Recent U.S. census data shows that between 2010 and 2020, the Hispanic population in Utah grew faster than it did nationally, and Utah outpaced most Western states.
More than a quarter of Utah's new residents last decade were Hispanic, and they’re younger than the state population overall, with a median age of 25 years compared to 31 years for all Utahns. Migration expert Julie Stewart called that “a huge part of the opportunity that migration to Utah offers.”
Stewart is professor at Westminster University in Salt Lake City and vice chair of the board of directors for the nonprofit Comunidades Unidas.
“We are facing a potential demographic catastrophe in which we're going to have many more people who are nearing retirement or in retirement than we have in those other age groups.”
She said the “fertility crisis” would be “far worse” if not for in-migration.
Stewart said the influx into Utah’s K through 12 educational system could put more financial and resource strain on schools, but it’s worth it because “we need young people to keep this state vibrant and producing the kind of economic output that Utah has been famous for.”
She also said there’s an imbalance between the contributions of migrants and the broader social services they receive.
“Migrants typically pay into the system through paying taxes, through making purchases,” Stewart said. “So they put more into the system than they get out.”
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ciara Hulet: What’s attracting Hispanic people to Utah?
Julie Stewart: A number of factors. It's our vibrant and growing economy. The last 5 or 10 years ago, it would also have been the relative affordable cost of living in the state. That has obviously changed recently, and I think a lot of people are really attracted to the sense that this is a very family-friendly state.
CH: Do a lot of them know people here, or are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
JS: Yeah, absolutely. They typically look for places where they already have somewhat of a network, whether it's family members, friend groups, members of the same church. And it makes perfect sense, right? When you think about moving, you're always thinking about “who will I know there? Will I be able to find community? Will I have people that I can share my interests and my passions with?” And migrants are no different. We all are migrants in a lot of different ways.
CH: What's Utah's reputation when it comes to welcoming migrants?
JS: The state of Utah [has] gone through various phases. I would say in the early 2000s leading up to the Olympics, and then after the Olympics, there was a lot of energy in this state to be a place that was friendly for immigrants.
I think we're in a place now where so much of the political conversation is focusing on the border, that we're right now in a lull. So I would say that our state policies are kind of in a state of quiescence right now. But I also think that now that we are going to be the recipient of the Olympics again, there's going to be a lot of energy to think about what kind of image do we want to project to the world? Do we want to project an image that says we are a welcoming place, we are a place with an international flavor?
CH: Utah's Venezuelan population grew faster than any other Hispanic group. It almost quadrupled between 2010 and 2020, that's nearly 8,000 more people. How do their needs differ from people coming from other Spanish speaking countries?
JS: If you are a migrant leaving Mexico for the United States, you know a lot of people who are in the U.S., and you know a lot of people who have spent time in the U.S. and have gone back, and it creates a greater degree of certainty. Those patterns are not there for Venezuela. It's been an abrupt process, and people are leaving with very few ideas of where they will end up, not having family, not having friends. They are the pioneers. So their needs are more urgent. There are fewer resources in one's informal networks that could help people build a home, find a job, get their basic needs met.
CH: How is Utah accommodating its growing Hispanic population?
JS: I would point to some of our schools across the Wasatch Front that have invested in increasing English language instruction. In schools that have basically added community outreach programs to provide translation services to families. There are some really excellent programs where schools will develop a food pantry so that they can meet the food needs of newly arrived migrants.
CH: Are there more needs the community is hoping to get met?
JS: Absolutely. Whenever you look at English classes for adult learners, there is almost always a waiting list. Most people, when they move to a new place, they want to move about comfortably. They want to be able to communicate. And we noticed that desire in looking at the demand to take English language classes, to get involved in civic initiatives, to be part of neighborhood associations. There's just huge opportunities to embrace that and to take advantage of that energy and make it work for everyone in Utah.
