Hispanic Americans, or Latinos, are a very large and diverse ethnic group in the U.S. Altogether, they make up about 44 million people or 15% of America’s population. Individuals who make up this category can identify with various nationalities and backgrounds. However, the 2010 U.S Census – as stated in the textbook -- reported that 75% of its total Latino respondents identified being of Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban origin. According to the lecture notes, 65% of Hispanics claim to be Mexican Americans, while 8.5% are Puerto Ricans and another 3.5% are Cuban Americans. These are the three most common Hispanic origins and the rest of the Latino population identifies with other Hispanic nationalities. Of the three common nationalities that …show more content…
On the contrary, Mexicans and other immigrants just answered to the demand for laborers. For years, many Mexican people risked their lives to work in America. Unfortunately, they have suffered discrimination, and some official U.S regulations have been set in place to deport people back to Mexico (ex. Operation Wetback in 1954). However, those same issues and patterns of Mexican migration continue today which puts this topic at the center of national debate and subjects Mexicans immigrants to negative criticism. My family and I identify with being Mexican- Americans and being part of the Hispanic/ Latino community. Both my parents first came to the U.S illegally to find better work opportunities. They would cross the border and vist large American cities in states such as Kansas, Illinois, California, Texas, and Georgia. With the money they earned working in seasonal industrial or agricultural jobs, they would return back to Mexico and help care for their families. Eventually, my parents decided to settle down together and they permanently migrated to Georgia. They choose Dalton, Georgia specifically because of the abundant available work there was