A look at Latinos, by the numbers

The number of Latinos in the state grew by 49 percent from 1990 to 2000 to make up 7 percent of the total population. The state's white population shrank by about 4 percent during that time.

Latinos in Massachusetts and the United States now outnumber African-Americans. They are the state's largest minority group.

In Waltham, the Latino population grew by 55 percent from 1990 to 2000 and now makes up 9 percent of the population. In the same period, the white population shrank by 10 percent.

In 2005, 26 percent of Waltham's public school students were Latino, up from 14.5 percent in 1995.

Nearly 12 percent of the state's public school population is Latino, representing a 16 percent increase from five years ago. During that period, the state's white public school population declined by 3 percent.

In Waltham, the percentage of Puerto Ricans declined by 7 percent from 1990 to 2000 while the Mexican population increased by 172 percent and the Guatemalan population increased by 116 percent.

In 2000, Latinos owned 13,000 businesses in the state -- an 88 percent increase since the last US Census business survey in 1992.

Source: US Census, Mass. Dept. of Education