St. Paul, MN – A new report from Hispanic Advocacy and Community Empowerment through Research (HACER), in partnership with the Chicano-Latino Affairs Council (CLAC) and the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC), reveals a critical link between the educational success of Minnesota’s burgeoning Latino population and the state’s future economic vitality. The findings suggest that by leveraging the intercultural knowledge and language skills of Latino students, Minnesota can significantly bolster its global competitiveness.

The report highlights that Minnesota’s rapidly growing Latino population, which increased by nearly 75% between 2000 and 2010 compared to just 1.6% for White residents, is poised to become a cornerstone of the state’s workforce. With over 40% of Latinos under the age of 20, their educational attainment directly impacts Minnesota’s ability to support an aging population and fill critical job vacancies.

“Minnesota is an aging state, and an increasing percentage of our younger workers are ethnic minorities, with Latinos growing at a faster rate than all other demographic groups,” the report states. “In order to support retirees and to maintain Minnesota’s high quality of life, Minnesota will need the younger generation to be highly productive workers – which means they must also be well-educated.”

The research underscores the economic benefits of improving Latino educational outcomes. The Alliance for Excellent Education estimates that if just half of the Latino students who dropped out of school in Minnesota in 2008 had graduated, they would have collectively contributed $7.3 million in additional income, $5 million in spending, and $2.1 million in investment annually to the state’s economy. These numbers don’t even account for cost savings in healthcare, welfare, and crime prevention associated with a more educated populace.

Moreover, the report emphasizes the invaluable asset of multilingualism and biculturalism in a globalized economy. With the U.S. having free trade agreements with the majority of Spanish-speaking countries, and corporate executives noting reliance on foreign-born individuals for “divergent and complementary cultures,” the linguistic and cultural fluidity of Latino students is not just a personal advantage but a significant statewide economic one.

“Creating more Latino STEM professionals is not just a matter of equal representation,” an IBM Corporation report cited in the study concluded. “Given demographic trends, it is also essential to maintaining America’s competitive edge in the global market.”

The HACER report serves as a “roadmap” to help Minnesota tap into this potential, advocating for policies and practices that foster a more successful learning environment for Latino students, ultimately enriching both the state’s economy and its cultural fabric.