Ethnic Groups in Texas

Texas, being the second largest state in the United States, has a very large and ethnically varied population. Since 1850, Texas has had more of a population growth in every decade than that of the entire population of the United States. Texas' population is growing older as the people of the post World War II reach their middle ages. It's estimated that the people over the age of 64 in Texas will more than double by the year 2020 in Texas. Four out of every ten Texans are either African American or Hispanic with the remainder predominately white. There are a small but very rapidly growing number of Asians and fewer than 70,000 Native Americans. The diverse set of ethnic groups in Texas causes a big impact on laws and legislature in Texas.

By 1800, Anglo settlements began to appear in East Texas. Although the first Anglos that immigrated to Texas were of English ancestry, some were Scottish, Irish, or Welsh. Additional immigrants to Texas included French, Scandinavian, and Eastern European peoples, with a few Italians and Greeks scattered about. It has been estimated that as many as 24,000 German immigrants settled in the Hill Country by 1860. Most of these people opposed slavery and as a result, fourteen counties in Central Texas voted 40 percent of higher against secession in 1861. Although the population growth of Anglo Americans declined during the Civil War and Reconstruction, it picked back up in the 1870's. Although the 2000 census says Anglos compose 52 percent, population projections show that this will most likely decline and the percentage of other groups will increase.

From 1836, when Texas became independent from Mexico, to 1900 there was little to no immigration from Mexico to Texas. Latinos primarily remained in areas such as Goliad, Laredo, and San Antonio. In South Texas, they were the primary population even though many Anglos were beginning to settle there after the Mexican War of 1846-1848. During the Civil War, however, Latinos moved west to displace Native Americans from their land. The rise of commercial agriculture created a need for seasonal laborers in the twentieth century. Many Latinos picked cotton, fruits and vegetables, or worked as ranch hands or shepherds. Latinos saw an improvement in wages and working conditions after World War II because they became more skilled and had more managerial, sales, and clerical professions.