Salvadorans Become the Third Largest Latino Group in the United States

Population skyrockets, concentrates in nine states...  

While there is evidence of migration by Salvadorans to the US since the time of the California Gold Rush, the vast majority of this growth has taken place in the past thirty years, corresponding to the Civil War years (1980-1992) and the immediate post-War decade. (Source: Southern California Quarterly Vol. 91, No. 3, Fall 2009  A Gold Rush Salvadoran in California’s World 1857 By Hayes Bautista, Cynthia Chamberlin, and Nancy Zuniga pp. 257-294)  However it was not until recently through the Census 2010 and American Community Survey that accurate and reliable data on this community has become available.  The 2010 Census and subsequent estimates by the Census Bureau reveal that projected population growth of Salvadorans will make this the third largest Latino origin group in the US in the early part of this decade.  This fact, would have gone largely unnoticed were it not for the Pew Hispanic Center’s analysis of the American Community Survey 2011 in their report entitled “Diverse Origins: The 14 Largest Hispanic-Origin Groups” made public in June 2013.   

The implications of this demographic change can be cause celebre for many in this community; symbolically marking a transformation from what was once largely a refugee group to one that has matured and become a permanent part of the US fabric in little over thirty years.  Nevertheless, some data may also cause concern.  For example, it has been found that Salvadorans (and Guatemalans) lag behind other Latinos in terms of educational attainment,something which could be useful in creating initiatives to address this issue--- after-school programs, drop-out prevention initiatives, or programs that promote higher education.  There are a myriad of ways this data can be used creatively in the public & private spheres.

Salvadorans in the United States: An Overview

Census 2010 provided an unprecedented look at Salvadorans living in the US- the decennial census is considered the best figure because it is an actual count- not an estimate. (In subsequent posts I'll explain why this is the best count and the shortcomings of the previous census'.)  

It showed dramatic increases in the number of people identifying themselves as Salvadoran or Salvadoran-American compared to Census 2000. (US Total: 655,165)

The number of people who identified themselves as Salvadorans in Census 2010 in the United States was 1,648,968, making this the fourth largest Latino group in the country.  However, projected growth figures showed that Salvadorans would surpass the Cubans to become the third largest Latino group in the country early in the decade. Subsequent estimates by the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey support this and in fact, between 2010-2013, the Pew Hispanic Center has begun working with this assumption using information the ACS 2011 estimates.

(Source:http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/06/19/salvadorans-may-soon-replace-cubans-as-third-largest-u-s-hispanic-group/ )

(Source:http://learn.pacificcoastimmigration.org/countries/profiles/sv/index.html)

Salvadorans across the United States

In the past, the Golden State was the landing pad for many from El Salvador, a position which began to change as later migrants gained footholds in other states. This has further declined over the past decade as the economic downturn led to an outflow of residents looking for opportunities elsewhere. There is scant numeric data tracking these population’s movements, yet plenty of empirical and qualitative data-- E.g. people's family members go straight to Houston and then perhaps NY, NJ, or MD/DC/VA areas.

• The largest concentrations of Salvadorans live in the top three states (CA, TX, NY).
• California remains the state with the largest concentration with 35% of the entire Salvadoran population
• The top nine states alone account for 81% of the entire Salvadoran Diaspora 
• The past decade has witnessed a growing number of Salvadorans moving to the VA, MD, and Washington DC areas, which together are now home to a combined 264,200 or 16% of the entire Salvadoran population in the US
• The Salvadoran Diaspora is highly concentrated in various large metropolitan areas throughout the country

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Description of the Salvadoran-American community in California using Census 2010 Numbers

California remains by far home to the largest concentration of Salvadorans outside of the home country.   

• The entire Salvadoran population of California according to the Census 2010 is 573,956. (Total 2000: 187,193)
• The largest concentration of Salvadorans in California is Los Angeles County solely accounting for 63% of the entire population in the state
• The nine Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Napa, Solano, Sonoma) make up 17% of the Salvadoran population in the state
• Excluding Los Angeles County, the six Southern California Counties (Kern, Ventura, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego) make up 15% of the state’s Salvadoran population

City of Los Angeles

The City of Los Angeles is still the single largest concentration of Salvadorans in the United States with a total 247,765. While there has been some migration to eastern Los Angeles County, the Salvadoran population is noticeably concentrated mostly within the City of Los Angeles limits. 

• The City of Los Angeles by itself equals 15% of the overall population in the entire US or by itself more Salvadorans than the entire state of Texas.
• 30% (80,154) of this population is concentrated in the top ten zip codes in the Central & South LA and San Fernando Valley areas.