New US citizens 50 percent Latino

US: Latino residents comprised almost 50 percent of the million new US citizens naturalized in 2008, as confirmed by a US independent community association Wednesday.

According to the National Association of Elected and Appointed Latinos, those who became US citizens during the 2008 fiscal year doubled the amount registered in 2007.

The number went up to 461,317, representing almost 50 percent of a million new citizens in the period, 58 percent over the same period in 2007.

The US Domestic Security Department verified that among new US citizens there is a predominant number of migrants coming from Spanish-speaking countries.

Countries with the highest representation include Mexico, with 381,815 individuals, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Guatemala. The US National Census Bureau confirmed it would work with community organizations to include all undocumented migrants in the 2010 electoral count.

NCB director Thomas Mesenbourg said that it is necessary that each migrant or foreigner be counted, to optimize participation in the next elections in the country.

A census is conducted every 10 years in the US, and is used to define the number of seats in the House of Representatives, now with 453 seats divided accordingly. Washington, Prensa Latina