According to a portion of the 2010 U.S. Census, Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country, is seeing a sharp rise in its Hispanic population.
Titled the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, the report shows that those claiming Latino or Hispanic heritage have become the fastest-growing ethnic group in the state and currently make up about 12 percent of the population.
Spanning 2005 through 2009, the report showed that the state population’s ancestry, while still predominantly Irish, Italian, and French, is now also significantly Hispanic, English, and Portuguese.
This increase in the Hispanic population has made the opinions of Hispanic voters a very serious thing to consider when running for office, and can be seen in the election of Angel Taveras as the Mayor of Providence.
