How many Hispanics are there in the United States?
Did you know that Hispanics are the largest ethnic minority in the US? As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, we share with you how many Hispanics there are in the country.
The United States is in full Hispanic Heritage Month.
This celebration starts on September 15, as a nod to the Independence of various Latin American countries, and ends on October 15. Throughout Hispanic Heritage Month, the United States pays tribute to the great impact and achievements made by and for the Spanish-speaking community in the nation.
“Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Americans who have roots from Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Spanish-speaking nations of the Caribbean”, notes the United States Census Bureau.
How many Hispanics are there in the United States?
The Hispanic community in the United States makes up the largest ethnic and racial minority in the country. According to the latest update from the Census Bureau, the United States has more than 333 million residents, of which, 63.7 million belong to the Hispanic community, which represents about 19 percent of the country’s total population.
According to official data, the states in the country that have one million or more Hispanic residents are Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington.
You may also be interested in: Which states have the largest Latino population?
Why is Hispanic Heritage Month celebrated?
In 1968, Congress passed a bill to celebrate the Hispanic community through Hispanic Heritage Week. The legislation was signed by the country’s 36th President, Lyndon B. Johnson.
Two decades later, in 1988, the celebration was extended to an entire month, thanks to an order proclaimed by the 40th President of the United States, Ronald Regan. That is how, Hispanic Heritage Month was established from September 15 to October 15.
The beginning of the celebration has a purely historical meaning, since September 15th marks Independence in most of the countries of Central America, while Mexico and Chile will do the same on September 16 and 18, respectively.