Tom Fudge : Sometime this week, the 300 millionth American is expected to be born. It may have already happened. The landmark baby is mostly likely to be born to a non-Hispanic white woman. But it’s almost as likely to be born to a Latino woman, or to someone who immigrated to this country.
The last time we saw a population milestone like this was in 1967. At that time, the arrival of the 200 millionth American was seen as a reason to celebrate. It was seen as evidence of America’s strength and vitality. Today, feelings are much more mixed. Growth is much more likely to be seen as a negative thing. It can be something that crowds our freeways and fouls our air. We’re going to talk about America’s growing population. Are there too many Americans. If so, why? And what do we do about it?
Guests
- Jeff Passel , senior demographer for The Pew Research Center.
- Vicky Markham , founding director of the Center for Environment and Population.
