According to the Annual Demographic Supplement to the March 2002 Current Population Survey, the U.S. Census Bureau projects that the nation’s Hispanic population will triple over the next half century. Nearly 67 million people of Hispanic origin will be added to the nation’s population between 2000 and 2050. Their numbers are projected to grow from 35.6 million in 2000 to 102.6 million in 2050, an increase of 188 percent. Their share of the nation’s population would nearly double, from 12.6 percent in 2000 to 24.4 percent in 2050.1
In addition, Census Bureau estimates show the Hispanic population in the United States has reached an all-time high of 38.8 million. The nation’s Hispanic population grew much faster than the population as a whole, increasing from 35.6 million on April 1, 2000 to 38.8 million on July 1, 2002. This growth makes the Hispanic community the nation’s largest minority community, representing 13.3% of the U.S. population.2
We can see results of this growth in the ever-increasing diversity and vibrancy of the towns and cities where we live and work and in the people we meet every day.
To meet the information needs of this growing population a broader outreach to the entire Hispanic community is essential. There is a great need for all types of credible information including information on food safety, nutrition, and health.
With this in mind, the IFIC Foundation has joined the outreach effort by developing a Spanish-language Web site to provide sound, science-based information on food safety, nutrition and health to the Hispanic community within the United States, as well as for Spanish speakers around the world. The IFIC Foundation’s Spanish-language Web site (http://ific.org/sp) provides a wealth of free information on everything from child and adolescent nutrition, to obesity and weight management, to food allergies and asthma, and everything in between.
In its report on the characteristics of the Hispanic population in the United States, the Census Bureau states that more than 1-in-3 Hispanics are under age 18, and that Hispanic children represent 18 percent of all children in the United States.2 Among the timely and relevant Spanish-language information you’ll find on http://ific.org/sp for children and adolescents is a backgrounder on Nutrition, Health & Physical Activity during Childhood and Early Adolescence, as well as a poster for caregivers and parents on preventing childhood choking.
Accordingly, if more than 1-in-3 Hispanics is under age 18, then 2-in-3 Hispanics are over age 18. The IFIC Foundation has a wealth of credible, science-based information for this older segment of the population as well. On http://ific.org/sp, you’ll find a Spanish language poster for food service workers, addressing food allergies, as well as extensive Spanish-language documents on nutrition, health, and physical activity; functional foods; dietary fats and fat replacers; low-calorie sweeteners; fructose; food ingredients; pesticides and food safety; and mercury and fish. In addition, the IFIC Foundation’s bi-monthly newsletter, Food Insight is posted on http://ific.org/sp.
New Spanish-language documents are uploaded regularly, and http://ific.org/sp users can sign up via e-mail to receive new and updated Spanish-language information as well as Food Insight.*
We encourage you to visit http://ific.org/sp and see for yourself!
1 U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/001720.html)
2 U.S. Census Bureau (http://www.census.gov/PressRelease/www/releases/
archives/hispanic_origin_population/001130.html)
*Please note, all e-mails from IFIC.org will be in English.
