Hispanic Americans

I

Introduction

Hispanic Americans, also known as Latinos, residents of the United States who trace their ancestry to countries in the western hemisphere where the Spanish language is spoken. People of Hispanic background have lived in what is now the United States since the 17th century. In 2000 the U.S. census counted 34.3 million Hispanic or Latino Americans. Most experts think that an additional 2 to 3 million illegal Hispanic immigrants live in the United States. In 2006 the Census Bureau released updated figures that estimated the Hispanic population had increased to 42.7 million as of 2005, about 14.4 percent of the total U.S. population. Hispanic Americans are the fastest-growing minority group in the United States. Experts predict that Hispanic Americans will number more than 50 million by the year 2025 and could reach 102.6 million by the year 2050.

The Hispanic American community is a mix of subgroups with roots in various countries of Latin America, such as Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Panama. Official U.S. government documents and the English-speaking media typically use the term Hispanic when referring to the larger community comprised of these varied national groups. Spanish-language radio and television stations generally use the terms Hispano or Latino. Many Hispanic Americans are uncomfortable with all of these broad categories and prefer more specific designations, such as Cuban American or Mexican American.

II

Mexican Americans

Mexican Americans, numbering approximately 21.5 million, are the largest subgroup of Hispanic Americans. Mexican Americans live primarily in the Southwestern United States, especially in Texas, California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. Los Angeles, California, is often informally referred to as the capital city of the Hispanic Southwest. Mexican American communities are also found in many large cities in other regions of the country, such as New York City and Chicago, Illinois.

The history of the Mexican American community begins with the conclusion of the Mexican War in 1848. As part of the treaty ending the war, Mexico ceded large portions of Mexican territory in the Southwest to the United States. Mexicans living in these territories were granted U.S. citizenship. Most contemporary Mexican Americans trace their roots to the poor, uneducated campesinos (farmers) from rural Mexico who came to the United States in search of jobs during the 20th century.

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Mexican Americans are often ambivalent about Mexico. Although many feel a deep sense of connection to Mexico, some still feel betrayed by the sale of the lands of their ancestors to the United States in the 1840s. More recent Mexican immigrants often resent the fact that Mexico cannot offer them an opportunity for a better life. Mexico’s economy relies heavily on the income sent back home by illegal and legal workers in the United States. Nonetheless, many Mexicans look down on Mexican Americans as people who have abandoned their heritage. Mexico consistently ignores the cultural assets and minimizes the political power of Mexican Americans, even though that power has become increasingly decisive in Mexican internal politics. Many Mexican Americans feel they do not belong in the United States or Mexico. Some Mexican Americans dream of seceding from the United States and creating an autonomous, self-sufficient nation known as Aztlán in the Southwest.

III

Puerto Ricans

The second largest subgroup of Hispanic Americans is Puerto Ricans. About 3.5 million Puerto Ricans live in the United States, primarily in New York and New Jersey. Another 3.8 million live in Puerto Rico, a commonwealth associated with the United States.

A portion of Puerto Ricans living in the United States are former jíbaros (rural folk) who migrated from the countryside of Puerto Rico in the 1960s. Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. commonwealth and Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, they are eligible for many federal benefits not available to other groups. However, many people feel that welfare programs have trapped many poor Puerto Ricans in a cycle of poverty. Others maintain that discrimination in employment and education—not welfare—are the major forces that have kept some Puerto Ricans in poverty.

IV

Cuban Americans

Cuban Americans, numbering 1.2 million, constitute the third largest Hispanic American group. The Cuban American community is concentrated in Florida, especially in the Miami area. Most Cuban Americans arrived in the United States as political refugees following the Cuban Revolution of 1959, which brought Communist dictator Fidel Castro to power. These Cuban immigrants were mostly well-educated members of the middle and upper-middle classes, with a partial knowledge of English and a clear sense of national identity.

Within the Hispanic community, Cuban Americans are considered intellectually sophisticated, politically committed, and obsessed with the fate of their homeland. As political refugees, many Cuban Americans received government assistance in the United States. Partly because of these advantages, the Cuban American community has been economically successful and politically influential. Cuban Americans also exert considerable political and financial influence in Cuba. With its delicate diplomatic ties to the United States, the Communist government of Cuba pays close attention to the voice of the Cuban exile community in Florida.

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