Which Way, L.A.?

What Is Hispanic?

Lots of people don-t know they-re Hispanic. Many others think they-re Hispanic when they really aren-t. In any case, Hispanics-or Latinos, have now surpassed blacks as America-s biggest, official minority, and in California, more than 50 percent of all newborn children are Hispanic. But what does the term -Hispanic- really mean? How will this ethnic population shift affect public policy issues? We hear more about the terminology and the people from Jorge del Pinal of the US Census Bureau and Harry Pachon of the Tom-s Rivera Policy Institute, a Latino issues think-tank at Claremont Graduate University. Making News: War, Tech Woes, Deficit Slow California-s Recovery As recently as last fall, Los Angeles County-s Economic Development Corporation was bullish on California-s recovery. Not any more, says the LAEDC Chief Economist Jack Kyser, who has reduced his forecast for job creation. Reporter-s Notebook: With NY, DC Officially Terrorist Targets, What about LA? Anti-aircraft missiles now guard the Washington Monument, and police on Capitol Hill are carrying gas masks. Mayor Michael Bloomberg has told New Yorkers not to worry, even though museums, hotels and subways are now subject to searches by armed police and bomb-sniffing dogs. So what about Los Angeles? Jack Weiss, who sits on the LA City Council-s Public Safety Committee, says it-s time to prepare for a catastrophic attack.