This report provides a preliminary assessment of Latinos in Indiana, particularly as they compare with other groups in the state and with other Latinos in the region and nation. It is based primarily on census publications, but includes findings from other recent work along with information gleaned from numerous interviews and observations currently underway for these purposes. The study finds that Latinos in Indiana are living under better economic conditions, on average, than Latinos elsewhere. While Latino population growth in Indiana has been sluggish, at least up to the present decade, the state’s overall growth has been slower still. Latino settlement patterns in Indiana, like elsewhere, tend toward concentrations in specific areas which do not always correspond to patterns among the population at large. Further reflecting Latino patterns elsewhere, Latinos in Indiana are predominately Mexican in origin, with Puerto Ricans constituting a distant second place among the remaining nationality groups. The major Hispanic origin groups in Indiana, as well as the state’s Latinos as a whole, are a relatively youthful group. Research cited here indicates that the state’s Latinos intermarry with non-Latinos at a remarkably high rate. However, the suggested scenario is actually consistent with research efforts on Hispanic intermarriage elsewhere: it is more likely to occur among higher status Latinos and Latinos outside of major Latino concentrations. There is little hard information on the issue of Latino growth in Indiana, yet there are clear indications that growth has accelerated as a result of immigration.

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