Latino families have historically lived and settled in communities in Southwestern states, such as Texas and California, and large gateway cities, such as Los Angeles. The Hispanic population continues to grow in these communities. However, since the 2000s, have seen particularly rapid growth in their Hispanic populations (emerging communities).

In our brief, “The Changing Geography of Hispanic Children and Families,” we documented change in the Hispanic populations of three counties in three states in 2000 and 2014: a traditional gateway community, Los Angeles County, CA, and two emerging communities, Gwinnett County, GA, and Mecklenburg County, NC.

From 2000 to 2014, the Hispanic population in Los Angeles County increased by 15 percent. Despite having a much smaller Hispanic population, Gwinnett and Mecklenburg counties saw a 180 percent and 186 percent growth in their Hispanic population, respectively, during this same time period. We know from other research that, not by immigration.

As communities across the U.S. become more diverse, programs and policies aimed to support families and children need to make sure they are equipped to support all families. This resource guide identifies easily accessible resources on cultural competency that organizations can use to become more responsive to the needs of their targeted populations.

For more on the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families, visit our website at https://hispanicrescen.wpengine.com/ and follow the Center on Twitter @NRCHispanic.