Despite being the state’s largest ethnic group and one of the drivers of Texas’ economic and demographic growth, Latinos face economic and educational disparities in Houston, according to data presented Aug. 23 at the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Summit.
Although they make up nearly 40% of the city’s workforce, Houston’s Latinos earn on average thousands of dollars less in monthly wages than non-Hispanics and are less likely to graduate from high school or have a bachelor’s degree.
“Latinos are a huge part of this city and this country,” Laura Murillo, president of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, said during the organization’s event at the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank’s Houston branch. “It’s time for us to be part of the fabric of this tapestry, not just the thread.”
Houston’s large Hispanic population grew by nearly 10% between 2009 and 2021 and now makes up 45% of the city’s more than 2.3 million residents.
Homeownership gaps faced by Latinos and African Americans in Houston were also highlighted. Only 37% of Latinos and 30% of blacks own a place to live, compared to 58% of whites.
The disparities are partly influenced by how young the city’s Latino population is, said Jim Granato, dean of the Recreation School of Public Affairs at the University of Houston (UH). Nearly half of Houston’s Hispanics are under 30.
“This has important implications for our future,” Granado said.
Hispanics still have economic gains in Houston. With a total of more than 11,300 businesses, it has a higher concentration of Latino-owned businesses than any other region in the country, according to Stanford University’s Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative.
According to the University of Houston, Hispanics in Harris County have made significant contributions in occupations such as professional, scientific and technical services, and health care and social assistance. The number of Latinos has increased by 40% since 2010.
The Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s annual summit, attended by hundreds of local businesspeople and officials, included thoughts on the political impact of the region’s Latino population as municipal elections approach in November.
Historically, Houston’s Latinos have been underrepresented in city government. Robert Gallegos, who attended the Aug. 23 summit, is the only Hispanic on the 16-member City Council, and the League of United Latin American Citizens sued the city last year. The strength of the Latino vote. .
Two-thirds of Latinos believe Houston is headed in the wrong direction, according to a Recreation School report released this summer. Home and auto burglaries, violent crime and street conditions were the top concerns for Latinos surveyed in the report.
Following national trends, Houston saw a dramatic drop in violent crime, particularly homicides, in the seven months through 2023.
The Houston Police Department said homicides in the city are down about 22%, and rates of other violent crimes are also down.
Meanwhile, Latino voters’ priorities that the city’s next mayor will need to address include flooding and the economy.
“The size and strength (surprised me) coming from the Hispanic community,” Granado said of the growing economic and political power of Latinos in Houston. “We’ll see better representation across the board.”
