---
title: "Latino Children in America"
description: "Hispanics now make up 22% of all children in the U.S. -- up from 9% in 1980."
date: "2009-06-15"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2009/06/15/latino-children-in-america/"
---

# Latino Children in America

The growing Hispanic population in America is reflected by the fact that 22% of all children under the age of 18 in America are Latino, up from only 9% in 1980. A majority of Latino children (52%) are “second generation,” meaning they are the sons or daughters of a foreign-born parent. In 1980, most Latino children were third generation or higher (57%), i.e., the U.S.-born children of U.S.-born parents. Today, that number stands at 37%. Hispanic children who are first or second generation are more likely not to be fluent in English and to have parents with less than a high school education. However, first- and second-generation Latino children are more likely than third-generation Latino children to live in married-couple families, and third-generation or higher children are more likely than the children of immigrant parents to use cigarettes, alcohol or illegal drugs and to engage in delinquent or violent behaviors. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1235/latino-children-immigrants-american-born)