Census data predicts that Generation Z will be the last in America where the white population is the majority, with the ‘majority minority’ trend believed to have begun with Generation Alpha (born post-2010). By 2045, non-Hispanic white people are expected to comprise less than half of the total U.S. population. However, some experts dispute this interpretation of data, arguing it oversimplifies the complexities of racial identities.
Discussions on America’s decreasing white majority are contentious, given the country’s history of slavery and ongoing discriminatory practices against minorities and immigrants. While some herald the growing diversity as a boon for future prosperity, others see it as a threat to the nation’s white heritage.
By 2045, it’s projected that over 18 million people will identify with two or more races. If these individuals are subtracted from the total, the non-Hispanic white population increases to 52 percent of the remaining population, restoring their majority status.
Richard Alba, a distinguished professor emeritus in sociology at the City University of New York, argues that the idea of a looming majority-minority America is incorrect and divisive. He advocates that we are forming a new, highly diverse mainstream society with whites being a significant part of it.
Demographers argue that America’s future prosperity relies on a diverse population due to the aging workforce and falling birthrate. Future censuses are hoped to better capture the nuances of multiracial America to offer a more comprehensive understanding of ethnicity and race in the country.
