For the first time since the 1850s, a majority of b a b ies b orn in California , the nation's most populated state, are Latino. This was the finding of a UCLA study re lea sed this week. The study b y UCLA's Center for the Study of Latino Health and Culture concludes that this trend will have long te rm effects on the state's schools, work force and politics.

Latino b irths crossed the 50% line in the second half of 2001 according to data drawn from California 's Department of Health Services. Latinos now constitute 1/3 of the state's population.

The num b ers were higher in southern California . In Los Angeles County , 63.5% of b a b ies are Hispanic. In San Diego County , 45.5% of b a b ies are Hispanic.

The study made several projections:

- in 2006, half of the children entering kindergarten will b e Hispanic

- in 2014, half of the children starting high school will b e Hispanic

- in 2017, half of the workers entering the work force will b e Hispanic

- and in 2019, half of the new voters in California will b e Hispanic

Education advocates seized on the report to push for more attention to b e paid to Latino students who are not perfo rm ing as well as their counterparts. Others focused on the health care implications of the data noting that Latinos often have less access to health care resources than mem b ers of other groups.

The study can b e found on UCLA's we site at http://www.cesla.med.ucla.edu/html/pdf/majority.pdf