This shift underscores the importance of examining how Latinos identify themselves racially, which not only influences their sense of belonging but also influences the way they interact with other communities.
Despite these changes, some traditional Latino communities still have anti-Black attitudes, and discrimination is still present within our community. As a result, Afro-Latinos in the US often feel more comfortable with others with similar backgrounds. In contrast, those of Indigenous descent believe that discrimination hasn’t changed since they arrived from their home countries.
I come from a mixed family. My father is Black Puerto Rican, and my mom is white Puerto Rican. We Latinos are very mixed - with Native American, African and Spanish ancestry.
Louis Negrón
With over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector, Louis is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of 100 Black Men of Atlanta, a nonprofit organization that empowers and uplifts the African-American community through mentorship, education, health and wellness, and economic development.
Being Latino Enough
Louis shared that people didn’t expect to hear him speak Spanish so well when he moved to Georgia because he was Black. Because of that, he was used to hearing that he “wasn’t Latino enough.” However, being an Afro-Latino helped him integrate into multiple cultures in the US. He shared how his wife realized how Latino he was when she got to visit his family back in California.
Latino’s diverse culture is influenced by our various places of origin. We enrich Georgia's cultural landscape with roots spanning across Latin America—from Mexico to Venezuela to Nicaragua.
As of 2022, Mexicans are still the largest Latino group in the state, representing 49.9% of Georgia’s Latino population. However, Venezuelans saw the largest percentage growth in Georgia since 2010, with a 257% increase, followed by Nicaraguans (137.2%) and Bolivians (119.3%)1.
I taught her we were not in an interracial relationship. We were in an intercultural relationship.
Louis Negrón
Puerto Ricans account for the second largest population of Latin American descent, with over 116,000 living in Georgia. Puerto Ricans are American citizens by birth and therefore not represented as a separate country when referring to national origin1.
To accurately understand the reality of our community, it is important to recognize how place of origin intersects with immigration status and generational differences to influence personal experiences and community dynamics.
It is estimated that approximately 350,000 individuals who self-identify as Latino or Hispanic in Georgia are undocumented or under-documented4. These individuals not only have limited access to opportunities but are also invisible to the public due to fear and lack of data collection.
There's a misconception that we all need green cards to make it here. There are many ways of being in the US. I am Puerto Rican. People don't know I'm a citizen by right. But I'm still Latino.
Louis Negrón
US-born Latinos account for 99.2% of the Latino population growth in Georgia between 2010 and 20221.
Another complex reality is that of DACA recipients. The Migration Policy Institute (MPI) estimates that only about half of Georgia's DACA-eligible population are active DACA recipients as of 20236, likely due to the program being in a state of legal limbo, with new applications currently blocked by a court ruling.
The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an administrative relief policy that protects immigrants who arrived in the U.S. as children. DACA grants eligible individuals temporary protection from deportation and the ability to work legally. However, DACA recipients are not U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, nor do they gain official legal status or a pathway to citizenship.
The following chapters will explore in more detail how a place of origin and citizenship or immigration status influence an individual’s access to services and opportunities.
The Influence of a Younger Demographic
In Georgia, the Latino population is younger than the state average. About 62% of the Latino community is under 34, compared to 47% of the general population1. This demographic composition underscores the community's integral role in shaping Georgia's future, highlighting not only the economic power of the Latino labor force but also our political power.
The integration of Latinos into the broader community, largely driven by the significant increase in U.S.-born Latinos, is evident in language trends; English proficiency among Latinos in Georgia increased from 71.7% in 2010 to 81.4% in 20221.
Speaking Spanish at home helped me identify as a Latino while growing up.
Louis Negrón
These generational changes reflect the evolving face of American society and highlight shifts in the cultural dynamics of Latino families, as the use of Spanish at home has declined over the same period.
Like many of us, Louis also maintains other traditions and cultural preferences from our families and places of origin. Although many others don't speak Spanish or practice the same traditions from home, regardless of the language, our background, and how we look, we are all still Latinos.
Throughout the State
Over the decades, Latinos have established communities in various counties throughout the state, influenced by economic opportunities and personal choices. Despite metro Atlanta’s growth, Whitfield County had the largest number of Latino residents as a percentage of its total population in 20221, with 36.8%, followed by Echols (31%), Hall (29.3%), and Atkinson (25%).
These exurban and rural counties are home to some of the largest economic activities that attract the Latino workforce in the state: carpet and flooring manufacturing, poultry processing, and agriculture7.
Between 2010 and 2022, almost all counties in the state saw an increase in the percentage of Latino residents. Stewart, Webster, Telfair, Whitfield, and Chattahoochee counties were the five counties with the largest Hispanic population growth.
Today, Gwinnett, Cobb, Fulton, DeKalb, Hall, and Clayton counties are home to more than half (51.4%) of the state’s Latino population. Gwinnett alone is home to more than 200,000 Latino residents. By 2050, the 21-county area of Metro Atlanta is projected to add nearly 2 million residents8, with Latinos expected to significantly increase their share of the population.
Other sources of population growth
Significantly, the Latino or Hispanic population in some counties outside of Metro Atlanta experienced immense growth between 2010 and 2020—when accounting for both institutionalized and non-institutionalized populations. This growth, however, is not linked to the community's economic development or births; it is specifically driven by institutionalized populations.
An institutionalized population consists of individuals living in facilities like hospitals, nursing homes, and prisons. This group includes those under care or custody, such as patients and inmates, as well as employee residents and their families.
For example, between 2010 and 2020, Charlton County’s total Latino and Hispanic population grew by over 500%9. No other part of the state has come close to recording a similar trend. The growth in this particular county resulted from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) processing center opening in 2017 in Folkston, an immigration facility operated by the GEO Group, a Florida-based for-profit company.
Stewart County, home of the largest immigration detention center in the state, the Stewart Detention Center, managed by another for-profit corporation, also experienced significant growth from the Latino population. However, after the 2010 census, the county requested to exclude prison populations in their census counts10. Nine other Georgia counties did the same: Butts, Calhoun, Dooly, Johnson, Macon, Tattnall, Telfair, Washington, and Wilcox.
Although most demographic and socioeconomic indicators available through the American Community Survey (ACS) are based on non-institutionalized population counts, it is an important caveat to highlight–one which can vary by locality– when understanding the Latino community’s growth in some Georgia regions.
The growth of our community illustrates Latinos as an increasingly valuable asset, enriching Georgia’s cultural and economic landscape. Our bilingual and multilingual capacity enhances collaboration and innovation, underscoring the vital role that Latinos will play in shaping a vibrant future and supporting the economic development of the state.
