A new study, Hispanic America: Faith, Values & Priorities, reveals Hispanic-Americans’ attitudes about faith, family, and societal issues and gives insights into how their views will impact the political, social and economic climate in the US.
The study, conducted by Barna Group (@barnagroup) in partnership with American Bible Society (@americanbible), the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (@nhclc), and OneHope (@FollowOneHope), finds that:
· 7 out of 10 Hispanic-Americans (69%) think public schools should teach the values found in the Bible
· 54% identify themselves first as Hispanic or Latino before American, Catholic or Christian
· Hispanic-Americans are "very concerned" about school dropout rates (58%), immigration (53%), unemployment (57%), healthcare (54%) and housing (52%)
· 42% say the Bible influences their views of political and social issues; however, four out of 10 Hispanics (43%) read the Bible less than once a year
· Hispanics believe the number one way they contribute to American society is through their commitment to family
· 78% say the traditional family is the main building block of a healthy community
· When faced with a moral or ethical choice, approximately one-fourth (22%) of those surveyed make choices based on principles or standards they believe in say they should do; those standards were most commonly defined by their parents or the Bible
· 97% of those surveyed indicated they are proud of their Hispanic heritage
By 2050, it’s predicted there will be no ethnic or racial majority in the US and Hispanics are projected to make up 25% to 30% of the population. Thus, Barna Group says, the impact of beliefs and behaviors of Hispanic-Americans is becoming increasingly significant.
Coinciding with the release of the report, Barna Group announced the creation of its Hispanic division.
In related news, Christianity Today (@CTmagazine) magazine is preparing to launch its publication in Spanish, titled Cristianismo Hoy, with the March/April 2013 issue.
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