half of U.S. Children Under Age 2 Are Of Color

Here's more proof that the country is growing more diverse. The question now is how our policies will reflect that change.

By Jorge Rivas Jun 24, 2011

New census data reports that more than half of the children under age 2 in the U.S. are of color. The data is just one more sign that the country is growing more diverse, which is a cite of both excitement and anxiety for some lawmakers.

The findings also reinforce the prediction that by 2042, the majority of Americans will be people of color. Already, California, Texas, Hawaii, New Mexico, and DC have more people of color than whites.

Last month, PolicyLink, a national research and advocacy institute, released "The Map of America’s Tomorrow," a time-lapse map showing the growth of people of color in the United States from 1990 through 2040.

Founder and CEO of PolicyLink, Angela Glover Blackwell says the fate of America hinges on how we react to — and invest in — those changes.

"In the global economy, our remarkable diversity will be our calling card- and it can be our most competitive asset," she writes in a blog post. "In a diverse and interconnected world, America could be the most connected of all. The breadth and depth of our talent could once again be unrivaled – if we tap into the vast resource that is the next generation."

Blackwell says to get to the connected country she speaks of, equity is the answer. "Just and fair inclusion." For everyone.