Alejandro Garcia, Center for American Progress: “Latinos are becoming a national presence and will represent a crucial segment of our nation’s future workforce. They accounted for more than half of the nation’s growth from 2000 to 2010 and will be a third of the overall population by 2050. Latino children currently make up more than one in five children in the United States. They are the youngest and fastest growing population in the nation. Yet Latinos are disproportionately affected by high rates of hunger and are experiencing record rates of childhood obesity. According to a recent study by the Department of Agriculture, rates of food insecurity were substantially higher than the national average among Hispanic households. The rate of food insecurity for Hispanics was 26.9 percent while the national average rate was 14.7 percent. Latino children made up almost 31 percent of the 16.6 million children experiencing low food security, meaning that their food intake was reduced and their normal eating patterns were disrupted because the household lacked money and other resources for food.”