The spread of poverty across the United States that began at the
onset of the Great Recession of 2007-2009 and accelerated last
year hit one fast-growing demographic group especially hard:
Latino children. More Latino children are living in poverty—6.1
million in 2010-than children of any other racial or ethnic
group. This marks the first time in U.S. history that the single
largest group of poor children is not white. In 2010, 37.3% of
poor children were Latino, 30.5% were white and 26.6% were
black. This negative milestone for Hispanics is a product of
their growing numbers, high birth rates and declining economic
fortunes. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Hispanics today
make up a record 16.3% of the total U.S. population. But they
comprise an even larger share—23.1%—of the nation's children, a
disparity driven mainly by high birth rates among Hispanic
immigrants. Read the full report, Childhood Poverty Among
Hispanics Sets Record, Leads Nation, on the Pew Research
Center's Hispanic Center Web site.