The population of the United States is becoming more culturally diverse each day. Of the over 284 million people in our total population, almost 20% are ethnic minorities. It is predicted that if current trends continue, Americans 65 years old and over will make up 20% of the population by the year 2030 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000). Additionally, about 1 in 5 Americans have some type of disability, and 1 in 10 have a severe disability (U.S. Census Brief, 1997). North Carolina paints a similar picture. Of the over 8 million people residing
in NC, 70% are white (a decrease from 72% in 1990), while African-Americans remained steady at about 22% of the population. Most striking is the fact that the Hispanic/Latino population surged 394%, accounting for 4.75% of our residents compared to 1.2% in 1990. The number of North Carolinians who identified themselves as "only Asian" or "Asian and another race" increased 173%. NC also has the seventh-largest American-Indian population in the nation. Twelve percent of NC residents are 65 years of age or older (an increase of over 21% since 1990), while 75 year olds and older increased 36%, and 85 year olds and older grew even faster to 53% during that same decade. In addition, more than 29% of NC residents are non-institutionalized persons with disabilities, and 8% speak a language other than English (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)
