Latinos now make up a majority of California's public school students, cracking the 50% barrier for the first time in the state's history

Almost 50.4% of the state's students in the 2009-10 school year identified themselves as Hispanic or Latino, up 1.36% from the previous year. In comparison, 27% of California's 6.2 million students identified themselves as white, 9% as Asian and 7% as black. Students calling themselves Filipino, Pacific Islander, Native American or other total almost 7%. While the result was no surprise to educators, experts say the shift underscores the huge impact Latinos already have on California's politics, economy and school system.