Philadelphia’s Latino population increasing

For the first time in Philadelphia history, blacks outnumber all other ethic groups in the city. That’s according to numbers compiled in the 2010 census, which shows the black population at just over 43 percent, while the white population is 41 percent. Meanwhile, the number of Latinos living in the city is increasing.

Twenty years ago, Latinos made up just 5 percent of the city’s population. But today, that number has more than doubled, jumping to 12 percent.

“If you look at it from a pure numeric standpoint, Latinos are 12 percent of the population and I think the representation of (Philadelphia City) Council has somewhat mirrored that over the last couple of decades,” said Ken Trujillo, board chairman of Congreso de Latinos Unidos.

At the state level, the numbers don’t mirror the Latino population of almost 6 percent. Out of the 253 legislators in the Pennsylvania House and Senate, only one lawmaker is Latino.

Trujillo said most of the state’s Latino population is concentrated in Philadelphia and the Lehigh Valley, and come from Puerto Rico and, more recently, Mexico.