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The U.S. Government, in wanting to recognize the accomplishments of Hispanic-American citizens created by Public Law 90-498 National Hispanic Heritage Week on September 17, 1968. The law was later amended by Public Law 100-402 expanding the event to National Hispanic Heritage Month on August 17, 1988.
What is a Hispanic?
Let's start by saying what it is not. It is not a racial identification. Hispanic is more of
a regional identification like saying "North American." What is a Hispanic? Hispanics come in
all sizes and shapes. There are Jewish, Arab, Asian, Indian, Black and White Hispanics as well as
brown.
What most Americans perceive as brown is actually a mix of Indian and White. When
Spanish explorers settled the Americas, they did not bring families with them like the English
settlers did when they arrived in the U.S. The Spanish explorers were mostly soldiers and
priests, etc. As a result, the soldiers intermarried with the Indian women they found in the
countries they explored. The result was a new racial identity known as mestizos.
In time, mestizos became the middle class and the largest population.
The U.S. Census Bureau defines Hispanic Origin as:
Persons of Hispanic origin were identified by a question that asked for self-identification
of the person's origin or descent. Respondents were asked to select their origin (and the
origin of other household members) from a "flash card" listing ethnic origins. Persons of
Hispanic origin, in particular, were those who indicated that their origin was Mexican,
Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or some other Hispanic origin. It should be
noted that persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
from: The Hispanic Population in the United States: March 1993, Current Population Reports,
Population Characteristics, Series P20-475.
Religioius Identity?
Since Spain was a Roman Catholic country and they sent priests to help settle the Americas, the
most prominent religious identity for most Hispanics is Roman Catholic. Yet, during the past
30 or 40 years there has been an increase of Hispanic Protetstants. According to the
CIA World Factbook,
6.3% of Mexico's population is Protestant, Nicaragua and Chile are at 15.1%, 15% in Puerto Rico, and
Costa Rica is 14.4%.
Where do you find Hispanics?
In the United States, Hispanics can be found in large urban centers like New York City,
New Orleans, Seattle, etc., in rural areas, and in former land owned by Mexico. At one time,
Mexico's territory included California, New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, Florida, and Colorado to
name just a few. The vast majority of Hispanics in the United States come from Mexico, Cuba,
and Puerto Rico. Mexico because of its former land holdings and due to economic problems in
that country; Cuba, in order to escape the Castro regime; and Puerto Rico because it became
a U.S. territory as a result of the Spanish-American War. But in recent years, more and more
Hispanic immigrants are coming from Central and South America largely due to political and
economic instability in those regions. Check out the U.S. Census Bureau's
2000 Census
website to find the number of Hispanics in your community.
What are the Hispanic Origin Population Projections?
According to the U.S. Census Bureau's
1997 Population Profile of the United States (pgs. 7-8),
by the year 2050 Hispanics will become the largest minority in the U.S. at 24% surpassing
15% for African-Americans.
According to the 2006 American Community Survey estimates, the Hispanic community is the largest minority in the country at 44,252,278 compared to African-Americans at 37,051,483.
| North America | Mexico |
| Central America | Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama |
| Caribbean Sea | Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico (U.S. Territory) |
| South America | Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay |
 Martin Sheen (born: Ramon Estevez) Hispanic-American Actor |
 Asian-Hispanic Alberto Fujimori Peruvian President (1990 - 2000) |
 Desi Arnaz Cuban Band Leader/Actor/Producer |
 Simón Bolívar Liberator of Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia |
Ellen Ochoa invented optical analysis systems and was also the world's first Hispanic female astronaut - Invention Dimension. |
 Jorge Luis Borges Argentinian Writer |
 Cameron Diaz Cuban-American Actress |
 Cristobal Colón Discoverer of the New World |
 Roberto Clemente Puerto Rican Black Hispanic Major League Baseball Player Official website National Baseball Hall of Fame (Cooperstown) |
 Julio Iglesias  Enrique Iglesias Father and Son Hispanic Singing Sensations |
 Cesar Chavez Cesar Chavez Day Hispanic American Activist |
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