Hispanic Americans

A Diverse Population

Hispanics, or Latinos, do not constitute a singular, homogenous, or unified group; rather, these labels are umbrella terms that encompass 20 different ethnonational heritages from Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. These different ethnic populations each have their own unique migration and social histories, sociocultural dynamics and idiosyncrasies, and social identities, an important point that may be easily lost in mainstream media discourses that homogenize or conflate the diverse sociohistorical and contemporary experiences of Hispanic/Latino communities. Mexican Americans comprise the single-largest ethnic population, accounting for 63 percent of the total Hispanic/Latino population of the United States, followed by Puerto Ricans (9.2 percent) and Cuban Americans (3.5 percent). Persons of Dominican heritage represent 2.8 percent of the total, comprising the fourth-largest Hispanic/Latino population. Central Americans and South Americans, respectively, comprise 7.9 percent and 5.5 percent of the total Hispanic/Latino population.

The geographic distribution of Hispanic/Latino communities correlates strongly with specific ethnic origins. The vast majority of Mexican Americans live in the six southwestern states, whereas the majority of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans reside in New England and the mid-Atlantic region. Recently, however, sizable numbers of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans have settled in Florida. The overwhelming majority of Cuban Americans live in Florida, and to a lesser extent, other southern states. Central Americans, particularly Guatemalans and Salvadorans, are primarily concentrated in the southwest, while the majority of South American-origin Latinos disproportionately reside in the northeast. Despite traditional geographic residential patterns, however, the 2010 census documented that the midwest and the south experienced the sharpest increases in Hispanic/Latino population during the first decade of the 21st century.

Such geographic diversity has produced a plethora of distinct, regionally based cultural identities among various Hispanic/Latino communities. For example, persons of Puerto Rican heritage born and raised in New York City may use the term Nuyorican to distinguish themselves from Puerto Ricans living on the island or in other regions of the United States. Many Mexican Americans living in Texas self-identify as Tejanos to express regional pride in being a Texan while also acknowledging their ethnic ancestry, while some Mexican Americans, particularly in California, may refer to themselves as Chicanos, a name that became popular during the civil rights struggles of the 1960s. Among Mexican immigrants, however, the term Chicano is often used specifically to distinguish an American-born citizen of Mexican ancestry from a Mexican national. Along similar lines, the label Dominican York distinguishes Dominicans who have been socialized and acculturated to life in New York City from their island counterparts.

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