On October 19, 2009, The Immigration Policy Center released the following report, taken from data distributed by the U.S. Census Bureau:

Washington D.C. - The U.S. Census Bureau recently released data on the Latino population of the United States that underscores the extent to which the immigrant experience is embedded in the social (and political) fabric of the United States in three important ways:

•    Nearly one out of every four people in the United States in 2008 was either an immigrant or the child of an immigrant. 

•    Immigrants who are naturalized U.S. citizens (and entitled to vote) accounted for 5 percent of the total U.S. population in 2008.

•    Two-in-five immigrants came to this country before 1990 and therefore have deep U.S. roots.  More than one-third of Latino immigrants came to the United States prior to 1990.

The political significance of these statistics should be apparent.  Latinos comprise the fastest-growing group of voters in the United States. The number of naturalized U.S. citizens is increasing rapidly.  And the electoral clout of "New American" voters who share a direct, personal connection to the immigrant experience-that is, naturalized citizens and the U.S.-born children of immigrants-is on the rise. Successful politicians will pay close attention to these demographic trends.

Read the fact check in its entirety:

•     American Roots in the Immigrant Experience (IPC Fact Check, October 19, 2009)

The postscript to this? Now that health care reform appears to be well on its way, immigration reform, which is quietly going on behind closed doors, is the next political battle. As Latino voters, now is the time to weigh in and show our voting clout!