Latinos in the US (Dominicans 5th largest group)

[Exxtol]

I came across this article on msn.com and found it to be quite interesting. It's in spanish, so for the non-speakers on here I'll list some quick interesting facts:

1. Latinos comprise 14.5% of the US population (41.8 million)

2. According to census findings latinos will comprise 24% of the US population in 2050 (102.6 million).

3. Mexicans are the largest group of latinos in the US at 26.7 million
-Puerto Ricans are 2nd at 3.7 million
-Cubans 3rd at 1.4 million
-Salvadorenos 4th at 1.2 million
-Dominicans 5th at 1.1 million--Over 10% of RD's current population.

4. 35% of the Latino population is concentrated in California & Texas.

5. 43% of Latino population is in New Mexico (I thought that was interesting).

6. There are approximately 4.6 million latinos in Los Angeles County alone--according to the article Los Angeles County has the largest population of Latinos in the US (county wise).

7. 32% of Latinos lack medical coverage.

8. 31 million latinos speak spanish in the home, and half say they speak spanish well.

9. 7.6 million latinos voted in the 2004 elections.

10. 24% of latinos do not finish high school.

11. 2.7 million posess a college degree.

12. 65% of latinos live in double parent households.

**Interesting to note: The latino category on the US Census is the only category that is not racially, but ethnically derived--but im sure most of you knew that (save for the Pacific Islander/Asian categories--but that is up for debate). Anyway here's the link: ¿Cuántos latinos somos en Estados Unidos? - La música del verano 2006 - MSN Latino

[NALs]

Thanks for the link.

Interesting article.

I find it interesting how in the article we are referred to as both, Latinos and Hispanos despite the two words having different meanings and thus, different people fall into the two categories, while many fall into both.

However, that's another topic for another thread.

-NALs

[Kyle]

no mention of Miami or New York ? big latino populations....

[Exxtol]

Originally Posted by Kyle

no mention of Miami or New York ? big latino populations....

Surprisingly,

New york was not mentioned in the artice at all (unless i missed it). It's true that NYC does have a large latino population--but I think outside of the city, the state is a lot less populated than other states (I think).

Florida was mentioned--I believe it said they hold 17% of the latino population in the US.

[Marianopolita]

I agree the article is interesting however, it is solely stats driven and does not expand upon key percentages that have been revealed:

For example:

* Latino education in the USA and the numbers that are reflected. Frankly they are pathetic with the wealth of opportunities available
* the large number of Latinos in the USA who don’t have health care
* the Mexican population makes up more than have the number of Latinos in the USA however, I highly doubt other ethnic groups of Latino descent share the same interests, concerns, plight, success etc.
* the surrounding language issues as a result of such a high minority population which, I have ventured to discuss more than once in the Spanish forum
* the Dominican population does not make a dent in the overall population of Latinos in the USA BUT it is concentrated in the Northeast and the Cuban population is concentrated in the city of Miami and in other parts of Florida state.


What does this mean? What is the future of such a large minority group overall in the USA? It would have been beneficial if the article focused on what these stats represent.


-LDG.

[Exxtol]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

I agree the article is interesting however, it is solely stats driven and does not expand upon key percentages that have been revealed:


* the Mexican population makes up more than have the number of Latinos in the USA however, I highly doubt other ethnic groups of Latino descent share the same interests, concerns, plight, success etc.



-LDG.

You bring up very interesting point here that I have never really thought about.

[Marianopolita]

It's a very real reality and that's why the Latino umbrella term often makes no sense but it's marketable. It's obvious what the cultural and linguistic links are between the individual ethnic groups but let's face it what do many of these groups have in common? Mexican history and emigration differ greatly from Cuban emigration. The conditions under which Cubans can stay are incomparable to any other socioethnic Latino group. If you compare Puerto Ricans and Dominicans two socioethnic groups with similar cultural aspects, island proximity and vernacular, however, their realities are very different in the USA. First of all Dominicans are still a relatively 'new' socioethnic group that is paving its way in the USA. Puerto Ricans have been in mainland USA much longer and have established themselves (regardless what reputation they have) my point here is they have an established history and one can validate their relative sucesses and struggles especially in the greater NYC area.

To emphasize the point in my post that you highlighted those are the essential differences in the whole Latino 'umbrella' concept. Do Latinos on the west coast of the USA have the same struggles as Latinos on the east coast? Do they even care? Where and what are the unifying factors? I will leave you to ponder about this because I know the answers already.

Exxtol, if you are really interested in Latinos in the USA and social studies that have been done on this socioethnic group many universities have began to teach this as a subject in Cultural Studies or Communication and Culture. Just recently I stumbled across a book at a univeristy campus bookstore because that's where you can find the best books whether one is a student or not and that's where I go to book shop. One of the current books being used is titled Latinos, Inc.: The Marketing and Making of a People by Arlene Dávila. When I do read it I anticipate an interesting read and I know some of the points I mentioned in my first post will be addressed.

You know how the saying goes: 'hablamos el mismo idioma' but it's more than just that.


-LDG.

[NALs]

Originally Posted by Lesley D

It's a very real reality and that's why the Latino umbrella term often makes no sense but it's marketable. It's obvious what the cultural and linguistic links are between the individual ethnic groups but let's face it what do many of these groups have in common?

...

You know how the saying goes: 'hablamos el mismo idioma' but it's more than just that.


-LDG.

As I stated in my initial response here, there also exist a debate on whether the Hispanic label is also appropriate, in fact if categorizing various peoples from Latin America into one group makes much sense at all.

Of course, to many of us the term Hispanic does not makes sense, at least not in the way it's used in the United States.

In the US, a Hispanic is someone who comes from a Spanish speaking country in Latin America.

However, in much of Latin American and even in Spain, Hispanics are only people who have full or partial Spanish blood. This would make descendants of Spaniards Hispanic as well as mestizos and mulattos whose European ancestry is of Spanish decent.

Simply being born in a country where the culture is Hispanic is not enough to consider someone Hispanic, such person has to have either full or partial Spanish blood in them.

For this reason many Latin American peoples find themselves with a dilemma when traveling or moving to the U.S.

Example, a person who was born in a Hispanic Latin American country, but has middle eastern or Italian or French or is full Amerindian or perhaps is full African will not be considered Hispanic.

Such person will have a Hispanic culture, but that does not makes them Hispanic per se and usually they don't identify as Hispanics. However, when they travel to the U.S., suddenly they are seen and expected to identify as Hispanic for merely being born in a Spanish speaking Latin American country.

This is the main reason why many Argentinians, for example, don't consider themselves to be Hispanic. Many of them have European ancestry that are not Spanish (ie. Italian, German, French, etc) and thus, they consider themselves Argentinians but not Hispanic. Once they arrive in the U.S., the term Hispanic becomes a dilemma for many of them who in fact are not Hispanic, but are from Hispanic Latin American countries.

Similar experiences occurs with full blooded Amerindians from Mexico and/or Guatemala.

Beyond this there is also the prevailing notion that the word Hispanic means being a mestizo. Usually, Americans think of Hispanics as having mestizo features and puts Hispanics who are either of European, African or Mulatto ancestry into an odd position.

Personally, I think they should simply label people by nationality or, even better, stop labeling people.

-NALs

[Marianopolita]

Just to ensure that this discussion does not go off in the wrong direction based on the comments above I will clarify my "own" point in my previous post.

I stated: It's obvious what the cultural and linguistic links are between the individual ethnic groups but let's face it what do many of these groups have in common?

The point that I was making when I mentioned cultural and linguistic links just scratches the surface. However, one has to be careful when grouping Latinos in one big category because there are similarities but yet very different historical and political factors that helped shape each country to what it is today. Without fully understanding the history of the Latin American region many think there are very little differences between each socioethnic group when in fact there are notable differences. Some countries have significant similarities from a cultural, historical and linguistic point of view. For example in the Central American region specifically Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador. These are three countries that can be compared logically with respect to my comment above. However, if one tries to compare Argentina and the DR or Chile and the DR on the basis of the term Latino it just does not makes sense thus proving that it's an umbrella terminology and going back to my point in my first post when I stated:

I highly doubt other ethnic groups of Latino descent share the same interests, concerns, plight, success etc.

Those stats however, reveal key statistics and the reality of such a large minority group in the USA.


-LDG.

[dogstar]

In the US you are seen as Hispanic if you come from a country that changes governments by junta instead of election, anytime in the last 50 yrs. And if everyone is on the take, from the president down to the cop on the beat. A Spanish accent also helps.
joe