What Does The Future Of America Look Like? 1 Of 5 Current Kindergartners Are Latino

Latinos may no longer be the fastest growing minority group in the United States -- according to data from the United States Census Bureau, while non-Hispanic whites are still the largest racial group in the country (197.8 million), Asians were the fastest growing minority group in the United States in 2013 -- but that's not to say they won't be the predominant minority group in the future. Currently, there are 54 million Hispanics in the United States -- that's 17 percent of the nation's population -- which makes Latinos the largest growing minority group.

According to the most recent findings by the Pew Research Center, at least one-in-five public school kindergartners are Latino which hints at the Latino-dominant future demographic of the US. In fact, according to the data, the states where Latino children make up at least 20 percent of the public school kindergarten population are ones that have low Hispanic immigrant populations (e.g. Nebraska, Idaho and Washington). In other states, the 'one in five' statistic is higher. For instance, in Kansas, Oregon and New York, one in four public school kindergartners are Latino.

According to U.S. Department of Education projections, there will be a growth in minorities in classrooms in the upcoming academic year. An estimated 50.3 percent of students will be of minority background -- a stark different from the 1997 statistic of 36.7 percent of students. In fact, a new study from the Center for American Progress has found that almost half the student population in the American public school system are nonwhite with 23 percent being Hispanic/Latino, 16 percent African-American, and 5 percent Asian. This value is a significant increase from previous years -- minorities made up 31 percent of public school students in 1993 and 41 percent in 2003 -- and the rates are expected to rise.

Considering the growth of Hispanic students in schools, one can see why the "diversity gap" seen in public schools is a problem. A study from the National Education Association (NEA) has found that of the 3.3 million public school teachers in America, 82 percent are white, 8 percent are Hispanic/Latino, 7 percent are African-American, and 2 percent are Asians.

"Whatever the root cause of the lack of diversity among the teacher workforce, one thing is clear: States and districts have not done enough to address the issue," said Ulrich Boser, the author of the report. "Few states have created rigorous programs to help individuals of color enter the teaching profession. Not nearly enough districts have offered bonuses or other benefits to people of color who are interested in becoming educators. To make matters worse, in some cities, such as Boston, the number of black teachers is actually declining."