US now has more Spanish speakers than Spain – only Mexico has more

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Guardian

US now has more Spanish speakers than Spain – only Mexico has more

Stephen Burgen in Barcelona
Monday 29 June 2015 13.12 EDT

The United States is now the world’s second largest Spanish-speaking country after Mexico, according to a new study published by the prestigious Instituto Cervantes.

The report says there are 41 million native Spanish speakers in the US plus a further 11.6 million who are bilingual, mainly the children of Spanish-speaking immigrants. This puts the US ahead of Colombia (48 million) and Spain (46 million) and second only to Mexico (121 million).

Among the sources cited in the report is the US Census Office which estimates that the US will have 138 million Spanish speakers by 2050, making it the biggest Spanish-speaking nation on Earth, with Spanish the mother tongue of almost a third of its citizens.

By state the highest concentration is in the former Spanish colonies of the south and south-west, with New Mexico top at 47%, followed by California and Texas (both 38%) and Arizona (30%). Some 18% of New Yorkers speak Spanish while only 1.3% of West Virginians do. Perhaps surprisingly, more than 6% of Alaskans are Spanish speakers.

Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jun/29/us-second-biggest-spanish-speaking-country

[Comrade Grumpy]

1. Que interesante. I bet they didn't even count me.

Anglo (that's Texan for white guy) who learned Spanish as a second language.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. They're talking about native Spanish speakers

So that wouldn't include you.

[a la izquierda]

3. I'd like to meet the 1.3% of West Virginians...

The study obviously doesn't include bilingual, non-heritage speakers. But honestly, there are zero Spanish speakers here that I know who aren't from elsewhere and/or affiliated with the university I work for.

[itcfish]

4. Just Curious

My parents were Spaniards, I speak Spanish, I am lilly white, born in the U.S., what am I considered in the US?

[EL34x4]

5. Technically, you are Hispanic

I used to work with a girl from Columbia. Blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin, Spanish first and last name, primary language was Spanish, identified herself as Hispanic and checked that box on the forms.

But I guess if you want to call yourself white, you have that option.

[candelista]

6. Federal guidelines: White, Hispanic (you can select both).

The 2007 final guidance allows individuals to self-identify their ethnicity and race, and permits individuals to select more than one race and/or ethnicity. This change authorizes individuals to more accurately reflect their racial and ethnic background by not limiting responses to only one racial or ethnic category, and expands reporting options to seven categories (American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White, and Two or More Races).

http://www2.ed.gov/policy/rschstat/guid/raceethnicity/index.html

[itcfish]

8. Thank You Both

I don't consider Hispanic a Race like they do on many forms you fill out. The only thing they have in common is language. Hispanics are of many races and cultures. Each country is different. To lump them all together seems a bit strange. The classification is totally absurd. In a generation or two even the language will be lost. It is just another tool to divide this nation.

[smirkymonkey]

21. I agree. We have a lot of South Americans working at our company.

For many of them, their first language is Spanish or Portuguese, but many of them are of Italian, German, Austrian, French, Scandinavian, etc. ethnicity. A lot of them are as varied ethnically as many North Americans. However, our HR department classifies them all as Hispanics.

Many North Americans only speak English, however very few of us have only (or even any) English blood in us. I never really understood why it should be different for South Americans.

[candelista]

7. The US will become a nation with two cultural paradigms:

Anglo-Saxon and Latin American. Is this a good thing?

[cyberswede]

11. Is it a bad thing?

My kids have learned Spanish since kindergarten and are both bilingual and biliterate. I see that as a strength.

[Beauregard]

12. Congrats on your kids' learning Spanish.

But that's not the issue.

[cyberswede]

13. What is the issue?

[Beauregard]

15. Whether it's good to be split into several cultures, like Canada, or Belgium.

America is made up of descendants of people from many different cultures, all of whom assimilated to Anglo-Saxon language, law, customs, etc. That's a good thing for national unity.

[cyberswede]

16. As far as I know, the US has never been a single "culture"

[Beauregard]

17. There is no such thing as American culture?

I think you are mistaken. Just my opinion. American culture is extremely popular all over the world. For something nonexistent, that's pretty good!

[cyberswede]

18. American culture includes people from whatever ethnic background they hail from.

Swedish, Mexican, Spanish, Polish, Italian...on and on.

I don't understand your point about "two cultural paradigms" - we have a bunch of "cultural paradigms" right now.

[Drahthaardogs]

22. I am not sure I agree with that

I am Italian American. We never adopted the Anglo Saxon culture. If anything, we adopted pieces of it and incorporated it into our own.
same for my Mexican friends. Assuming everyone adopted the Saxon ways is just not true.

[Newxtor]

9. Misleading

This counts USA people who can barely speak Spanish, as in the case of many second generation Latinos.

[cyberswede]

10. Please provide a link to support your premise.

[shenmue]

19. ???

[treestar]

14. Muy interesante

Las cabezas de Republicanos

[kwassa]

20. Portugese speakers: Portugal, 10 million, Brazil, 200 million.