Andrew Erlich

Jacob Reuben Erlich lived an exceptional life; all the more so given his status as one of the world’s tallest men, towering above his contemporaries at an astonishing 8 foot 6.

As a teenager, Jake was discovered during a visit to California, where he became a denizen of 1920s Hollywood and starred in some 50 silent films. He then spent 14 years touring with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a sideshow performer. Later still, he would earn renown as a painter, poet, photographer and sculptor whose works can be found in the permanent collection of the Museum of Natural History in New York. As if this were not enough, he was also an accomplished dancer, musician, vaudeville entertainer, expert marksman, and the key witness for a landmark libel case that set new professional standards for medical research.

Consider some recent statistics drawn from the 2011 U.S. Census: Nearly a quarter of all births in the U.S. in 2010 were to Latino women. Almost 52 million Latinos lived in the nation in 2011, representing 17% of the population. This is an increase of 48% from 2000. The number of Latinos living in the U.S. is forecast to reach 128.8 million – or approximately 31% of the population - by 2060.

According to the Pew Research Center:

• If current trends continue, the U.S. population will increase from 296 million in 2005 to 438 million in 2050. 82% of this increase will be due to the arrival of immigrants and the birth of their descendants.
• The white population in the U.S. is expected to increase more slowly than other racial and ethnic groups, becoming a minority (47%) by 2050.