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AmericAns of spAnish-speAking descent are known
as hispanic Americans. hispanic people established colonies
in the area that became the United states long before
British settlers arrived, especially in America’s southwest,
where hispanic culture thrived for centuries. hispanic
Americans descend from several countries and cultures,
including the original spanish colonists, and later
immigrants from other parts of Latin America. Although
hispanic Americans come from different backgrounds,
most are united by important traditions: the spanish
language, and the roman catholic church.hispAnic immigrAtion
the mexican revolution of 1910 brought
chaos, and many mexicans fled to the
United states. however, immigration
restrictions and discrimination reduced
their numbers until the Us relaxed the
laws to meet labor shortages after World
War ii. in the mid-1900s, large numbers of
puerto ricans and cubans came to the
United states. more recently, others have
fled to escape conflicts in central America.spAnish missions
from the 16th century onward,
spanish settlers in the American
southwest built missions. they
hoped to spread catholicism, the
spanish language, and european
culture to the native peoples.Many Hispanic-American
children are bilingual
(speak two languages).the hispAnic peopLe
With more than 48.5 million people, hispanics are
the second-largest minority group in America. some
trace their roots to the spanish-speaking people who
colonized the American southwest, while others
emigrated from mexico, puerto rico, cuba, and
other parts of central and south
America. mexican Americans are
the largest hispanic group.San Xavier
mission, near
Tucson, Arizona,
was established
in 1700.LAtin mUsic
the distinctive rhythms of Latin music have
long been popular in the United states,
from the heyday of cuban dances such as
the mambo and the salsa to mexican
mariachi bands. modern artists, such as
ricky martin and carlos santana, have
introduced new audiences to Latin music.Hispanic Americans
AmericA’s second LAngUAge
in response to the growth of the
spanish language, some states have
passed laws making english the
official language, putting educational
programs for new immigrants at risk.ceLeBrAtions
many hispanic
Americans observe
the holidays of their
homelands. mexican-
American festivals such
as the Dia de los Muertos
(right), a traditional
feast to honor dead
ancestors, and Las
Posadas, a christmas
festival of lights, are
celebrated in cities with
hispanic populations.caribbean
central america
immigration
mexico
spainFind out more
In the 1960s, many
Cubans emigrated
by boat to America.US_256_Hispanic_Americans.indd 256 21/01/16 5:00 pm