Many right-wingers’ talking point is the influx of illegal immigration coming into the country and taking the jobs of American citizens. Though those on the father end of the conservative spectrum are more worried about the change of demographics, in particular, the new and growing Hispanic population, mostly from Mexico, making native whites the new minority. Many even argue that this may change the political climate, making it more accommodating to many of the leftist ideologies that have become prominent throughout the Latin world. Though census data tell a slightly different story.
While Hispanic immigrants will be the majority nonwhite group by 2040, potentially wielding more political influence than other groups due to sheer numbers, they will still not number even half as much as Whites due. According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanics will only be around 17-19 % of the population with non-Hispanic whites being around 45 % of the population. It is only when you lump in Hispanics with Asian Americans, Black Americans, and Native American populations, that White Americans then become a minority in the United States.
Much of this is not only due to immigration trends, but also the decreasing fertility rates of White Americans; modern middle-class lifestyles not being accommodating to large families with the addition of birth control treatments being more widely available to White Americans that are able to perform them. Immigrants of recent arrival usually occupy the lower economic strata and are largely immune to these factors.
Claims about changing political climates may be partially true as states near the border, which were traditionally conservative like Texas have in recent years voted more and more liberal, the phenomena being mostly attributed to the Hispanic population; However, one cannot conflate liberal and leftist ideologies as mainstream Democrats have done much to expand free-market policies since the election of Bill Clinton. This is partly in thanks to Democrats’ much more tolerant public image and loose approach to border enforcement. Though many Hispanic groups like Cubans in Florida have traditionally voted Republican largely in part to being the descendants of exiles from Fidel Castro’s Communist Revolution. This would suggest that the Hispanic population cannot be considered a monolith, with consideration needed for every individual ethnic group.
