Latin leap: Largest minority too often overlooked.

The following editorial appeared in the Dallas Morning News on Monday, June 30:

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It's official: Latinos have sprinted past blacks to become the nation's largest minority. As of July 2002, the United States was home to 38.8 million Latinos and 36.7 million blacks.

For all they have endured and contributed, blacks hold a special place in American history and in our national conscience. Still, this demographic shift is significant. Latino population in the United States increased by nearly 10 percent in the first two years of this century. That is nearly four times the rate of growth of the overall U.S. population.

The ...