As the state’s fastest-growing demographic group, Hispanics also are the fastest-growing market for Arizona businesses.
A new report sheds light on how fast that growth may be in coming years.
DATOS: Tucson, released last week by the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, forecasts that Hispanics will account for $40 billion of Arizona’s consumer spending during 2012. That figure will rise to $50 billion by 2015, the report said.
While focused primarily on Pima County, the report points to statewide figures and trends on the Hispanic market’s growth.
“It’s not a prophecy; it’s about mathematics,” said Loui Olivas, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business who led the research.
Hispanics account for about 30 percent of Arizona’s population at present and have a fertility rate almost twice that of white non-Hispanics.
“When a corporation or company is looking to see who is spending more, it’s the Hispanic market,” said Olivas, who also is vice president of education partnerships at ASU.
That market is younger and has more people per household. The median age of Hispanics in Arizona is 25.8 as opposed to 45.1 for non-white Hispanics, Olivas said.
And Hispanics as a group have larger families, the report found. Sixty-nine percent of Latinas, for example, live in households with four or more people, compared to 32 percent among non-Hispanics.
The report said Latino purchasing power in Pima County will reach $8 billion by 2015. Meanwhile, it said, Hispanics will account for almost two-thirds of Tucson’s new homeowners between now and 2017.
“If you’re a realtor in southern Arizona and you haven’t been considering how to reach the Hispanic market, you might want to think about doing so,” said Lea Márquez-Peterson, president and CEO of the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Márquez-Peterson said she hopes the findings will encourage businesses, nonprofits and political parties to recognize the importance of Hispanic consumers and businesses, which she said are often overlooked.
“Population growth trends are something that we want them to remember and consider as they make decisions,” she said. “There’s so much more to having a bi-cultural experience in business.”
Hispanics accounted for 16.7 percent of Arizona’s buying power in 2010, up from 9.8 percent in 1990, according to the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. Buying power refers to disposable income available for spending after taxes.
James Garcia, director of strategic communication and policy at the Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said advertising aimed at the Hispanic community is still disproportionately small compared to that market’s size.
As businesses look to tap into this market, they’ll have to consider Hispanic culture, he said.
“Do they have people that are bilingual? Are they aware of the fact that on average a Hispanic family tends to be larger?” Garcia said. “Do they know what the average income level is?”
Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, associate professor in the UCLA Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana and Chicano Studies, said Hispanics in the U.S. illegally also are important to Arizona’s economic health.
He conducted a study, released in August by the Center for American Progress, suggesting that legalizing Arizona’s illegal immigrants would result in an extra $540 million in state tax revenue.
“People working are highly repressed in their ability to work,” Hinojosa-Ojeda said. “[Legalization] directly results in greater consumption, economic activity, tax revenue.”
Juggernaut8000 posted at 6:21 am on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
What this study doesn't take into consideration is the tremendous cost this 'ethnic group' bears down on the American taxpayer in the form of incarceration, heath care, education and welfare. I see this as swipe of a publication is trying to make this group look beneficial to society, but the real cost remains hidden; and detrimental.
Leon Ceniceros posted at 7:09 am on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
What do you expect the Arizona "HISPANIC" Chamber of Commerce and the Tucson "HISPANIC" Chamber of Commerce to say........THAT ILLEGAL ALIENS ARE COSTING ARIZONA TAX-PAYERS .........BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
Folks..........if you see the "reporter" is from the ...CRONKITE NEWS SERVICE ...big, huge, monster-sized.......RED FLAGS....should go off in your head.
JUST LOOK AT THE COST TO THE ARIZONA TAX-PAYER FOR THE YEARLY SCHOOL COSTS OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE 30,000 ILLEGAL ALIEN SCHOOL CHILDREN = $7,670.00....PER ILLEGAL ALIEN CHILD = YOU DO THE MATH.
wdgnas posted at 7:24 am on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
just curious. what is the percentage of anglos that are incarcerated nationwide?
benji posted at 10:17 am on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
You know who contributes the most to Arizona society? Blue skies and dry air. That is the biggest economic draw to people that move here. Give me a break, why do people still make these "ethnic reports?" lol
DonMey posted at 11:11 am on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
A very biased source, but 50 billion out of 235 billion doesn't sound too far off. Also, "hispanic" does not mean illegal, as some people seem to be saying.
DavidNichols posted at 2:01 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
WAKE UP AMERICA?
The Hispanic Spending is only a small portion of the Vast Contibution HARD LABOR contibutes to America's Economy!
For the RECORD:
January 2008 began the start of the E-verify (Attrition) Law, and the I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs.
January 2008 was also the start of "The Great Recession", the "Foreclosure Crisis", and the "New Ballooning National Deficit".
This is No Co-incidence!
The HARD LABOR Immigrants gladly did for America was the very Foundation of America's Strong Economy!
Fact: For every good, hard working Immigrant Deported, or Incarcerated America has lost over Four Times as many American Jobs!
Fact: THe Twenty-five year period prior to January 2008 was "The Most Prosperous Period in Total U.S. History!
Fact: The Twelve Million Un-documented Immigrants warked Hard with us twards America's then Prosperity, and Strength!
"America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great."
Alex De Tocqueville
I.C.E. "Put the Car ion the Ditch."
This is our I.C.E.'d Economy!
To those Kicking Defenseless un-documented American Workers,Quit Bashing Hard Working Immigrants for our Crashed Economy, they were what helped make it Strong!
To: Good.
OldGuy61 posted at 2:37 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
DavidNochols: I sure would like to see your sources. When we stop having demonstrations with illegal immigrants carrying signs that say, "I am illegal and I'm not going to leave" then and only then will I start looking at the numbers for Hispanics. I have 2 of my 3 granddaughters who have had serious problems getting jobs because someone stole their Social Security Numbers. Both were illegal Hispanic immigrants who had taken out loans, had several jobs, and even had children of their own. My granddaughters were trying for their first real jobs and were 16 at the time. This had been going on for 9 years for one of the girls and 7 years for the other. I'm REALLY tired of people standing up for illegal immigrants. I have NO problem with LEGAL immigrants other than the fact that they help cover for the illegals in many cases.
Ateam1 posted at 3:49 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
Sarah Pringle:,you forgot to mention how much of the hispanic populations earnings end up in Mexico! Would you care to comment on this?I highly doubt it.Better luck next time for your stats. are incomplete.
DonMey posted at 4:09 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
Ateam - Excellent point. Mexico received over 20 billion in remittances, which is more than half of the "buying power" of Hispanics.
DonMey posted at 4:20 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
...in Arizona. (accidentally submitted) Obviously that number is nationwide versus just Arizona, but that only counts Mexico, and we have illegal immigrants from all over the world.
tededitedit posted at 7:43 pm on Wed, Sep 26, 2012.
I'm all for my hard working, patriotic, law abiding hispanic brothers and sisters (muchachos). I'm disgusted with my id-stealing, transient, unfriendly, entitled hispanic co-habitants (mooches).
loaning cash posted at 3:30 am on Thu, Sep 27, 2012.
We should start to treat everybdy the same. We are all equal. Everybod deserves good things. I do not understand why news like this one still take place.
Alicia from AmeriLoan Search
Arizona Willie posted at 7:21 am on Thu, Sep 27, 2012.
They keep publishing these articles about how good it is for the economy to have illegals here.
I know ... I know ... hispanic does not translate to illegal ... except when it does. When the media is using hispanic as a code word as it does in these articles.
They fail to mention how much having illegal workers takes AWAY from the economy in earnings by LEGAL workers which THEY would have to spend if there job hadn't been taken by an invading alien worker.
There is a direct correlation between the number of invading aliens in the country and the number of unemployed legal residents of America.
Arizona Willie posted at 7:25 am on Thu, Sep 27, 2012.
The media wants to plant the idea in everyone's head that since hispanics ( illegals ) contribute X dollars to the economy having them here is a GOOD THING.
The media totally ignores the cost to society of the invasion because that isn't paid for by businesses.
As long as employing invading aliens is good for a businesses bottom line -- the media will be all for it. If it costs YOU your job -- well too bad -- tell someone who cares.
DavidNichols posted at 11:28 am on Thu, Sep 27, 2012.
@ Oldguy61;
Since the start of the January 2008 E-verify Law, and the I.C.E. Deportation/Incarceration Programs America's Economy has Fallen off a cliff?
Before the Tens of thousands of vacated homes turned the realestate market upside down, and "Triggered " the "Foreclosure Crisis", the "Great Recession", and or "New Ballooning National Deficit", Americans seeking work could pick and choose pretty much any job they wanted!
This is "The worng road America is on."
This Great Nation of Immigrants was Built on Far Better Principles, and Values than to rip apart good Christian Families, and to Deport Parents away from their legal Citizen Children.
Over Forty-two Thousand Hispanic "Human Beings now lay Dead at the Harsh U.S. Mexico Border at the I.C.E. Dumping Grounds where I.C.E. has infact dumped Hundreds of thyousands of "Human Beings" into a known "Drug War" with nothing, not even water to be killed, or to Die of the Harsh Elements!
I am sorry your Grandaughters are having a hard time finding work, however with every Hard Working Immigrant Deported the job search will get harder.
Then we can further "Blame Immigrants"?
And please enjoy the skyrocketing Food Costs?
"America is great because it is good, when it ceases to be good, it ceases to be great"
Alex De Tocqueville
My Sources are the Reality of America now/vs. prior to January 2008 and the start of Deportation, and "Attrition", that has Persecuted Millions, including their Citizen Family Members, and Crashed my Country.
To: Good, and Brotherhood, from Sea to shining Sea.
Prosperity naturally follows Good.
samkat posted at 6:47 pm on Thu, Sep 27, 2012.
David: You must be using the democrat/Hispanic activist playbook word for word. Get a life and get realistic.
wdg: Perhaps you should answer your own question and while you are at it, provide us substantiated figures for Hispanics as well.
loose stool posted at 4:51 am on Tue, Oct 2, 2012.
20 billion will go back to mexico and if you figure in what the government pays out to illegals every month it ends up costing this state money. Not to mention all the crime they commit.
Jesus Christo de Nogales posted at 12:47 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
Arizona taxpayers pay for 53% of births in the state
Arizona taxpayers foot the bill for the delivery of more than half of all babies born here, a growing trend with a $200 million-plus annual price tag that has caught state leaders off guard. Please tell me that Illegal Mexican Occupiers aren’t part of this problem.
Jesus Christo de Nogales posted at 12:50 pm on Fri, Oct 5, 2012.
I saw an interesting interview on a Phoenix TV news program shortly after SB1070 was passed and signed by Brewer. The TV reporter was in a Hispanic neighborhood to ask various people about the impact SB1070 will have on their lives. They interviewed a family of Illegal Mexican Occupiers (IMO) who had been in the United States for 16 years. She was a stay at home mom and he worked in the landscape business. Together they had 7 children born in Arizona while neither of them had any form of health insurance coverage. They were packing their belongings and heading for Colorado. I still can't figure out how they paid the hospital bills for each of those 7 children born in the Phoenix area. Does anybody have any ideas? Surely they paid their own bills right???? There is no way that they would let the Arizona taxpayers pay for this? Right?