The changing face of Utah

We're guessing a lot of Utahns aren't nearly as surprised by the latest Census demographic figures as a lot of rest of the country seems to be. USA Today's headline that a "'Wave of diversity' sweeps across Utah" could hardly come as a shock to anyone who has lived here over the last decade.

Officially, Hispanics now make up 13 percent of the state's population. That is a whopping 78 percent jump over the 2000 Census and a significant trend in a state that is solidly among the nation's fastest growing overall.

Utah is hardly alone. Similar headlines graced newspapers this week from Alabama ("Hispanic residents up 161 percent in Birmingham area") to Oregon, where little Umatilla County saw a 60 percent growth in its Hispanic population. This surge is beginning to change the mental picture Americans get when they consider ethnic minorities.

It also ought to make all Utahns more aware of the challenges that lie ahead. As with all newcomers to the United States, Hispanic immigrants will strive to assimilate as they also preserve their culture and add to the richness of the multi-faceted tapestry of Utah's landscape. Within a generation, or perhaps even sooner, the state can expect to see the emergence of more Hispanic political leaders taking their places on city councils and at the state Legislature. All state residents would benefit from efforts to help this assimilation along, rather than by hindering it.

That means, of course, an absence of the types of prejudice and hatred that have marred ethnic shifts in other areas. It also means government needs to make the right moves.

One of the best ways to help is to allow full access to the public and higher education systems. Education is a pathway to opportunity and freedom. It will ensure that the state does not end up with large pockets of disaffected and hopeless citizens forever relegated to second-class status. It also means setting up methods by which all who have the desire to contribute in positive ways may be allowed to do so. We're encouraged by recently introduced legislation that would move the state in this direction. That is in keeping with the state's tradition as a place that appreciates and welcomes newcomers.

There is no way to determine exactly how many of the 358,340 Hispanic Utahns counted in last year's Census are here legally. The ones willing to cooperate with Census takers may have been those who are documented. That means there may be many more Hispanic Utahns who were not counted. Regardless, they all are part of the state and should be allowed to succeed if they are willing to contribute.

The United States is not alone in its changing demographics. Pick virtually any free country on earth and you will find immigration pressures from cultures whose native lands are impoverished or lacking in opportunity. America is different from many of these in that, often in spite of itself, it historically has drawn strength from its immigrants, allowing them to bring fresh energy to the American spirit of freedom and liberty.

The Census has painted a portrait of a changing Utah. What remains to be seen is what Utahns will do with it.