Hispanic Groups in the United States

There are many different Hispanic groups living in the United States. Even though most people class them all together as Spanish, they all come from different places with many different characteristics and traditions.

Mexican Americans make up a large amount of the population in America, 9% and still growing rapidly everyday. Many seem to find themselves ending up in the Southwest and Midwest. As far as Mexican American religion, 75% are Catholic. Many are employed in fields such as mining, ranching, and some sort of transportation but of course, not all of them. Mexican Americans are still to this day limited in political participation due to the never ending discrimination of Americans. It is getting better now but they still face limited voting. They have had help due to the Lazaro Cardenas Society that was formed in Los Angeles to improve municipal facilities available to Mexican Americans. This has gave them a wider variety of opinions and voice being Mexican in America.

Puerto Ricans are another big Hispanic group in America. Out of the Hispanic population in the United States, they make up 8.6%. Also, 39& of Puerto Ricans are English dominant which is obviously a huge benefit to have. For their religion, the majority of Puerto Ricans are Christians. Another big amount are of Roman Catholicism. In 1917, the Puerto Ricans went through the Jones Act. This declared that any of them born before 1899 were considered a naturalized Puerto Rican citizen. Anyone born after 1898 were declared a naturally-born citizen of the United States.

Another Hispanic group is the Cuban Americans. Many Cubans are found in Miami Florida due to the location since it is the closest to Cuba. The economic influence they have on Miami is outstanding. They give Miami as well as themselves a positive outlook. Out of the Hispanics living in America, Cuban Americans make up 3.7%. They have the highest rate of college completion out of all the other Latinos. They also have the lowest rate of unemployment putting them at only 5.8%. Many Cuban Americans are of the Anglo culture. They are more conservative politically then any other Hispanic group. The majority of their political votes are for the Republican party. The median household income for Cuban Americans is $36.671.

Central and South Americans are another Hispanic group. They make up 14.3% of the Hispanic population living in America. They are typically more Spanish dominant opposed to Puerto Ricans. Many of the Central and South Americans in the United States are illegal immigrants trying to find a way to become legal. A large amount of them spend their time in America catering to other Colombians living here. They have businesses that will benefit each other and keep their traditions alive (for instance, a restaurant with Colombian food). Politically, This Hispanic group is very diverse. They do not tend to all stick to one side or another.

Chicano, El. Mexican Americans. Retrieved August 4, 2007, from www.everyculture.com

Wikipedia. Puerto Ricans. Retrieved August 5, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican

U.S. Census Bureau. The Hispanic population in the United States. Retrieved August 6, 2007, from

http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p20-545.pdf

Barkin, E. Our multicultural heritage: a guide to America's principal ethnic groups. Retrieved August 5,

2007, from http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~raquelrp/art3.htm