Latinos Dispersed in the U.S., Study Finds

A majority of Latinos in the United States live in neighborhoods where they are not the majority, contrary to a common notion that they are “densely packed in highly homogenous, Spanish-language communities dominated by immigrant cultures,” according to a national study released Monday.

Using 2000 Census data, the Pew Hispanic Center, a non-profit research group based in Washington, D.C., analyzed the makeup of Census-defined neighborhoods across the country and found that 57 percent, or 20 million, of Latinos live in neighborhoods where they constitute less than half the population.

Still, the report acknowledges that many Latinos live in neighborhoods where they make up the majority. And, in fact, that percentage actually has increased from 39 percent in 1990 to 43 percent in 2000.

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