Overview of Hispanics

When I was searching for my article, I didn’t know whether or not to type in ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino.’ I asked myself, do they mean the same thing? I know I’ve used both to describe myself but I never really knew what the difference was. I decided just to type in ‘Latino’ in the search box to see what came up; the first link: “Latinos in US society.” Upon clicking on it, I read in the second paragraph, “Known variously as Hispanics, Latinos, or Chicanos, people of Latino descent are generally defined as having ancestral roots in Mexico or Central or South America.” I thought, Good, that’s me. The article "Latinos in U.S. society" summarizes and draws a big picture of who Latinos are and how they came about in the United States. It goes back to the history with dates of the Spanish settlement and Mexican-American War. Then the article talks about the help the United States got from Latinos during the World War II which caused for Latinos to immigrate to the United States “in search of employment and higher wages than they could earn in their native land” More and more Latinos came and now wanted a place in the United States. They fought to get noticed and get equal rights-just like the Americans. That’s when it happened. I thought, Where have I seen this before? I answered my own question with the answer of the Civil Rights Movement. Just like blacks were a minority group living in the United States, Latinos were now also another minority group, wanting to get noticed. They formed LULAC a group that “labored to defend Latinos against all forms of discrimination.” NAACP…I thought. The article continues on to say how Latinos have progressed themselves to even get hired for government positions and prospered in the music world. Latinos have had such an impact on the United States, such as making some schools have bilingual classes And of course, which president doesn’t talk about the controversial issue of border control? Latinos have been part of daily life, whether it be the food, the language, the music, we see it everyday. And who knows, maybe the Latino group will end up being the majority after all. Like the article says, “With more and more Americans claiming a Latino heritage, Latinos in the United States are increasingly securing prominent roles in all aspects of society.” So whether I say I’m Hispanic or Latino, I mean the same thing. My parents are from Mexican roots which makes me a Mexican-American..(aka Hispanic/Latino).

"Latinos in U.S. society." American History. ABC-CLIO, 2010. Web. 28 Jan. 2010. .