Hispanic Americans - US Department of State

Hispanic Americans

Old West, Modern Border Issues Collide in Southwest Texas

The Texas 23rd congressional district stretches across 136,288 square kilometers and crosses two time zones. It incorporates 20 counties, including one that is bigger than the eastern U.S. state of Connecticut. USINFO looks at the cultural mosaic whose people share customs and costumes, music and food, art and history from the United States and Mexico. (complete text)

Hispanic Americans’ Political Clout Expected To Increase

U.S. Census records indicate the 44-million-member Hispanic community is the fastest growing minority group in the United States, accounting for as much as half of the total population growth. However, because Hispanics account for only 10 percent of new voters, their growing numbers are not translating into political influence yet, says Richard Fry, a senior research associate at the nonpartisan Pew Hispanic Center. (complete text)

U.S. Politics, Literature, Sports Show Cultural Influence of Hispanics

The influence of Latinos, especially as the U.S. population grows, is felt in every aspect of society, but especially in baseball, politics and literature, says Pilar O’Leary of the Smithsonian Institution. This influence has contributed substantially to the country’s rich cultural diversity, she says in a USINFO Webchat. (complete text)

Spanglish Offers Stepping-Stone to English, Professor Says

Spanglish, a hybrid form of English and Spanish especially popular among young people, is one of the most striking ways two of the world’s most widely used languages are evolving in response to immigration and globalization. Spanglish is “a very creative, jazzy way of being Latino in the U.S. today,” says Ilan Stavans, a professor of Latin American and Latino culture at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, who has studied and defended this hybrid language. In an interview with USINFO, Stavans discusses Spanglish and its use by a wide array of people. (complete text)