Eth 125 - Hispanic American Diversity

Hispanic American Diversity

ETH/125

November 22,2009

George Hristovitch

Hispanic American Diversity

The population in the United States is an accumulation of several different types of races from other countries. This includes groups from Mexico, Brazil, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. According to the United States Census it is estimated that in the year 2100 Hispanics with constitute about one third of the American population. That one out of every eight person in the United States is of Spanish speaking or Latin origin. Just like all other races Mexican-American, Puerto Rican- Americans, Cuban- Americans, and Brazilin-Americans though a lot of people believe they are the same. They are all very different.

Most Mexican-Americans emigrate here from Mexico, were their national language is Spanish. They contribute to 12.5% the United States population. You will find that the Mexican-American population lives mainly in the metropolitan and rural areas all across the United States. It is estimated that ten percent of Mexican Americans can trace their family lineage back to the early colonial settlers. When Mexico still owned the southeastern states, and was fighting for their independence from Mexico. The Mexican government became concerned at the rising number of people immigrating to Texas that they actually restricted the number of people who could cross the border and even banned slavery to the state. In California around the 18th century the Spanish speaking were from either Mexican or European descent, which became integrated after the California Gold Rush. Back then you would find most of the Mexican American population in only a few southeastern states, such as Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas until around World War I to go work for steel companies. Mexican Americans became a large part of the workforce. They took jobs in construction, landscaping, meat packing, hotel, and other service related jobs around the country. Mexican Americans even started to form their own unions, as well as integrating with other unions. The Mexican American race has overcome several obstacle from voting rights, education and employment discrimination to social and economical advancement. With all they have accomplished they will continue accomplishing and growing as a race in the United States (Wikipedia Foundation, INC, ).

Puerto Rican Americans mainly derive from Spanish ancestry were Catholicism is the dominant religion. Puerto Rico became part of the United States when President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones Act, granting all Puerto Ricans citizenship. Even though Puerto Rico has their own constitution and elects their own bicameral legislature, they are still under U.S. executive authority and have their own delegate in the U.S. House of Representatives. Though The Puerto Rican race was known as American citizens now, it was still hard to move to the mainland of the United States due to the severe poverty most of the Puerto Ricans lived. Until World War II when over 100,000 soldiers set the first major migration to the States. This number continue to grow as the number of jobs that came from coming to the mainland increased as opposed