Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - Census: Minority population up, whites down in North Dakota

Census: Minority population up, whites down in North Dakota

Nov 25, 2007 - 04:05:42 CST

By JAMES MacPHERSON
Associated Press Writer

North Dakota's minority population is growing and the number of white residents is declining, new Census Bureau estimates show.

Still, fewer than one in 10 North Dakotans is a minority, said Richard Rathge, the state Data Center director and North Dakota demographer.

Minorities in North Dakota last year totaled 51,751, or 8.1 percent of the state's total population of 635,867, which was down from 642,200 in 2000, the Census Bureau said.

North Dakota's minority population increased by 6,269, or 13.8 percent, from 2000 to 2006, the Census Bureau said. The latest figures show the state's white population decreased by 12,602, or 2.1 percent, during the same time.

Rathge said the decline in the white population resulted from a combination of deaths and outmigration.

"The minority population is increasing and the white population is declining - that's adding diversity to the mix, too," Rathge said. "Even though our racial minority population grew by nearly 14 percent, the actual numeric change is relatively small."

The latest figures show American Indian, Hispanic, Asian and black residents all had population increases in North Dakota.

The American Indian population, North Dakota's largest racial minority, grew by 2,750 people, or 8.7 percent, from 2000 to 2006.

Asians increased by 1,128, or 28.8 percent; blacks by 1,105, or 26.6 percent; and people of multiple races grew by 1,286, or 21.5 percent.

The Census Bureau said the number of Hispanic people in the state increased by 2,851, or 36.6 percent, from 2000 to 2006. Nationally, the Hispanic population grew 25.5 percent during the same time.

News > State

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Comments

SE Forty wrote on Nov 27, 2007 11:04 AM:

" Statistics. Like it or not, this little world called North Dakota won't always be just white. "

Point to Ponder wrote on Nov 25, 2007 10:48 PM:

" It's the Cycle of Life: old white people die off, others replace them. There won't be another migration to the Dakotas from Norway or anymore Germans from Russia to replace them. "

Bill wrote on Nov 25, 2007 9:36 PM:

" Dear Editor, Four things you should know about Dr. Rathge. 1. Rathge loves to compare his annual estimates against the actual 2000 census. Any statistician worth a darn would tell you that you cannot and should not compare these radically different methodologies. 2. If you compare the 2006 estimate to his 1999 or 2001 estimates, you get a completely different story. Better yet, look at how he reported 1999, 2000 and 2001. You will see a big jump from 1999 to 2000 and a similar drop from 2000 to 2001. Basically he returned to his previous estimate numbers instead of using the 2000 census as the new baseline. 3. Rathge's estimates and trends fly in the face of US Bureau of Labor Statistics workforce and state income tax filings, both of which show dramatic increases. 4. Rathge was an unsuccessful Democrat candidate for the ND legislature. All this makes one wonder if he has an agenda, doesn't it. The state, several larger cities and some counties have been complaining for years about the contradictions of his estimates and their actual experience. Fargo and Grand Forks are great examples. Rathge's potential shortchanging of North Dakota's population estimates is more than just a political problem. These numbers are used to determine federal aid. While most state demographers fight for higher population numbers, Rathge could be costing this state millions in federal aid. Hopefully, someone in the press will start to ask questions instead of blindly reporting his "findings". "

Movin' On Up! wrote on Nov 25, 2007 8:33 PM:

" A majority of citizens from the country of Mexico are slowly, but surely, moving North. The southern states can no longer facilitate the influx of illegal aliens, so the illegal aliens have no choice to move North to find work to feed and clothe their families. Consequently, you have two options, move further North into Canada or learn to speak Spanish. That way you can get to know your "New" neighbors. "

Just a thought wrote on Nov 25, 2007 8:04 PM:

" To Ideas....Sure, let's have the government have complete say over salaries...that is not a new idea....it's called communism. I know it works wonders with the economic conditions in Cuba. Also, collective bargaining has really worked out good for the people in Detroit walking the unemployment lines. They got such good wages and benefits that the manufacturers could not afford to keep them working, they sent all of the jobs overseas. Sounds like my idea of Utopia. "

sammyhain2364 wrote on Nov 25, 2007 7:28 PM:

" I think a more racially diverse population is a good thing and something that's been long overdue for North Dakota. "

OMG wrote on Nov 25, 2007 6:27 PM:

" Plenty of businesses DO pay a good wage. Evidently some of you think the only place to work here is at McDonalds. "

ummmm..... wrote on Nov 25, 2007 4:16 PM:

" and this is supposed to be a good thing???? "

To Fossilman wrote on Nov 25, 2007 3:30 PM:

" WHAT?????????????? "

Ideas wrote on Nov 25, 2007 2:41 PM:

" For starters, we should require business - those we give our tax money to in the name of economic development - to pay a decent wage. No decent wage for workers, then no public money. Also, we should remove the roadblocks to collective bargaining for employees. Both of these would increase wages and salaries of good hard working North Dakotans. "

Avid Reader wrote on Nov 25, 2007 2:07 PM:

" Guess we should be greatful for the minorities that are willing to move here for all those great paying jobs we have in our state. IF they didn't, our population loss would more than double. "

PS wrote on Nov 25, 2007 11:56 AM:

" Who started the census report any way, what's it for?? SO the state can get more money?? "

P.C. wrote on Nov 25, 2007 10:13 AM:

" How in the world is reporting on a Census Bureau report rasist? I think reporting on it in the first place would fall under the category of, "a slow news day." "

Just a thought wrote on Nov 25, 2007 9:57 AM:

" I agree Fossilman, what needs to be figured out are ideas that have a realistic chance of being implemented to stem and reverse outmigration. I'm sure that there will be a ton of anti Hoeven posts and low wage/high cost of living posts in response to this article. But none of those ever actually try to come up with viable solutions to the problem, they only want to complain and revel in their misery. I know that a single person (governor) cannot by themself change the way business is done in the state. It takes a combined, concerted effort by all elected officials make changes in the way the state addresses the business climate to make things better for all, workers and business owners alike. Unfortunately there is one thing that gets in the way of the political system working for the good of all, POLITICS. There are many good bills that don't even make it to a vote because the parties are so busy trying to beat down the other party (and it doesn't matter which side of the aisle you prefer, both are guilty), that they forget who they are representing, everyone in the state. So, to our politicians, please quit playing politics and do what you are hired to do, make our state the best place you can for us to live and make it desirable to outsiders to come in or back. "

Fossilman wrote on Nov 25, 2007 6:24 AM:

" Who really cares,this would be called kind of rasist,wouldn't it? "

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