Nation's young more diverse

White people now represent less than half of American 3-year-olds, according the New York Times and a Brookings Institution analysis of census data.

In eight states – Arizona, California, Florida, Hawaii, Mississippi, Nevada, New Mexico and Texas – and the District of Columbia, whites are actually the minority in nursery schools, preschools and kindergartens. And according to demographer at Brookings William H. Frey, Georgia, Louisiana and Maryland aren’t far behind.

"We are on our way to having a majority of minority students in U.S. schools," Frey said.

The minority population growth is mainly among Hispanics, blacks and Asians. The United States has been experiencing the largest surge of immigration since the early 20th century, accounting for the growth in young minority Americans. 

Currently, the older population and baby boomers are overwhelmingly white. The young minority students will begin replacing the white baby boomers as they retire. Education experts fear that because the United States is lagging behind in educating minority youths, there will be a delay in increasing the quality of education for them.