Los Angeles -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- For the first time in U.S. history , the largest single group of poor children in any racial or ethnic category is Hispanic , according to a new survey . Calling it `` a negative milestone '' in Hispanics ' explosive growth in the United States , the Pew Hispanic Center study said in 2010 , 37.3 % of poor children in the U.S. were Hispanic , compared with 30.5 % white and 26.6 % black . The Pew analysis of new census data put the number of Hispanic children in poverty at 6.1 million in 2010 . This negative trend has emerged as the 2010 census confirmed for the first time that Hispanics are the nation 's No. 2 group , surpassing African-Americans . Hispanics now make up 16.3 % of the total American population -- but in the youth demographic , Hispanic kids comprise an even bigger share -- 23.1 % of U.S. children are Latino , the study said . See how Hispanics drove the growth of the white population The study found there are 6.1 million Latino children living in poverty , and more than two-thirds of them -- 4.1 million -- are children of immigrant parents . Of those 4.1 million , 86 % were born in America , the study said . The remaining 2 million poor Latino children have U.S.-born parents , the study said . Prior to the recession , more white children lived in poverty than Latino kids , but since the recession began in 2007 , those positions reversed , and the number of poor Hispanic children grew by 36.3 % between 2007 and 2010 , or 1.6 million , the study said . The number of white and black children in poverty also grew , but not as big , the study found . See how the white population changed in relation to minorities The recession hit Latino families hard : the unemployment rate among Hispanic workers is 11.1 % , compared with a national rate of 9.1 % , and the household wealth for Latinos fell more sharply than for white or black families between 2005 and 2009 , the study said . Food insecurity also grew among Latinos , with one-third of households facing the problem in 2008 , up from 23.8 % the prior year , the study said . Leaders of programs serving the poor said Thursday their experiences match the study 's findings , which was released Wednesday . In his twice-a-month acts of charity , Reverend Carlos Paiva has noticed the increasing number of Latino youngsters who arrive with their families at his Angelica Lutheran Church near downtown Los Angeles . The church gives free rice , beans , potatoes , onions and fruits to needy families , he said . `` The numbers are growing , '' Paiva said about Latino kids who show up at the church with their families . `` The average age of the people who come here for food is 10 years old . '' Michael Flood , CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank , said his group 's recent summer lunch program for poor children saw `` a lot more kids from the Latino community . '' `` It worries us , '' Flood said . `` Given the fact that the economy has n't turned around , it 's a more desperate deal . '' Victor Martinez , director of programming at Bienestar , a nonprofit that runs nine health community centers in southern California for Latinos , said he was `` sad and disappointed to see that my community is facing these problems . '' `` Especially for the more recent immigrants , they have more limited resources to work . We have more requests to go to the food bank and housing , '' Martinez said .