The Census Bureau estimates that, by 2042, there will be more members of "minority" groups in the American population than there will be "non-Hispanic whites" — a fact that should fill us with pride but, from what I've been able to discern, seems, rather, to be a source of alarm.

The general feeling I get from listening to numerous radio talk shows is that "they" are taking over and will soon ruin America. I sense a similar feeling among those who write me at the State Journal and assure me that Madison is going down the tubes because our city is nowhere near as white or as middle class as it was a few years ago.

Not only will there be more "minority" Americans, largely a result of higher birthrates, but there will be fewer "white" Americans, the Census Bureau projects.

The number of non-Hispanic whites will hover around 200 million by 2050, dropping slightly toward the end of that period. And the number of other ethnic and racial groups will increase from about 100 million today to a little less than 250 million.

The number of Hispanic Americans will nearly triple, to 133 million, and the percentage of the population that is Hispanic will double, from 15 percent to 30 percent of the population. And, yes, that probably will mean you will have to continue to "press one for English" when you call an automated telephone.

The changes bring some disruption. In Madison, about 50 percent of our kindergarten students are now "minority." About 17 percent of our student population is considered to have "limited" English language skills and 43 percent of our students qualify for reduced price or free school lunches. We aren't as white and middle class as we once were.

Is this a bad thing? I don't think so. It just means that our population is changing.

It wouldn't hurt to look back at 19th and early 20th century population trends to put things into perspective.

Most of our immigrants then were "white." But they weren't a homogeneous group.

The world may have only one Waunakee, but names such as New Glarus, Brussels, Berlin, New Berlin, Lisbon, New London, Rhinelander and Luxemberg all elicit images of other countries on other continents.

We tend to forget that many European immigrants came here to escape European wars — and ended up living side by side with immigrants from other European nations which were at war with their homelands. New Wisconsin residents of differing cultures and nationalities and most certainly different languages learned to live together, work together and build together.

Read Wineke's blog at www.madison.com/wsj/blogs

Already, the same studies that document achievement gaps between minority and white students in Madison also suggest those gaps are narrowing, even as the percentage of minorities increases.

As we go forward, Hispanics and Asians will increase in numbers, gain in prosperity and dominate the country — and they will end up speaking English. We are, as we all learned in elementary school, a nation of immigrants, a melting pot, and that is why we have prospered.

So, don't be afraid. Embrace the change. Things will turn out well. They always do for a country that doesn't fear change.