The Salt Lake Tribune
By Brandon Loomis, Rosemary Winters and Tony Semerad
Published: Aug 7, 2008 

Latino surge: Census a snapshot of Utah's future? 

Latinos have led Utah's robust population growth since 2000, surging faster than other residents in 28 of 29 counties, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates. 
In some counties the shift is explosive, such as a 121 percent jump by Latinos in Wasatch County, where the rest of the population grew by 30 percent from the 2000 Census through July 1 last year. In other cases, the diversification just kept chugging along: 48 percent Latino growth in Salt Lake County, which increased by 12 percent overall. 

The demographics report shows a blending of cultures and colors statewide - a trend experts and advocates say is starting a political shift that will crescendo in a generation. Even in Tooele County - the only one where the Anglo spurt outpaced the percentage growth by other groups - Latinos added more than a quarter to their numbers since 2000. 

Statewide, the Latino population has swelled by 105,000 - to top 306,500 - since 2000. That's a 52 percent leap. Latinos now comprise nearly 12 percent of all Utahns (and most experts agree the real number is higher). 

Some Latinos who have relocated here since 2000 say "family" is Utah's attraction. 
For Murray medical clinic assistant Silvia Aviles and her husband, Manuel, the Salt Lake Valley was a better option than Los Angeles County, Calif., where they left two years ago. Now, owning a home for their three boys is a realistic goal. 

Utah is a "family state," she said. "I wanted them to have a really normal childhood." 
Gloria Medina Grass likewise came for her family's sake, immigrating to Park City from Mexico for what she thought would be a six-month housekeeping stint. She hoped her sons would learn enough English to help them later in jobs at U.S.-owned factories in Chihuahua.