英语听力精选进阶版 13770

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America's changing identity

Summary

21 May 2012

For the first time, children from Black, Hispanic, Asian and mixed-race families make up the majority of births in the United States. Sociologists have suggested that it's an important landmark¹ in the changing identity of American society.

Reporter:

Jonathan Blake

Report

The US census² bureau recorded that just over two million babies were born to ethnic³ and racial minorities in the year to July 2011, making up just over half of new arrivals. In 1990, just 37% of births were from racial minorities. It means for the first time non-Hispanic white babies being born in the US are in the minority.

Analysts⁴ have pointed⁵ to several factors which could account for the shift. The overall birth-rate in the US is declining, but that drop is steepest among white people, thought to be the fault of the weaker economy. The economic slow-down could also account for fewer Hispanics entering the United States from abroad.

Sociologists have suggested the data is evidence of a sweeping⁶ change underway in the racial make-up of the United States. The older generation is dominated by white people, but the younger demographic is increasingly diverse. Racial minorities make up just over a third of America's population. Trends such as the one identified here suggest that is likely to change over time.