Latino-Jewish Relations
According to a recent report of the U.S. Census Bureau, every year from the present until 2050, it is predicted that the race/ethnic group adding the largest number of people to the population will be the Latino population. After 2020 the Latino population is projected to add more people to the United States every year than all other race/ethnic groups combined. With this rapid growth in population, the Latino community faces special challenges to overcome educational, employment, and economic disadvantages.Immigration reform continues to be a priority for the Latino community as Latinos living in the United States maintain close relations with friends and family still living in Central and South America.
Former President Clinton's Advisory Committee on Race created an Initiative on Race and authorized the creation of an Advisory Board on how to build "One America" for the 21st century. The Board members canvassed the country meeting with and listening to Americans who revealed how race and racism have impacted their lives.
One of the issues that the Presidents Initiative on Race focused on was employment discrimination against minorities. "Testers" have been utilized to uncover systematic hiring discrimination. In one instance, a Hispanic tester was paired with a comparably qualified white tester. When the Hispanic tester applied for a receptionist position in a Washington suburb, she was told the company was not taking additional applications. The white tester called shortly after and was given an appointment for the next day. The Hispanic unemployment rate is 7 % higher than the rate for whites. Much of this disparity persists even when differences in educational attainment are considered. Moreover, discrimination in hiring and few job opportunities in low-income communities contribute to higher rates of unemployment among minority workers.
