<img src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20110309/capt.2d4c076491bd40aaba4312e503fd8400-2d4c076491bd40aaba4312e503fd8400-0.jpg?x=130&amp;y=84&amp;q=85&amp;sig=bZXmHxGjM2bVnPJ622thaQ--" height="84" width="130" alt="US 'heartland' near historic shift from Midwest   (AP)" style="float: left; border: 0px;" />

AP - America's population center is edging away from the Midwest, pulled by Hispanic growth in the Southwest, according to census figures. The historic shift is changing the nation's politics and even the traditional notion of the country's heartland &mdash; long the symbol of mainstream American beliefs and culture.<br style="clear: both;" /><p><strong>Read more:</strong> <a class="rssreadon" rel="external" title="US 'heartland' near historic shift from Midwest   (AP)" href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110309/ap_on_re_us/us_census_america_s_heartland" target="_blank">http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110309/ap_on_re_us/us_census_america_s_heartland</a></p>