Most impressively, U.S. Latino GDP grew 21 percent faster than India’s and 30 percent faster than China’s.

He is also the creator of Migrant Force, a multiplatform dedicated to promoting the economic and political power of Mexicans in the United States. “Education and civic engagement are essential for our community to reach its full potential,” he says. While Lucero’s economic success is outstanding, his desire to excel is not an isolated case but the common denominator of millions of Latino immigrants.

Persistence and hard work

Para el Dr. David Hayes-Bautista, director del CESLAC (Centro de Estudios de la Salud y Cultura Latina), gracias a su persistencia y trabajo duro, el desempeño económico de los latinos en Estados Unidos es impresionante. Un estudio reciente titulado “2021 State Latino GDP Report, of which Hayes-Bautista is co-author, reveals that the GDP of the Latino population in this country amounted to 2.6 trillion dollars in 2018. This means that, if Latinos were an independent nation, they would rank eighth worldwide, with a GDP higher than countries such as Brazil, Italy or South Korea. Most impressively, U.S. Latino GDP grew 21 percent faster than India’s and 30 percent faster than China’s. These figures, according to Hayes-Bautista, contradict the entrenched stereotype among certain anti-immigrant sectors that Latinos come to the United States to commit crimes or to live on public assistance. “We are not lazy, nor criminals, we come to work and contribute and this study proves it,” he says.

Increase in consumption

Much of Latinos’ extraordinary economic performance is due to consumption. According to the study, between 2010 and 2018, actual consumption among this group grew 135 percent faster than that of non-Latinos. Total consumption in 2018 among Latinos residing in the states of Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas was $1.36 trillion. These eight states are home to nearly three-quarters of the nation’s Latinos. Hayes-Bautista explains that the rapid growth in consumption is essentially due to accelerated growth in the Latino population and its strong participation in the labor market, particularly in the education and health care (16.0 percent), professional and commercial services (12.6 percent), and government (8.2 percent) sectors. Regarding the growth of the Latino population, the report indicates that, between 2010 and 2018, the non-Latino population in California grew by 3 percent, while the Latino population increased by 13 percent. Hayes-Bautista clarifies that this growth was not driven by migration but by a high fertility rate within this group. The report also highlights that from 2010 to 2018, the educational attainment of Latinos grew at a rate 2.5 times faster than that of non-Latinos. During that period, the labor force participation rate for Latinos in California averaged 4.6 percentage points higher than that of non-Latinos. In 2018, Latino labor force participation was 5.0 percentage points higher overall. Latinos in general—and specifically in California—also have a longer life expectancy than non-Latino whites (83.6 years compared to 80.8). This is because, according to Hayes-Bautista, they take better care of their health. “In the case of the pandemic,” he clarifies, “Latinos were one of the hardest-hit groups because they did not have the same access to COVID-19 vaccines as others and because they could not stay home, as many are essential workers.” The study’s most important takeaway, Hayes-Bautista notes, is that Latinos are a major source of economic vitality for the United States due to their hard work, family values, and strong health profile.