San Diego , California ( CNN ) -- For many Americans , the scariest phrase in the English language is `` changing demographics . '' It 's never easy to adjust to change -- especially when the thing that is changing is nothing less than the complexion of the country . America is being transformed before our eyes . In the early years of the 21st century , many white Americans are trembling at the thought that -- within three decades -- they 'll be the minority in the United States . The demographic `` doomsday '' is about 2043 , according to the most recent projections . If you 're the kind of person who stays up at night worrying about such things -- either because you fear that you will be marginalized in the future , or because you 're feeling a little guilty over how African-Americans , Latinos , and Asian-Americans have been treated and you 're hoping they 're not holding any grudges -- living in America at this moment means having to endure one terrifying story after another . In 2012 , the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that -- because of immigration , and high birthrates among Latinos and Asian-Americans -- whites had become a minority among babies . In 2013 , the headline was that , for the first time , racial and ethnic minorities made up about half of Americans under the age of 5 . Now comes this bit of news , which is likely to send more Americans scrambling for their blood pressure medicine . According to the National Center for Education Statistics , starting this fall , U.S. public schools are projected , for the first time , to have more minority students than whites . At 49.8 percent , whites are still expected to be the largest racial group in the public schools . Yet , minority students will now make up the majority . And about one in four of those minority students will be Latino . This turnaround has already occurred in some states , most notably Texas and California . And now it 's about to happen on a national scale . The economic , political and social implications of this demographic sea change will extend far and wide . For one thing , the immigration debate will continue to erupt periodically , every few years . After all , what drives much of that discussion is n't concerns about border security or the rule of law . That 's just the window dressing . The real fuel is nativist anxiety over the ethnic transformation of our neighborhoods , towns and cities . We 'll also keep fighting about language and culture , as one way of life yields to another . In addition , there will be greater expectations on Latinos in particular -- who now comprise 17 % of the U.S. population and who , by 2043 , are expected to account for as much as 25 % -- to convert those population figures into something more tangible , such as political power . Already , many political observers wonder why one has n't led to the other . As the numbers increase , that curiosity will become more intense . Specific to what will be happening in the schools , we can also expect greater demand for bilingual teachers and more resistance from older taxpayers to having to approve additional property tax bonds to pay for what will be a necessary expansion of school facilities in the years to come . That is awfully shortsighted given that the elderly rely on younger workers to pay for their Medicare and Social Security . It may surprise you to hear it , but I cringe every time I see one of these stories about changing demographics , if it does n't come with the proper context . They get people all wound up for no reason , and needlessly pit groups of Americans against one another . They give Latinos , African-Americans and Asian a sense of false hope that , just around the corner , respect and power are on the way and life is about to get better . And they scare the dickens out of whites who , sensing that a storm is on the way , inevitably try to batten down the hatches by passing more restrictive laws . Good luck with that . There 's not much any of us can do to stop these changes from happening . But there is no reason to fear them either . Immigrants change America , but America returns the favor and changes them right back . For instance , English is the dominant language in the United States , and so many immigrants will wind up speaking English within a matter of months or years . Their children will speak English as their primary language , as the immigrant 's native language fades away . Where some Americans look at changing population figures and see calamity , I only see opportunity . This country continues to draw to its shores the determined and the daring , who come here -- to the land of second chances -- to reinvent themselves and , in the process , wind up remaking and revitalizing the country . That 's not a threat to America . Quite the contrary . It 's the very essence of America . Bring on the change . Join us on Facebook.com/CNNOpinion .
For the second time , minorities will exceed white population in America public schools . CNN says that some may fear the change , but the results are positive . He says immigrants change America , but U.S. winds up changing immigrants . Navarrette : Immigrants reinvent themselves and wind up revitalizing the America .