National Geographic

town,” Fernandez explained to some of theout-of-town reporters who visited. “Early in themorning and late in the evening, no matter whatdirection you go ... north, south, west, east, you’regoing to see fields and ... people working. MainlyLatino, mainly of Mexican descent.”Wilder, where Latinos now make upthree-quarters of the population, has becomean unlikely symbol of the rising influence ofLatinos nationwide.Every day the rest of the United Statesbecomes a little more like Wilder. The nation’sLatino population has grown sixfold since 1970,reaching an estimated 57.4 million in 2016, ornearly 18 percent of the population, accordingto the U.S. Census Bureau. In most places wherethe locals say a community “feels” diferent fromwhat it did a generation ago, Latinos are thereason: They account for more of the nation’sdemographic changes than any other group.Because of this increase, the United States willbecome a “minority majority” country by themiddle of this century. This dramatic reorder-ing of the nation’s demographics has spawnedanger and conflict, which some opportunis-tic politicians and media commentators havehelped fuel by portraying whites as victims inan increasingly diverse United States. Such``````LATINOS: SHAPING AMERICA’S FUTURE 91