{{Infobox ethnic group | group = Hispanic and Latino Americans | poptime = Hispanic and Latino Americans50,477,59416.3% of the U.S. population (2010) |image=

Reflecting especially the Latin American population, which has origins in all the continents and many ancestries, Hispanic/Latino Americans are very racially diverse, and as a result form an ethnic category, rather than a race. The choice of name is associated with location: Hispanic and Latino Americans who reside in the eastern United States tend to prefer the term ''Hispanic'', whereas those in the west usually prefer ''Latino''.

Hispanics and Latinos constitute 16.3% of the total United States population, or 50.5 million people, forming the second largest ethnic group, after non-Hispanic White Americans (a group composed of dozens of sub-groups, as is Hispanic and Latino Americans). Hispanic and Latino Americans are the largest of all the minority groups, but Black Americans are the largest minority among the races, after White Americans in general (non-Hispanic and Hispanic). Mexican Americans, Cuban Americans, Colombian Americans, Dominican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Spanish Americans, and Salvadoran Americans are some of the Hispanic and Latino American national origin groups.

There have been people of Hispanic or Latino heritage in the territory of the present-day United States continuously since the 1565 founding of St. Augustine, Florida, by the Spanish, the longest among European American ethnic groups and second-longest of all U.S. ethnic groups, after Native Americans. Hispanics have also lived continuously in the Southwest since near the end of the 16th century, with settlements in New Mexico that began in 1598, and which were transferred to the area of El Paso, Texas, in 1680. Spanish settlement of New Mexico resumed in 1692, and new ones were established in Arizona and California in the 18th century. The Hispanic presence can even be said to date from half a century earlier than St. Augustine, if San Juan, Puerto Rico is considered to be the oldest Spanish settlement, and the oldest city, in the U.S.

For the U.S. government and others, Hispanic or Latino identity is voluntary, as in the United States Census and in some market research.

Terminology

The term Hispanic was first adopted by the United States government in the early 1970s, during the administration of Richard Nixon, and has since been used in local and federal employment, mass media, academia, and business market research. It has been used in the U.S. Census since 1980. Because of the popularity of "Latino" in the western portion of the United States, the government adopted this term as well in 1997, and used it in the 2000 census.

Previously, Hispanic and Latino Americans were categorized as "Spanish-Americans", "Spanish-speaking Americans", and "Spanish-surnamed Americans". However:

Although a large majority of Hispanic and Latino Americans have Spanish ancestry, most are not of direct, 'from-Spain-to-the-U.S.' Spanish descent; many are not primarily of Spanish descent; and some are not of Spanish descent at all. People whose ancestors or who themselves arrived in the United States directly from Spain are a tiny minority of the Hispanic or Latino population (see figures in this article), and there are Hispanic/Latino Americans who are primarily or entirely of European ancestries other than Spanish (e.g. Italian, French, German, Polish, Portuguese), and of Middle Eastern (e.g. Lebanese), Black, Amerindian/Native American, and East or South Asian ancestries;

Most Hispanic and Latino Americans can speak Spanish, not all; and most Spanish-speaking Americans are Hispanic or Latino, not all. E.g., Hispanic/Latino Americans often do not speak Spanish by the third generation, and some Americans who are Spanish-speaking may not identify themselves with Spanish-speaking Americans as an ethnic group;

Not all Hispanic and Latino Americans have Spanish surnames, and ''most'' Spanish-surnamed Americans are Hispanic or Latino, not all. For example, non-Spanish surnamed Bill Richardson (former governor, Congressman, etc) and former National Football League (NFL) star Jim Plunkett have Hispanic or Latino origin. Filipino Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans of Chamorro (Guamanians and Northern Mariana Islanders), Palauan, Micronesian (FSM), and Marshallese origin often have Spanish surnames, but have their own, non-Hispanic/Latino ethnic identities (though there may be exceptions). Likewise, while many Louisiana Creole people have Spanish surnames, they identify with the mostly French – though partially Spanish – culture of their region.

The terms ''Hispanic'' and ''Latino'' are held to be mutually distinct by some authorities of American English, as seen in the following quotation:

"Though often used interchangeably in American English, ''Hispanic'' and ''Latino'' are not identical terms, and in certain contexts the choice between them can be significant. ''Hispanic'', from the Latin word for "Spain", has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. ''Latino''—which in Spanish means "Latin" but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word ''latinoamericano''—refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only ''Hispanic'' can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a ''Hispanic'', not a ''Latino'', and one cannot substitute ''Latino'' in the phrase ''the Hispanic influence on native Mexican cultures'' without garbling the meaning. In practice, however, this distinction is of little significance when referring to residents of the United States, most of whom are of Latin American origin and can theoretically be called by either word."

Neither term refers to race, as a person of Latino or Hispanic origin can be of any race.

As employed by the Census Bureau, ''Hispanic or Latino'' does not include Brazilian Americans, and ''specifically'' refers to "Spanish culture or origin"; Brazilian Americans appear as a separate ancestry group. The 28 Hispanic or Latino American groups in the Census Bureau's reports are the following: ''Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican Republic; Central American: Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Salvadoran, Other Central American; South American: Argentinian, Bolivian, Chilean, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Uruguayan, Venezuelan, Other South American; Other Hispanic or Latino: Spaniard, Spanish, Spanish American, All other Hispanic.''

History

A continuous Hispanic/Latino presence in the territory of the United States has existed since the 16th century, earlier than any other group after the Native Americans. Spaniards pioneered the present-day United States. The first confirmed European landing in the continental U.S. was by Juan Ponce de León, who landed in 1513 at a lush shore he christened ''La Florida''. Within three decades of Ponce de León's landing, the Spanish became the first Europeans to reach the Appalachian Mountains, the Mississippi River, the Grand Canyon and the Great Plains. Spanish ships sailed along the East Coast, penetrating to present-day Bangor, Maine, and up the Pacific Coast as far as Oregon. From 1528 to 1536, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca and three other castaways from a Spanish expedition (including an African named Estevanico) journeyed all the way from Florida to the Gulf of California, 267 years before the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

In 1540 Hernando de Soto undertook an extensive exploration of the present U.S., and in the same year Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led 2,000 Spaniards and Mexican Indians across today's Arizona–Mexico border and traveled as far as central Kansas, close to the exact geographic center of what is now the continental United States. Other Spanish explorers of the US make up a long list that includes, among others: Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón, Pánfilo de Narváez, Sebastián Vizcaíno, Gaspar de Portolà, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, Tristán de Luna y Arellano and Juan de Oñate, but also non-Spanish explorers working for the Spanish Crown like Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. In all, Spaniards probed half of today's lower 48 states before the first English colonization attempt at Roanoke Island in 1585.

The Spanish created the first permanent European settlement in the continental United States, at St. Augustine, Florida, in 1565. Santa Fe, New Mexico also predates Jamestown, Virginia (founded in 1607) and Plymouth Colony (of ''Mayflower'' and Pilgrims fame; founded in 1620). Later came Spanish settlements in San Antonio, Texas, Tucson, Arizona, San Diego, California, Los Angeles, California and San Francisco, California, to name just a few.

Two iconic American stories have Spanish antecedents, too. Almost 80 years before John Smith's alleged rescue by Pocahontas, a man by the name of Juan Ortiz told of his remarkably similar rescue from execution by an Indian girl. Spaniards also held a thanksgiving — 56 years before the famous Pilgrims festival — when they feasted near St. Augustine with Florida Indians, probably on stewed pork and garbanzo beans. As late as 1783, at the end of the American Revolutionary War (a conflict in which Spain aided and fought alongside the United States), Spain held claim to roughly half of today's continental United States; in 1775, Spanish ships even reached Alaska. From 1819 to 1848, the United States (through treaties, purchase, diplomacy, and the Mexican-American War) increased its area by roughly a third at Spanish and Mexican expense, acquiring three of today's four most populous states — California, Texas and Florida — and several smaller ones. Hispanics became the first American citizens in these new territories, and remained a majority in several Southwestern states until the 20th century. (See also Viceroyalty of New Spain.)

The Hispanic and Latino role in the history and present of the United States is addressed in more detail below (See Notables and their contributions). On September 17, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson designated a week in mid-September as National Hispanic Heritage Week, with Congress's authorization. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan extended the observance to a month, designated Hispanic Heritage Month.

Demographics

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="float:left; font-size:85%" Population by national origin (2009)(self-identified ethnicity, rather than birthplace) |-bgcolor="#EFEFEF" !Hispanic Group||Population||% |- | Mexican !31,673,700 !65.5 |- | Puerto Rican !4,411,604 !9.1 |- | Salvadoran !1,736,221 !3.6 |- | Cuban !1,677,158 !3.5 |- | Dominican !1,360,476 !2.8 |- | Guatemalan !1,077,412 !2.2 |- | Colombian !916,616 !1.9 |- | Honduran !624,533 !1.3 |- | Spanish !613,585 !1.3 |- | Ecuadorian !611,457 !1.3 |- | Peruvian !557,107 !1.2 |- | Nicaraguan !368,720 !0.8 |- | Argentine !227,180 !0.5 |- | Venezuelan !198,276 !0.4 |- | Panamanian !170,057 !0.4 |- | Costa Rican !131,331 !0.3 |- | Chilean !122,986 !0.3 |- | Bolivian !104,044 !0.2 |- | Uruguayan !56,054 !0.1 |- | Paraguayan !18,179 !0.04 |- |All other !1,691,448 !3.5 |- |Total !48,348,144 !100 |}

As of 2010, Hispanics accounted for 16.3% of the national population, or around 50.5 million people. The Hispanic growth rate over the April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2007 period was 28.7% — about four times the rate of the nation's total population (at 7.2%). The growth rate from July 1, 2005 to July 1, 2006 alone was 3.4% — about three and a half times the rate of the nation's total population (at 1.0%). The projected Hispanic population of the United States for July 1, 2050 is 132.8 million people, or 30.2% of the nation's total projected population on that date.

Of the nation's total Hispanic or Latino population, 49% (21.5 million) lives in California or Texas. Not counting Puerto Rico — which is a Commonwealth of the United States — New Mexico is the state with the highest ratio of Hispanics, 44.7%. Next are California and Texas, with 35.9% and 35.6%, respectively.

The overwhelming majority of Mexican Americans are concentrated in the Southwest and the West Coast/West, primarily in California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah. The majority of the Hispanic population in the Southeast, concentrated in Florida, are of Cuban origin. The Hispanic population in the Northeast, concentrated in New York, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania, is composed mostly of Puerto Ricans; however, the Dominican population has risen considerably since the mid-1990s. The remainder of Hispanics and Latinos may be found throughout the country, though South Americans tend to concentrate on the East Coast and Central Americans on the West Coast. Nevertheless, since the 1990s, several cities on the East Coast have seen often impressive increases in their Mexican population, namely Miami and Philadelphia.

The Hispanic population of Los Angeles County, California, numbering 4.7 million, is the largest of any county in the nation, comprising 47 percent of the county's ten million residents.

As of 2000, the ten most populous places with Hispanic majorities were East Los Angeles (97% Hispanic), Laredo, Texas (94%), Brownsville, Texas (91%) Hialeah, Florida (90%), McAllen, Texas (80%), El Paso, Texas (77%), Santa Ana, California (76%), El Monte, California (72%) Oxnard, California (66%), and Miami (66%).

Some 64% of the nation's Hispanic population are of Mexican origin (see table). Another 9% are of Puerto Rican origin, with about 3% each of Cuban, Salvadoran and Dominican origins. The remainder are of other Central American or South American origin, or of origin directly from Spain. About 7% are of unspecified national origins. It should be noted that these figures pertain to ethnic self-identification; the same dataset (abstracted from the 2007 American Community Survey) indicates that 60.2% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans were born in the United States.

There are few recent immigrants directly from Spain. In the 2000 Census, 299,948 Americans, of whom 83% were native-born, specifically reported their ancestry as ''Spaniard''.

In northern New Mexico and southern Colorado live peoples who trace their ancestry to Spanish settlers of the late 16th century through the 17th century. People from this background often self-identify as "Hispanos", "Spanish", or "Hispanic". Many of these settlers also intermarried with local Amerindians, creating a Mestizo population. Likewise, southern Louisiana is home to communities of people of Canary Islands descent, known as Isleños, in addition to other people of Spanish ancestry.

Hispanics are almost uniformly Christian, with Catholicism the majority confession and an increasing Protestant community.

Race

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="float:right; font-size:85%" |+Hispanic and Latino Americans, by race (2010) |- !Race||Population||% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans |- |White |26,735,713 |53.0 |- |Some other race(Mestizo, Mulatto, etc.) |18,503,103 |36.7 |- |Two or more races |3,042,592 |6.0 |- |Black |1,243,471 |2.5 |- |American Indian and Alaska Native |685,150 |1.4 |- |Asian |209,128 |0.4 |- |Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander |58,437 |0.1 |- |Total |50,477,594 |100.0 |- |}

Hispanic or Latino origin is independent of race and is termed "ethnicity" by the United States Census Bureau. The racial categories are: American Indian and Alaska Native, White, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, Some other race, and Two or more races. The distinction made by government agencies for those within the population of each race category is between those of ''Hispanic or Latino'' origin, and all others of ''Non-Hispanic or Latino'' origin.

The majority of Hispanic and Latino Americans are white, in both sets of government estimates: 54% are white per the American Community Survey, while the ratio rises to 92% in the Population Estimates Program, which are the official estimates. The much larger official figure is due to the absence of the ''Some other race'' category from these estimates, which instead reallocate that category among the five standard, minimum, single-race categories, mostly the white category. The complete 2007 Hispanic or Latino racial breakdown is as follows: White 92% (official) or 54% (ACS); Black or African American 3.8% (official) or 1.5% (ACS); American Indian and Alaska Native 1.4% (official) or 0.8% (ACS); Asian 0.6% (official) or 0.3% (ACS); Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.3% (official) or 0.07% (ACS); Some other race 40% (ACS only; not an official race); Two or more races 0.6% (official) or 3.8% (ACS).

Though comprising very small percentages of the Hispanic and Latino American population, and even smaller percentages of the total U.S. population, some of the preceding racial subgroups make up large minorities among the respective racial groups, overall. For instance, Hispanics and Latinos who are American Indian or Alaska Native compose 15% of all American Indians and Alaska Natives (per the ACS estimates). Meanwhile, the 120,000 Hispanics and Latinos who are of Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander race compose 22% of this entire race nationally (per the Population Estimates). Again, nearly a third of the overall 'Two or more race' population is Hispanic or Latino (ACS).

Population by state or territory

{|class="wikitable sortable" font-size:75%" |+Hispanic and Latino Population by state or territory (2000–2010) |- !State/Territory||Pop 2000||% pop 2000||Pop 2010||% pop 2010||% growth 2000-2010 |- | Alabama !75,830 !1.7% !185,602 !3.9% !+144.8% |- | Alaska !25,852 !4.1% !39,249 !5.5% !+51.8% |- | Arizona !1,295,617 !25.3% !1,895,149 !29.6% !+46.3% |- | Arkansas !86,866 !3.2% !186,050 !6.4% !+114.2% |- | California !10,966,556 !32.4% !14,013,719 !37.6% !+27.8% |- | Colorado !735,801 !17.1% !1,038,687 !20.7% !+41.2% |- | Connecticut !320,323 !9.4% !479,087 !13.4% !+49.6% |- | Delaware !37,277 !4.8% !73,221 !8.2% !+96.4% |- | District of Columbia !44,953 !7.9% !54,749 !9.1% !+21.8% |- | Florida !2,682,715 !16.8% !4,223,806 !22.5% !+57.4% |- | Georgia !435,227 !5.3% !853,689 !8.8% !+96.1% |- | Hawaii !87,699 !7.2% !120,842 !8.9% !+37.8% |- | Idaho !101,690 !7.9% !175,901 !11.2% !+73.0% |- | Illinois !1,530,262 !12.3% !2,027,578 !15.8% !+32.5% |- | Indiana !214,536 !3.5% !389,707 !6.0% !+81.7% |- | Iowa !82,473 !2.8% !151,544 !5.0% !+83.7% |- | Kansas !188,252 !7.0% !300,042 !10.5% !+59.4% |- | Kentucky !59,939 !1.5% !132,836 !3.1% !+121.6% |- | Louisiana !107,738 !2.4% !192,560 !4.2% !+78.7% |- | Maine !9,360 !0.7% !16,935 !1.3% !+80.9% |- | Maryland !227,916 !4.3% !470,632 !8.2% !+106.5% |- | Massachusetts !428,729 !6.8% !627,654 !9.6% !+46.4% |- | Michigan !323,877 !3.3% !436,358 !4.4% !+34.7% |- | Minnesota !143,382 !2.9% !250,258 !4.7% !+74.5% |- | Mississippi !39,569 !1.4% !81,481 !2.7% !+105.9% |- | Missouri !118,592 !2.1% !212,470 !3.5% !+79.2% |- | Montana !18,081 !2.0% !28,565 !2.9% !+58.0% |- | Nebraska !94,425 !5.5% !167,405 !9.2% !+77.3% |- | New Hampshire !20,489 !1.7% !36,704 !2.8% !+79.1% |- | New Jersey !1,117,191 !13.3% !1,555,144 !17.7% !+39.2% |- | New Mexico !765,386 !42.1% !953,403 !46.3% !+24.6% |- | New York !2,867,583 !15.1% !3,416,922 !17.6% !+19.2% |- | Nevada !393,970 !19.7% !716,501 !26.5% !+81.9% |- | North Carolina !378,963 !4.7% !800,120 !8.4% !+111.1% |- | North Dakota !7,786 !1.2% !13,467 !2.0% !+73.0% |- | Ohio !217,123 !1.9% !354,674 !3.1% !+63.4% |- | Oklahoma !179,304 !5.2% !332,007 !8.9% !+85.2% |- | Oregon !275,314 !8.0% !450,062 !11.7% !+63.5% |- | Pennsylvania !394,088 !3.2% !719,660 !5.7% !+82.6% |- | Rhode Island !90,820 !8.7% !130,655 !12.4% !+43.9% |- | South Carolina !95,076 !2.4% !235,682 !5.1% !+147.9% |- | South Dakota !10,903 !1.4% !22,119 !2.7% !+102.9% |- | Tennessee !123,838 !2.2% !290,059 !4.6% !+134.2% |- | Texas !6,669,666 !32.0% !9,460,921 !37.6% !+41.8% |- | Utah !201,559 !9.0% !358,340 !13.0% !+77.8% |- | Vermont !5,504 !0.9% !9,208 !1.5% !+67.3% |- | Virginia !329,540 !4.7% !631,825 !7.9% !+91.7% |- | Washington !441,509 !7.5% !755,790 !11.2% !+71.2% |- | West Virginia !12,279 !0.7% !22,268 !1.2% !+81.4% |- | Wisconsin !192,921 !3.6% !336,056 !5.9% !+74.2% |- | Wyoming !31,669 !6.4% !50,231 !8.9% !+58.6% |- | ''American Samoa'' ! ! ! ! ! |- | ''Guam'' ! ! ! ! ! |- | ''Northern Mariana Islands'' ! ! ! ! ! |- | ''Puerto Rico'' !3,762,746 !98.8% !3,688,455 !99.0% !-2.0% |- | ''U.S. Virgin Islands'' !15,196 !14.0% ! ! ! |-class="sortbottom" bgcolor="lightgrey" | United States of America |align = center|35,305,818 |align = center|12.5% |align = center|50,477,594 |align = center|16.3% |align = center|+43.0% |- |}

Notables and their contributions

Hispanic and Latino Americans have made distinguished contributions to the United States in all major fields, such as politics, the military, music, literature, philosophy, sports, business and economy, and science.

Business

The total number of Hispanic-owned businesses in 2002 was 1.6 million, having grown at triple the national rate for the preceding five years.

Hispanic and Latino business leaders include Cuban immigrant Roberto Goizueta, who rose to head of The Coca-Cola Company. Advertising magnate Arte Moreno became the first Hispanic to own a major league team in the United States when he purchased the Los Angeles Angels baseball club. Also a major sports team owner is Linda G. Alvarado, president and CEO of Alvarado Construction, Inc and co-owner of the Colorado Rockies baseball team. The largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S. is Goya Foods, which position it attained under World War II hero Joseph A. Unanue, the son of the company's founders. Angel Ramos was the founder of Telemundo, Puerto Rico's first television station and now the second largest Spanish language television network in the United States, with an average viewership over one million in primetime. Samuel A. Ramirez, Sr. made Wall Street history by becoming the first Hispanic to launch a successful investment banking firm, Ramirez & Co. Nina Tassler is president of CBS Entertainment since September 2004. She is the highest-profile Latina in network television and one of the few executives who has the power to approve the airing or renewal of series.

Government and politics

As of 2007 there were more than five thousand elected officeholders in the United States who were of Latino origin.

In the House of Representatives, Hispanic and Latino representatives have included Ladislas Lazaro, Antonio M. Fernández, Henry B. Gonzalez, Kika de la Garza, Herman Badillo, Romualdo Pacheco, and Manuel Lujan, Jr., out of almost two dozen former Representatives. Current Representatives include Luis Gutiérrez, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Nydia Velázquez, Joe Baca, Loretta Sanchez, Silvestre Reyes, Rubén Hinojosa, Linda Sánchez, and John Salazar – in all, they number twenty-three. Former senators are Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, Mel Martinez, Dennis Chavez, Joseph Montoya, and Ken Salazar. As of January 2011, the U.S. Senate includes Hispanic members Bob Menendez, a Democrat, and Marco Rubio, a Republican.

Numerous Hispanics and Latinos hold elective and appointed office in state and local government throughout the United States. Current Hispanic Governors include Republican Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval and Republican New Mexico Governor Susana Martinez; upon taking office in 2011, Martinez became the first Latina governor in the history of the United States. Former Hispanic governors include Democrats Jerry Apodaca, Raul Hector Castro, and Bill Richardson, as well as Republicans Octaviano Ambrosio Larrazolo, Romualdo Pacheco, and Bob Martinez.

Since 1988, when Ronald Reagan appointed Lauro Cavazos the Secretary of Education, the first Hispanic United States Cabinet member, Hispanic Americans have had an increasing presence in presidential administrations. Hispanics serving in subsequent cabinets include Ken Salazar, current Secretary of the Interior; Hilda Solis, current United States Secretary of Labor; Alberto Gonzales, former United States Attorney General; Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce; Federico Peña, former Secretary of Energy; Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Manuel Lujan, Jr., former Secretary of the Interior; and Bill Richardson, former Secretary of Energy and Ambassador to the United Nations. Six of the last ten US Treasurers, including the latest three, are Hispanic women.

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Supreme Court Associate Justice of Hispanic or Latino origin.

The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), founded in December 1976, and the Congressional Hispanic Conference (CHC), founded on March 19, 2003, are two organizations that promote policy of importance to Americans of Hispanic descent. They are divided into the two major American political parties: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is composed entirely of Democratic representatives, whereas the Congressional Hispanic Conference is composed entirely of Republican representatives.

Literature and journalism

Among the distinguished Hispanic and Latino authors and their works may be noted:

Isabel Allende (''The House of the Spirits'' and ''City of the Beasts'')

Rudolfo Anaya (''Bless Me, Ultima'' and ''Heart of Aztlan'')

Giannina Braschi (''Empire of Dreams'' and ''Yo-Yo Boing!'')

Sandra Cisneros (''The House on Mango Street'' and ''Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories'')

Junot Díaz (''The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao'')

Jovita González de Mireles (''Caballero'', cowritten with Eve Raleigh, and ''Dew On The Thorn'')

Oscar Hijuelos (''The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love'')

Micol Ostow (''"Mind Your Manners, Dick and Jane"'', ''"Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa"'')

Tomas Rivera (''...And the Earth did Not Devour Him'')

Richard Rodriguez (''Hunger of Memory'')

Rubén Salazar (journalist)

George Santayana (novelist and philosopher: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it")

Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez (''Haters'')

Victor Villaseñor (''Rain of Gold'')

Oscar Zeta Acosta (''The Revolt of the Cockroach People'')

Military and intelligence

Hispanics and Latinos have participated in the military of the United States and in every major military conflict from the American Revolution onward. Tens of thousands of Latinos are deployed in the Iraq War, the Afghanistan War, and U.S. military missions and bases elsewhere. Hispanics and Latinos have not only distinguished themselves in the battlefields, but have also reached the high echelons of the military, serving their country in sensitive leadership positions on domestic and foreign posts. As of date, 43 Hispanics and Latinos have been awarded the nation's highest military distinction, the Medal of Honor (also known as the ''Congressional Medal of Honor''). The following is a list of some notable Hispanics/Latinos in the military:

;American Revolution

Lieutenant Jorge Farragut Mesquida (1755–1817)-Participated in the American Revolution as a lieutenant in the South Carolina Navy.

;American Civil War Admiral David Farragut- Farragut was promoted to vice admiral on December 21, 1864, and to full admiral on July 25, 1866, after the war, thereby becoming the first person to be named full admiral in the Navy's history.

Colonel Ambrosio José Gonzales - Gonzales was active during the bombardment of Fort Sumter and because of his actions was appointed Colonel of artillery and assigned to duty as Chief of Artillery in the department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Colonel Carlos de la Mesa - Grandfather of Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr. commanding general of the First Infantry Division in North Africa and Sicily, and later the commander of the 104th Infantry Division during World War II. Colonel Carlos de la Mesa was a Spanish national who fought at Gettysburg for the Union Army in the Spanish Company of the "Garibaldi Guard" of the 39th New York State Volunteers. Colonel Federico Fernández Cavada - Commanded the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteer infantry regiment when it took the field in the Peach Orchard at Gettysburg. Colonel Miguel E. Pino - Commanded the 2nd Regiment of New Mexico Volunteers, which fought at the Battle of Valverde in February and the Battle of Glorieta Pass and helped defeat the attempted invasion of New Mexico by the Confederate Army. Colonel Santos Benavides - Commanded his own regiment, the "Benavides Regiment." He was the highest ranking Mexican-American in the Confederate Army. Major Salvador Vallejo- Officer in one of the California units which served with the Union Army in the West. Captain Adolfo Fernández Cavada - Cavada served in the 114th Pennsylvania Volunteers at Gettysburg with his brother, Colonel Federico Fernandez Cavada. He served with distinction in the Army of the Potomac from Fredericksburg to Gettysburg and was a "special aide-de-camp" to General Andrew A. Humphreys. Captain Roman Anthony Baca - Member of the Union forces in the New Mexico Volunteers. He also served as a spy for the Union Army in Texas. Lieutenant Augusto Rodriguez - A Puerto Rican native who served as an officer in the 15th Connecticut Regiment, Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, of the Union Army. Rodríguez served in the defenses of Washington, D.C. and led his men in the Battles of Fredericksburg and Wyse Fork.

Lola Sánchez - Sánchez was a Cuban born woman who became a Confederate spy who helped the Confederates obtain a victory against the Union Forces in the "Battle of Horse Landing".

Loreta Janeta Velazquez a.k.a. "Lieutenant Harry Buford"- She was a Cuban woman who donned Confederate garb and served as a Confederate officer and spy during the American Civil War.

;World War I

Major General Luis R. Esteves, U.S. Army- In 1915, Esteves became the first Hispanic to graduate from the United States Military Academy ("West Point"). Esteves also organized the Puerto Rican National Guard.

First Lieutenant Félix Rigau Carrera, known as "El Aguila de Sabana Grande" (The Eagle from Sabana Grande)-Was the first Hispanic fighter pilot in the United States Marine Corps.

Private Marcelino Serna- Was an undocumented Mexican immigrant who joined the United States Army and became the most decorated soldier from Texas in World War I. Serna was the first Hispanic to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

;World War II

Lieutenant General Pedro del Valle- the first Hispanic to reach the rank of Lieutenant General. He played an instrumental role in the seizure of Guadalcanal and Okinawa as Commanding General of the U.S. 1st Marine Division during World War II.

Lieutenant General Elwood R. Quesada (1904–1993) - Commanding general of the 9th Fighter Command, where he established advanced headquarters on the Normandy beachhead on D-Day plus one, and directed his planes in aerial cover and air support for the Allied invasion of the European continent during World War II. He was the foremost proponent of "the inherent flexibility of air power", a principle he helped prove during the war.

Major General Terry de la Mesa Allen, Sr. (1888–1969) - was the commanding general of the 1st Infantry Division in North Africa and Sicily during World War II, and was made commander of the 104th Infantry Division.

Colonel Virgil R. Miller - was the Regimental Commander of the 442d Regimental Combat Team, a unit which was composed of "Nisei" (second generation Americans of Japanese descent), during World War II. He led the 442nd in its rescue of the Lost Texas Battalion of the 36th Infantry Division, in the forests of the Vosges Mountains in northeastern France.

Captain Marion Frederic Ramírez de Arellano (1913–1980) - served in World War II and was the first Hispanic submarine commander.

First Lieutenant Oscar Francis Perdomo, of the 464th Fighter Squadron, 507th Fighter Group was the last "Ace in a Day" for the United States in World War II.

CWO2 Joseph B. Aviles, Sr.- a member of the United States Coast Guard and the first Hispanic-American to be promoted to Chief Petty Officer, received a war-time promotion to Chief Warrant Officer (November 27, 1944), thus becoming the first Hispanic American to reach that level as well.

Sergeant First Class Agustín Ramos Calero- was the most decorated soldier in the European Theatre of World War II.

PFC Guy Gabaldon, USMC - captured over a thousand prisoners during the World War II Battle of Saipan.

Tech4 Carmen Contreras-Bozak - the first Hispanic to serve in the U.S. Women's Army Corps where she served as an interpreter and in numerous administrative positions.

;Korean War

Major General Salvador E. Felices, U.S. Air Force - In 1953, Felices flew in 19 combat missions over North Korea, during the Korean War. In 1957, he participated in "Operation Power Flite", a historic project that was given to the Fifteenth Air Force by the Strategic Air Command headquarters. Operation Power Flite was the first around the world non-stop flight by an all-jet aircraft.

First Lieutenant Baldomero Lopez- is the only Hispanic graduate of the United States Naval Academy ("Annapolis") to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Sergeant First Class Modesto Cartagena- was a member of the 65th Infantry Regiment, an all-Puerto Rican regiment also known as "The Borinqueneers", during World War II and the Korean War. He was the most decorated Puerto Rican soldier in history.

;Cuban Missile Crisis

Admiral Horacio Rivero, Jr.- second Hispanic four-star Admiral, was the commander of the American fleet sent by President John F. Kennedy to set up a quarantine (blockade) of the Soviet ships during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

;Vietnam War Sergeant First Class Jorge Otero Barreto a.k.a. "The Puerto Rican Rambo"- was the most decorated soldier in the Vietnam War

;Post-Vietnam

Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez- top commander of the Coalition forces during the first year of the occupation of Iraq, 2003–2004, during the Iraq War

Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca- In 1994, Baca became the first Hispanic Chief of the National Guard Bureau.

Colonel Santos Benavides commanded his own regiment, the "Benavides Regiment". He was the highest ranking Mexican American in the Confederate Army.

Vice Admiral Antonia Novello, M.D., Public Health Service Commissioned Corps- In 1990, Novello became the first Hispanic (and first female) U.S. Surgeon General.

Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, M.D., Public Health Service Commissioned Corps- Carmona served as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States, under President George W. Bush.

Brigadier General Joseph V. Medina, USMC -made history by becoming the first Marine Corps officer to take command of a Naval flotilla.

Rear Admiral Ronald J. Rábago is the first person of Hispanic American descent to be promoted to Rear Admiral (lower half) in the United States Coast Guard.

Captain Linda Garcia Cubero, United States Air Force- in 1990 became the first Hispanic woman graduate of the United States Air Force, and of any military academy.

Major General Erneido Oliva. He was appointed to the position of Deputy Commanding General of the D.C. National Guard.

Brigadier General Carmelita Vigil-Schimmenti, United States Air Force- in 1985 became the first Hispanic female to attain the rank of Brigadier General in the Air Force. On August 2, 2006, Brigadier General Angela Salinas, made history when she became the first Hispanic female to obtain a general rank in the Marines.

Chief Master Sergeant Ramón Colón-López is pararescueman who in 2007, was the only Hispanic among the first six airmen to be awarded the newly created Air Force Combat Action Medal.

Medal of Honor

The following 43 Hispanics were awarded the Medal of Honor:

Philip Bazaar, Joseph H. De Castro, John Ortega, France Silva, David B. Barkley, Lucian Adams, Rudolph B. Davila, Marcario Garcia, Harold Gonsalves, David M. Gonzales, Silvestre S. Herrera, Jose M. Lopez, Joe P. Martinez, Manuel Perez Jr., Cleto L. Rodriguez, Alejandro R. Ruiz, Jose F. Valdez, Ysmael R. Villegas, Fernando Luis García, Edward Gomez, Ambrosio Guillen, Rodolfo P. Hernandez, Baldomero Lopez, Benito Martinez, Eugene Arnold Obregon, Joseph C. Rodriguez, John P. Baca, Roy P. Benavidez, Emilio A. De La Garza, Ralph E. Dias, Daniel Fernandez, Alfredo Cantu "Freddy" Gonzalez, Jose Francisco Jimenez, Miguel Keith, Carlos James Lozada, Alfred V. Rascon, Louis R. Rocco, Euripides Rubio, Hector Santiago-Colon, Elmelindo Rodrigues Smith, Jay R. Vargas, Humbert Roque Versace, and Maximo Yabes.

National intelligence

In the spy arena, Jose Rodriguez, a native of Puerto Rico, was the Deputy Director of Operations and subsequently Director of the National Clandestine Service (D/NCS), two senior positions in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), between 2004 and 2007.

Performing arts

In 1995, the American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award was created. It's a distinction given to Latino performers (actors, film and television directors, and musicians) by the National Council of La Raza.

Music

There are many Hispanic American musicians that have achieved international fame, such as Jennifer Lopez, Joan Baez, Linda Ronstadt, Zack de la Rocha, Fergie, Gloria Estefan, Kat DeLuna, Selena, Ricky Martin, Marc Anthony, Carlos Santana, Christina Aguilera, Enrique Iglesias, Los Lonely Boys, Frankie J, Jerry Garcia, Robert Trujillo, and Tom Araya.

Among the Hispanic American musicians who were pioneers in the early stages of rock and roll were Ritchie Valens, who scored several hits, most notably "La Bamba" and Herman Santiago wrote the lyrics to the iconic rock and roll song "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Another song which became popular in the United States and which is heard during the Holiday/Christmas season is "Feliz Navidad" by José Feliciano.

The most prestigious Latin music awards are the Latin Grammy Awards, launched in 2000. Billboard Magazine also honors these artists, with the Billboard Latin Music Awards. The latter's nominees and winners are a result of performance on Billboard's sales and radio charts, while the Latin Grammy Awards nominees and winners are selected by the Latin Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (LARAS).

Film, radio, stage, and television

Hispanics and Latinos have also contributed some prominent actors and others in the film industry, a few of whom includes actors José Ferrer, the first Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award for his role in Cyrano de Bergerac, Anthony Quinn, Cameron Diaz, Martin Sheen, Cheech Marin, Salma Hayek, Dolores del Río, Anita Page, Rita Hayworth, Antonio Banderas, Raquel Welch, Benicio del Toro, Penélope Cruz, Eva Mendes, Zoe Saldana, Edward James Olmos, Maria Montez, Ramón Novarro, Ricardo Montalbán, Cesar Romero, Rosie Perez, Katy Jurado, Rita Moreno, Lupe Vélez, Esai Morales, Andy García, Rosario Dawson, John Leguizamo, and, behind the camera, directors Robert Rodriguez and Guillermo del Toro (also producers and cinematographers) and Luis Valdez.

In standup comedy, Paul Rodriguez, Greg Giraldo, Cheech Marin, George Lopez, Freddie Prinze, Carlos Mencia, John Mendoza, and others are prominent.

Some of the Hispanic or Latino actors who achieved notable success in U.S. television include Desi Arnaz, Lynda Carter, Jimmy Smits, Selena Gomez, Eva Longoria, George Lopez, Benjamin Bratt, Ricardo Montalbán, America Ferrera, Erik Estrada, Cote de Pablo, Freddie Prinze, Lauren Vélez, and Charlie Sheen. Kenny Ortega is an Emmy Award-winning producer, director, and choreographer who has choreographed many major television events such as Super Bowl XXX, the 72nd Academy Awards, and Michael Jacksons memorial service.

The fictional Hispanic/Latina Dora stars in Dora the Explorer, a very successful animated television series.

Hispanics and Latinos are underrepresented in U.S. television, radio, and film. This is combatted by organizations such as the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC), founded in 1986. Together with numerous Latino civil rights organizations, the NHMC led a "brownout" of the national television networks in 1999, after discovering that there were no Latinos in any of their new prime time shows that year. This resulted in the signing of historic diversity agreements with ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC that have since increased the hiring of Hispanic and Latino talent and other staff in all of the networks.

Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB) funds programs of educational and cultural significance to Hispanic Americans. These programs are distributed to various public television stations throughout the United States.

The cable network mun2 and the broadcast network Telemundo produce content for U.S. born and U.S. based Hispanic and Latino audiences, respectively.

Fashion

In the world of fashion, notable Hispanic and Latino designers include Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, and Narciso Rodriguez among others. Christy Turlington and Lea T achieved international fame as fashion models.

Science and technology

Among Hispanic Americans who have excelled in science are Luis Walter Alvarez, Nobel Prize-winning physicist, and his son Walter Alvarez, a geologist. They first proposed that an asteroid impact on the Yucatán Peninsula caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Dr. Victor Manuel Blanco is an astronomer who in 1959 discovered "Blanco 1", a galactic cluster. F. J. Duarte is a laser physicist and author; he received the ''Engineering Excellence Award'' from the prestigious Optical Society of America for the invention of the N-slit laser interferometer. Francisco J. Ayala is a biologist and philosopher, former president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been awarded the National Medal of Science and the Templeton Prize. Dr. Fernando E. Rodríguez Vargas discovered the bacteria which cause dental cavity. Dr. Gualberto Ruaño is a biotechnology pioneer in the field of personalized medicine and the inventor of molecular diagnostic systems, Coupled Amplification and Sequencing (CAS) System, used worldwide for the management of viral diseases. Fermín Tangüis was an agriculturist and scientist who developed the Tangüis Cotton in Peru and saved that nation's cotton industry. Severo Ochoa, born in Spain, was a co-winner of the 1959 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Some Hispanics and Latinos have made their names in astronautics, including several NASA astronauts: Franklin Chang-Diaz, the first Latin American NASA astronaut, is co-recordholder for the most flights in outer space, and is the leading researcher on the plasma engine for rockets; France A. Córdova, former NASA chief scientist; Juan R. Cruz, NASA aerospace engineer; Lieutenant Carlos I. Noriega, NASA mission specialist and computer scientist; Dr. Orlando Figueroa, mechanical engineer and Director of Mars Exploration in NASA; Amri Hernandez-Pellerano, engineer who designs, builds and tests the electronics that will regulate the solar array power in order to charge the spacecraft battery and distribute power to the different loads or users inside various spacecraft at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center; Mercedes Reaves, research engineer and scientist who is responsible for the design of a viable full-scale solar sail and the development and testing of a scale model solar sail at NASA Langley Research Center. Dr. Pedro Rodríguez, inventor and mechanical engineer who is the director of a test laboratory at NASA and of a portable, battery-operated lift seat for people suffering from knee arthritis. Dr. Felix Soto Toro, electrical engineer and astronaut applicant who developed the Advanced Payload Transfer Measurement System (ASPTMS) (Electronic 3D measuring system); Ellen Ochoa, a pioneer of spacecraft technology and astronaut; Joseph Acaba, Fernando Caldeiro, Sidney Gutierrez, Jose Hernández, Michael Lopez-Alegria, John Olivas, and George Zamka, who are current or former astronauts.

Sports

The large number of Hispanic and Latino American stars in Major League Baseball (MLB) includes players like Ted Williams(considered by many to be the greatest hitter of all time), Manny Ramirez, Lefty Gomez, Ivan Rodriguez, Alex Rodriguez, Roberto Clemente, José Canseco, David Ortiz, Fernando Valenzuela, Nomar Garciaparra, Albert Pujols, Omar Vizquel, managers Al Lopez, Ozzie Guillén, and Felipe Alou, and General Manager Omar Minaya.

There have been far fewer football and basketball players, let alone star players, but Tom Flores was the first Hispanic head coach and the first Hispanic quarterback in American professional football, and won Super Bowls as a player, as assistant coach and as head coach for the Oakland Raiders. Anthony Muñoz is enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ranked #17 on Sporting News's 1999 list of the 100 greatest football players, and was the highest-ranked offensive lineman. Jim Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, and Joe Kapp is inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame. Steve Van Buren, Martin Gramatica, Tony Gonzalez, Marc Bulger, Tony Romo and Mark Sanchez can also be cited among successful Hispanics and Latinos in the National Football League (NFL).

Trevor Ariza, Mark Aguirre, Carmelo Anthony, Carlos Arroyo, Gilbert Arenas, Rolando Blackman, Pau Gasol, Jose Calderon, José Juan Barea and Charlie Villanueva can be cited in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Dick Versace made history when he became the first person of Hispanic heritage to coach an NBA team. Rebecca Lobo was a major star and champion of collegiate (National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)) and Olympic basketball and played professionally in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Diana Taurasi became just the seventh player ever to win an NCAA title, a WNBA title, and as well an Olympic gold medal. Orlando Antigua became in 1995 the first Hispanic and the first non-black in 52 years to play for the Harlem Globetrotters.

thumb|right|upright|Oscar De La Hoya has generated more money than any other boxer in the history of boxing.

Boxing's first Hispanic world champion was Panama Al Brown. Some other champions include Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Bobby Chacon, Joel Casamayor, Michael Carbajal, John Ruiz, and Carlos Ortiz.

In the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) promotion of mixed martial arts (MMA) we find Ricco Rodriguez, Tito Ortiz, Diego Sanchez, Nathan Diaz, and Cain Velasquez.

In 1999 Scott Gomez became the first Hispanic player in the National Hockey League (NHL) and won the NHL Rookie of the Year Award.

Tennis legend Pancho Gonzales and Olympic tennis champions and professional players Mary Joe Fernandez and Gigi Fernández; soccer players in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Tab Ramos, Claudio Reyna, Marcelo Balboa and Carlos Bocanegra; figure skater Rudy Galindo; golfers Chi Chi Rodríguez, Nancy Lopez, and Lee Trevino; softball player Lisa Fernandez; and Paul Rodriguez Jr., X Games professional skateboarder, are all Hispanic or Latino Americans who have distinguished themselves in their sports.

In sports entertainment we find the professional wrestlers Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Tyler Black and Melina, and executive Vickie Guerrero.

Socioeconomic circumstances

Education

The high school graduation rate is highest among Cuban Americans (68.7 percent) and lowest among Mexican Americans (48.7 percent). The Puerto Rican rate is 63.2 percent, Central and South American Americans' is 60.4 percent, and the Dominican American is 51.7 percent.

According to the 2000 census, Cuban Americans and Central and South Americans had the highest college graduation rates, with 19.4 percent of Cuban Americans and 16 percent of Central and South Americans 25 years and older possessing a 4-year college degree. On the other hand, only 6.2 percent of Mexican Americans, 9.9 of Puerto Ricans and 10.9 of Dominican Americans had achieved a 4-year degree. Over 21% of all second-generation Dominican Americans have college degrees, slightly below the national average (24%) but significantly higher than U.S.-born Mexican Americans (13%) and U.S.-born Puerto Rican Americans (12%). In comparison non-Hispanic Asian Americans (43.3 percent) and non-Hispanic White Americans (26.1 percent) had higher rates than any Hispanic American group. Non-Hispanic Black Americans (14.4 percent) had a lower graduation rate than Cuban Americans and Central and South Americans, but had a higher rate than Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Dominican Americans.

Cuban Americans have the highest attainment of graduate degrees among all Hispanic or Latino groups, with 6.7 percent. The Central and South American ratio is 4.2 percent. Both are lower than those of non-Hispanic Asian Americans (15.6 percent) and non-Hispanic White Americans (8.7 percent). Non-Hispanic Black Americans (4.1 percent) have a lower percentage of graduate-level degrees than most Hispanic or Latino groups. Of Hispanics and Latinos 25 years and older, only 3.1 percent of Puerto Ricans, 1.8 percent of Dominican Americans and 1.4 percent of Mexican Americans have attained a graduate-level degree.

Health

Hispanic and Latino Americans are the longest-living Americans, according to official data. Their life expectancy is more than two years longer than for non-Hispanic whites and almost eight years longer than for African Americans.

Workforce and average income

In 2002, the average individual income among Hispanic and Latino Americans was highest for Cuban Americans ($38,733), and lowest for Dominican Americans ($28,467) and Mexican Americans ($27,877). For Puerto Ricans it was $33,927, and $30,444 for Central and South Americans. In comparison, the income of the average Hispanic American is lower than the national average.

Among Hispanics, Cuban Americans (28.5 percent) had the highest percentage in professional–managerial occupations. The percentage for Puerto Ricans was 20.7, Central and South Americans' was 16.8 percent, and Mexican Americans' was 13.2 percent. All these are lower than the average for non-Hispanics (36.2 percent).

Poverty

According to the ACS, among Hispanic groups the poverty rate is highest among Dominican Americans (28.1 percent), Honduran Americans and Puerto Ricans (23.7 percent both), and Mexican Americans (23.6 percent). It is lowest among South Americans, such as Colombian Americans (10.6 percent) and Peruvian Americans (13.6 percent), and relatively low poverty rates are also found among Salvadoran Americans (15.0 percent) and Cuban Americans (15.2 percent). In comparison, the average poverty rates for non-Hispanic White Americans (8.8 percent) and Asian Americans (7.1 percent) were lower than those of any Hispanic group. African Americans (21.3 percent) have a higher poverty rate than most Hispanic or Latino groups.

Hispanophobia

Hispanophobia has existed in various degrees throughout U.S. history, based largely on ethnicity, race, culture, Anti-Catholicism, and use of the Spanish language. In 2006, ''Time Magazine'' reported that the number of hate groups in the United States increased by 33 percent since 2000, primarily due to anti-illegal immigrant and anti-Mexican sentiment. According to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics, the number of anti-Latino hate crimes increased by 35 percent since 2003 (albeit from a low level). In California, the state with the largest Latino population, the number of hate crimes against Latinos almost doubled

For the year 2009, the FBI reported that 483 of the 6,604 hate crimes committed in the United States were anti-Hispanic comprising 7.3% of all hate crimes. This compares to 34.6% of hate crimes being anti-Black, 17.9% being anti-Homosexual, 14.1% being anti-Jewish, and 8.3% being anti-White.

Political trends

Hispanics and Latinos differ on their political views depending on their location and background, but the majority (57%) either identify themselves as or support the Democrats, and 23% identify themselves as Republicans. This 34 point gap as of December, 2007 was an increase from the gap of 21 points 16 months earlier. Cuban Americans and Colombian Americans tend to favor conservative political ideologies and support the Republicans, while Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Dominican Americans tend to favor liberal views and support the Democrats. However, because the latter groups are far more numerous – as, again, Mexican Americans alone are 64% of Hispanics and Latinos – the Democratic Party is considered to be in a far stronger position with the group overall.

The Presidency of George W. Bush had a significant impact on the political leanings of Hispanics and Latinos. As a former Governor of Texas, Bush regarded this growing community as a potential source of growth for the conservative movement and the Republican Party, and he made some gains for the Republicans among the group.

In the 1996 presidential election, 72% of Hispanics and Latinos backed President Bill Clinton, but in 2000 the Democratic total fell to 62%, and went down again in 2004, with Democrat John Kerry winning Hispanics 58–40 against Bush. Hispanics in the West, especially in California, were much stronger for the Democratic Party than in Texas and Florida. California Latinos voted 63–32 for Kerry in 2004, and both Arizona and New Mexico Latinos by a smaller 56–43 margin; but Texas Latinos were split nearly evenly, favoring Kerry 50–49, and Florida Latinos (mostly being Cuban American) backed Bush, by a 54–45 margin.

In the 2006 midterm election, however, due to the unpopularity of the Iraq War, the heated debate concerning illegal immigration, and Republican-related Congressional scandals, Hispanics and Latinos went as strongly Democratic as they have since the Clinton years. Exit polls showed the group voting for Democrats by a lopsided 69–30 margin, with Florida Latinos for the first time split evenly. The runoff election in Texas' 23rd congressional district was seen as a bellwether of Latino politics, and Democrat Ciro Rodriguez's unexpected (and unexpectedly decisive) defeat of Republican incumbent Henry Bonilla was seen as proof of a leftward lurch among Latino voters, as heavily Latino counties overwhelmingly backed Rodriguez, and heavily Anglo counties overwhelmingly backed Bonilla.

Although during 2008 the economy and employment were top concerns for Hispanics and Latinos, immigration was "never far from their minds": almost 90% of Latinos rated immigration as "somewhat important" or "very important" in a poll taken after the election. There is "abundant evidence" that the heated Republican opposition to the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007 has done significant damage to the party's appeal to Hispanics and Latinos in the years to come, especially in the swing states such as Florida, Nevada, and New Mexico. In a Gallup poll of 4,604 registered Hispanic voters taken in the final days of June 2008, only 18% of participants identified themselves as Republicans.

2008 election

In the 2008 Presidential election's Democratic primary Hispanics and Latinos participated in larger numbers than before, with Hillary Clinton receiving most of the group's support. Pundits discussed whether a large percentage of Hispanics and Latinos would vote for an African American candidate, in this case Barack Obama, Clinton's opponent. Hispanics/Latinos voted 2 to 1 for Mrs. Clinton, even among the younger demographic, which in the case of other groups was an Obama stronghold. Among Hispanics, 28% said race was involved in their decision, as opposed to 13% for (non-Hispanic) whites.

Obama defeated Clinton. In the matchup between Obama and Republican candidate John McCain for the presidency, Hispanics and Latinos supported Obama with 59% to McCain's 29% in the Gallup tracking poll as of June 30, 2008. This surprised some analysts, since a higher than expected percentage of Latinos and Hispanics favored Obama over McCain, who had been a leader of the comprehensive immigration reform effort. However, McCain had retracted during the Republican primary, stating that he would not support the bill if it came up again. Some analysts believed that this move hurt his chances among Hispanics and Latinos. Obama took advantage of the situation by running ads aimed at the ethnic group, in Spanish, in which he mentioned McCain's about-face.

In the general election, 67% of Hispanics and Latinos voted for Obama and 31% voted for McCain, with a relatively stronger turnout than in previous elections in states such as Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, and Virginia helping Obama carry those formerly Republican states. Obama won 70% of non-Cuban Hispanics and 35% of the traditionally Republican Cuban Americans that have a strong presence in Florida, while the changing state demographics towards a more non-Cuban Hispanic community also contributed to his carrying Florida's Latinos with 57% of the vote. Hispanics and Latinos also supplanted Republican gains in traditional red states, for example Obama carried 63% of Texas Latinos, despite that the overall state voted for McCain by 55%.

Some political organizations associated with Hispanic and Latino Americans are LULAC, the NCLR, the United Farm Workers, the Cuban American National Foundation, and the National Institute for Latino Policy.

Culture

The geographic, political, social, economic, and racial other diversity of Hispanic and Latino Americans extends to culture, as well. Yet several features tend to unite Hispanics and Latinos from these diverse backgrounds.

Language

With 40% of Hispanic and Latino Americans being immigrants, and with many of the 60% who are U.S.-born being the children or grandchildren of immigrants, bilingualism is the norm in the community at large: at home, at least 69% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans over age five are bilingual in English and Spanish, whereas up to 22% are monolingual English-speakers, and 9% are monolingual Spanish-speakers; another 0.4% speak a language other than English and Spanish at home. In all, a full 90% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans speak English, and at least 78% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans speak Spanish. Spanish is the oldest European language in the United States, spoken uninterruptedly for four and a half centuries, since the foundation of St. Augustine.

The usual pattern is monolingual Spanish use among new migrants or older foreign-born Hispanics, complete bilingualism among long-settled immigrants and the children of immigrants, and the sole use of English, or both English and either Spanglish or colloquial Spanish by the third generation and beyond.

Religion

The most methodologically rigorous study of Hispanic or Latino religious affiliation to date was the Hispanic Churches in American Public Life (HCAPL) National Survey, conducted between August and October 2000. This survey found that 70% of all Hispanic and Latino Americans are Catholic, 20% are Protestant, 3% are "alternative Christians" (such as Mormon or Jehovah's Witnesses), 1% identify with a non-Christian religion, and 6% have no religious preference (with only .37% claiming to be atheist or agnostic). This suggests that Hispanics/Latinos are not only a highly religious, but also a highly Christian constituency. It also suggests that Hispanic/Latino Protestants are a more sizable minority than sometimes realized. Catholic affiliation is much higher among first-generation than second- or third-generation Hispanic or Latino immigrants, who exhibit a fairly high rate of defection to Protestantism. Also Hispanics and Latinos in the Bible Belt, which is mostly located in the South, are more likely to defect to Protestantism than those in other regions. Hispanic and Latino Americans' membership in the Catholic Church continues to grow in absolute numbers, due to the group's high birth and immigration rates. Hispanic or Latino Catholics are also increasingly working to enhance member retention through youth and social programs and through the spread of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Media

The United States is home to thousands of Spanish language media outlets, which range in size from giant commercial and some non-commercial broadcasting networks and major magazines with circulations numbering in the millions, to low-power AM radio stations with listeners numbering in the hundreds. There are hundreds of Internet media outlets targeting U.S. Hispanic consumers. Some of the outlets are online versions of their printed counterparts and some online exclusively.

Among the most noteworthy Hispanic/Latino-oriented media outlets are:

Univision, the largest Spanish-language television network in the United States, with affiliates in nearly every major U.S. market, and numerous affiliates internationally;

Telemundo, the second-largest Spanish-language television network in the United States, with affiliates in nearly every major U.S. market, and numerous affiliates internationally;

Azteca America, a Spanish-language television network in the United States, with affiliates in nearly every major U.S. market, and numerous affiliates internationally;

La Opinión, a Spanish-language daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California and distributed throughout the six counties of Southern California. It is the largest Spanish-language newspaper in the United States;

El Nuevo Herald and Diario Las Americas, both Spanish-language daily newspapers serving the greater Miami, Florida market;

La Voz de Indiana, a bilingual (English and Spanish) publication based in Indianapolis, Indiana;

Hispanic Business, an English-language business magazine about Hispanics;

People en Espanol, a Spanish-language magazine counterpart of People;

ConSentido TV, a television, radio, and newspaper network in North Texas;

TBN Enlace USA, a Spanish-language Christian television network based in Tustin, California;

3ABN Latino, a Spanish-language Christian television network based in West Frankfort, Illinois;

V-me, a Spanish-language television network, a sister network of PBS;

CNN en Espanol, a Spanish-language all-news television network based in Atlanta, Georgia;

Vida Latina, a Spanish-language entertainment magazine distributed throughout the Southern United States.

Intermarriage

Hispanic Americans, like immigrant groups before them, are out-marrying at very high rates comprising 17.4% of all existing Hispanic marriages. The rate is higher for newlyweds (which excludes already married immigrants): Among all newlyweds in 2008, 26% of all Hispanics married someone whose ethnicity was different from their own (compared to 9% of non-Hispanic (n-H) whites (aka Anglos), 16% of non-Hispanic (n-H) blacks, and 31% of Asians). The rate was even more profound for native-born Hispanics with 41.3% of Native-Born Hispanic men out-marrying (compared to 11.3% of Foreign-Born Hispanic men) and 37.4% of Native-Born Hispanic women out-marrying (compared to 12.2% of Foreign-Born Hispanic women). The difference is attributed to the fact that recent immigrants tend to marry within their immediate immigrant community due to commonality of language, proximity, familial connections, and familiarity.

81% of Hispanics who intermarried married n-H whites, 9% married n-H blacks, 5% Asians, and the remainder married multi-racial partners.

Attitudes amongst non-Hispanics toward intermarriage with Hispanics are mostly favorable with 81% of Anglos, 76% of Asians, and 73% of n-H blacks "being fine" with a member of their family marrying a Hispanic and an additional 13% of Anglos, 19% of Asians, and 16% of n-H blacks "being bothered but accepting of the marriage." Only 2% of n-H whites, 4% of Asians, and 5% of n-H blacks would not accept a marriage of their family member to a Hispanic.

Hispanic attitudes toward intermarriage with non-Hispanics are likewise favorable with 71% "being fine" with marriages to Anglos and 81% "being fine" with marriages to n-H blacks. A further 22% admitted to "being bothered but accepting" of a marriage of a family member to an Anglo and 16% admitted to "being bothered but accepting" of a marriage of a family member to a Black. Only 4% of Hispanics objected outright marriage of a family member to an Anglo and 3% to a n-H black.

See also

Demographics of the United States

*List of U.S. cities with large Hispanic population

List of Hispanic and Latino Americans

*Hispanics in the American Civil War

*Hispanic Americans in World War II

*Hispanics in the United States Air Force

*Hispanics in the United States Coast Guard

*Hispanics in the United States Marine Corps

*Hispanics in the United States Navy

**Hispanic Admirals in the United States Navy

**Hispanics in the United States Naval Academy

National Alliance for Hispanic Health

Hispanic/Latino naming dispute

Hispanidad

Latin Americans

*Latin American Australian

*Latin American Canadian

*Latin Americans in the United Kingdom

Footnotes

Further reading

Miguel A. De La Torre. ''Encyclopedia on Hispanic American Religious Culture'' (2 vol. ABC-CLIO Publishers, 2009).

Marisa A. Abrajano and R. Michael Alvarez, eds. ''New Faces, New Voices: The Hispanic Electorate in America'' (Princeton University Press; 2010) 219 pages. Documents the generational and other diversity of the Hispanic electorate and challenges myths about voter behavior.

López-Calvo, Ignacio. ''Latino Los Angeles in Film and Fiction: The Cultural Production of Social Anxiety''. University of Arizona Press, 2011. ISBN 0816529264

External links

Hispanic Americans in Congress ''Library of Congress''

Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Army

2000 Census

Latino-Americans Become Unofficial Face of Politics Abroad by Josh Miller, PBS, April 27, 2007

Latino in America - ''CNN''

Mexican Roots

Category:Ethnic groups in the United States

es:Latino (Estados Unidos) es:Hispano (Estados Unidos) fo:Latínoamerikanarar fr:Hispaniques et Latino-Américains (États-Unis) ja:ラテン系アメリカ人 sq:Hispanjoll zh:拉丁裔美国人

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Name	William Edward "Bill" Sparks
Birth date	5 September 1922
Death date	1 December 2002
Placeofburial label	Place of burial
Allegiance	United Kingdom
Rank	Marine
Branch	Royal Marines
Battles	World War II
Awards	Distinguished Service Medal
Laterwork	}}

William Edward "Bill" Sparks DSM (5 September 1922 – 1 December 2002) was a British Royal Marine in World War II. He was the last survivor of the "Cockleshell Heroes", commandos who paddled 85 miles into German-occupied France to blow up merchant shipping.

He was born in the East End of London and joined the Royal Marines upon the outbreak of World War II. He volunteered for hazardous service as a way of avenging his brother Benny who had died on the cruiser HMS ''Naiad''.

During the night of 11 December 1942, ten Royal Marines set out in five canoes on Operation Frankton. They caused considerable damage, damaging five ships, but eight of the men were shot or drowned. Sparks and Major Herbert "Blondie" Hasler were pursued through France and Spain by the Germans for three months before they reached safety in Gibraltar.

When Hasler flew home, Sparks was sent back to England under arrest, as no one in Gibraltar could corroborate his story. On arrival, he escaped from the military police and went to see his father, who had been told that he was missing in action. Two days later, he reported to the Admiralty and was about to be arrested again, when he slipped out to Combined Operations Headquarters, where he was greeted with astonishment.

During the rest of the war, he served in Burma, Africa and Italy. Afterwards, he worked as a bus driver, during the Malayan Emergency as a police lieutenant, and then as a bus inspector.

Sparks, was survived by three sons, one of whom became a colour sergeant in the Marines, and a daughter. After his first wife, Violet, died in 1982, he married again. Irene, his second wife, survived him.

Honours and awards

29 June 1943 - Distinguished Service Medal ''For courage and enterprise: Marine William Edward Sparks, Ply.X.3664.''.

There is a blue plaque to Sparks on the council house he occupied after the war,in Poundfield Road Loughton Essex.

Further reading

Munn, Michael; Sparks, William (1992) ''The last of the Cockleshell Heroes: a World War Two memoir'' — ISIS Large Print ISBN 9781856951258 Bill Sparks "Cockleshell Commando" 2008, Pen & Sword

References

External links

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1415009/Marine-Bill-Sparks.html Daily Telegraph Obituary "Marine Bill Sparks"

Category:1922 births Category:2002 deaths Category:Royal Marines ranks Category:Royal Marines personnel of World War II Category:Recipients of the Distinguished Service Medal (United Kingdom)

Coordinates	41°52′55″N87°37′40″N
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Enrique Martín Morales
Alias	Ricky Martin
Born	December 24, 1971San Juan, Puerto Rico
Genre	Pop, Latin pop, dance-pop, world, reggae, urban pop
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, actor
Years active	1984–present
Label	Columbia, Sony Music Latin, Sony Music Mexico
Associated acts	Menudo
website	}}

Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.

During his career he has sold more than 60 million albums worldwide. He is the founder of ''Ricky Martin Foundation'' (in Spanish ''Fundación Ricky Martin''), a non-profit charity organization. Ricky Martin's exuberant 1999 single "Livin' la Vida Loca" made him a prominent figure of Latin dance-pop. Martin got his start with the all-boy pop group Menudo; after five years with the group, he released his Spanish-language solo album, ''Ricky Martin'', in 1991. He also acted on stage and on TV in Mexico, becoming a modest star there. In 1994 he starred on the American TV soap opera ''General Hospital'', playing a Puerto Rican singer. In 1999, after several albums in Spanish, he released his first English-language album (also titled ''Ricky Martin''), which included the salsa-style "Livin' la Vida Loca". The album sold 22 million copies and brought Martin international fame. His other studio albums include: ''Me Amarás'' (1993), ''A Medio Vivir'' (1995), ''Vuelve'' (1998), ''Sound Loaded'' (2000), ''Almas del Silencio'' (2003), ''Life'' (2005), and ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' (2011). In 2010 Martin announced that he was a "fortunate homosexual man", ending years of fan speculation on the topic.

On the edge of the new millennium, Martin—almost by himself—gave Latino music an international face. An acclaimed performance at the 1999 Grammy Awards launched Martin into worldwide super-stardom. As ''Entertainment Weekly'''s Andrew Essex reported, "his leather-pants, electro-pelvis version of 'La Copa de la Vida' single-handedly goosed a very dull [Grammy] telecast, earning him a standing ovation."

Martin's twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, were born via a surrogate mother in 2008. Martin also co-owns a Miami restaurant, Casa Salsa, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2007.

Early life

Martin was born on December 24, 1971, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the son of Nereida Morales, an accountant, and Enrique Martín Negroni, a psychologist. His parents divorced when he was two; his father remarried. Martin has two maternal half-brothers, Fernando and Ángel Fernández, and two paternal half-brothers, Eric and Daniel Martín, and a paternal half-sister Vanessa Martín. Martin grew up in a Roman Catholic home and was an altar boy until he joined Menudo. Martin has some Corsican and Spanish ancestry as his paternal fourth great-grandfathers were born in Rogliano, Cap Corse, Corsica, and Vilanova i la Geltrú, Catalonia (Spain).

Ricky Martin was a member of Puerto Rican boy band Menudo between 1984 and 1989.

After completing high school, Martin left San Juan and moved to New York City. Later, Martin moved to Mexico City where he attended the national school of space. He played lead role in a 1989 musical-theatre release named ''Mis Tennis Rojos'' (''My Red Tennis Shoes'') next to Angélica Vale and then followed another theater production ''Mama Ama el Rock'' (''Mom Loves Rock'').

Career

Early solo work: 1991–1994

In 1991, Ricky Martin participated in a telenovela titled ''Alcanzar una estrella II'' next to Sasha Sokol. Out of this soap opera a musical group was formed named Muñecos de Papel in which he was one of the six members; they toured several cities in Mexico and recorded two albums. His main single was "Juego de Ajedrez". A film based on the TV series was also produced in which Martin played Pablo, earning a Heraldo Award in 1993.

While acting in Mexico, Martin was signed to Sony Discos, the Sony Music Entertainment's Latin imprint, in 1990. He released his first solo album, the Spanish-language ''Ricky Martin'', in November 1991, which included the hit singles: "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida". Later, Ricky Martin performed a string of sold-out concert dates across South America.

In May 1993, Martin released his second solo album, ''Me Amarás'', which featured a Spanish-language cover of the Laura Branigan song "Self Control", titled "Que Dia Es Hoy".

Martin moved to Los Angeles, California in 1994 and landed a role as bartender and singer Miguel Morez in the American soap opera ''General Hospital''.

Breakthrough: 1995–1998

In 1995, Martin refocused on his music career, and his third album, ''A Medio Vivir'', became an international breakthrough. With this album, Martin made a shift from formulaic hit ballads to a more risky fusion of music centered around traditional Latin sounds, epitomized by the hit "Maria". The song broke Martin into Europe via Spain. "Maria" went to number one in France, Belgium Wallonia and Australia, and reached the top ten in most European countries; it even charted on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number eighty-eight. With the ballad "Te Extraño, Te Olvido, Te Amo", Martin furthered his expansion from Latin American and Spanish-speaking audiences to the European and Asian markets. The album has sold over 3 million copies worldwide.

After the conclusion of a worldwide tour, Martin returned to New York to appear in a Broadway theatre production for the first time, joining the cast of the hit musical ''Les Misérables'' to play the romantic lead, Marius Pontmercy.

While on Broadway, Martin returned to the studio and recorded his fourth album, ''Vuelve'' (1998). The title track and the ballad "Perdido Sin Tí" both hit number one on the Hot Latin Songs. The album's pinnacle, however, was "La Copa de la Vida", which Martin made a major hit in an English version when he was chosen to sing the anthem of the 1998 FIFA World Cup. "La Copa de la Vida" reached number one on the charts around the world and went gold and platinum in various countries. It was awarded Pop Song of the Year at the 1999 Lo Nuestro Awards. Further singles included: "La Bomba", "Por Arriba, Por Abajo" and "Corazonado". ''Vuelve'' spent twenty-six weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. It became Martin's first top forty album on the Billboard 200 in the United States, where it was certified platinum by the RIAA. The album also went to number one in Spain and Norway, and sold over eight million copies worldwide.

Martin was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for ''Vuelve'', and was booked to sing on the 41st Grammy Awards live TV broadcast. The now-legendary performance of "The Cup of Life" stopped the show, earning Martin an unexpected standing ovation and introducing the star to the mainstream American audience. Martin capped off the evening by winning the Grammy Award.

Crossover to English: 1999–2002

After several years as a major star in Spanish-speaking countries, Martin prepared his first English album in 1999. The self-titled album contained material by writers and producers such as Desmond Child, Diane Warren, William Orbit, George Noriega and his longtime childhood friend Draco Rosa. The album also featured special guests: Madonna on the Spanish-English duet "Be Careful (Cuidado con mi Corazón)" and Meja on "Private Emotion".

The first and most prominent single was "Livin' la Vida Loca", which reached number one in many countries around the world, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand. It was followed by "She's All I Ever Had" which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Both tracks peaked at number one on the Hot Latin Songs. "Livin' la Vida Loca" is generally seen as the song that began the Latin pop explosion of 1999 and made the transition of other Latin artists (first Jennifer Lopez and Enrique Iglesias, then later Shakira) into the English-speaking market easier. ''Ricky Martin'' became one of the top-selling albums of 1999, and was certified 7× platinum in the United States, selling over 22 million copies worldwide. In Cctober 1999, Martin embarked on a very successful year-long Livin' la Vida Loca Tour.

After this success, a new English-language album, ''Sound Loaded'', was released in November 2000. It debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 and was certified 2× platinum by the RIAA. "She Bangs" and "Nobody Wants to Be Lonely" (duet with Christina Aguilera) peaked at number twelve and thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively. Both singles reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs. ''Sound Loaded'' has sold over 8 million copies worldwide.

In February 2001, Martin released a Spanish greatest hits album entitled ''La Historia'', which went to number one for five weeks on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and debuted at number eighty-three on the Billboard 200. It also topped the chart in Sweden for three weeks. The album contained reworkings of two of his early songs "Fuego Contra Fuego" and "El Amor de Mi Vida". In November 2001, an English-language greatest hits album, ''The Best of Ricky Martin'' was released outside North America. It contained two new remixes of "Amor".

''Almas del Silencio'' and ''Life'': 2003–2006

In May 2003, Martin released a new Spanish album ''Almas del Silencio''. The first single, "Tal Vez", debuted at number one on the Hot Latin Songs and stayed there for eleven weeks. Martin said of the new album: "I really needed to go back to focus, to my center, to the beginning. I had the need to search within, and really dig deep, and find those emotions that, because of the adrenaline and the euphoria that I lived for a couple of years, were probably sabotaged." ''Almas del Silencio'' debuted at number twelve on the Billboard 200 and reached number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums where it stayed for six weeks. The album sold more than one million copies worldwide. The next singles, "Jaleo" and "Y Todo Queda en Nada", reached number one on the Hot Latin Songs. "Jaleo" also topped the chart in Spain for four weeks.

In October 2005, Martin released his first English-language album since 2000's ''Sound Loaded'' and the tenth album of his career. Most of the songs on the album, called ''Life'', were co-written by Martin. He commented on the album: "I was really in touch with my emotions. I think this album is very multi-layered, just like life is. It's about feeling anger. It's about feeling joy. It's about feeling uncertainty. It's about feeling. And all my emotions are part of this production." The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200. The first single from the album, "I Don't Care", featured guest appearances by Fat Joe and Amerie. It peaked at number three on the Hot Dance Club Songs and number sixty-five on the Billboard Hot 100. Another song from the album, "It's Alright" was re-recorded as a duet with French singer M. Pokora. It was successful in French-speaking countries, reaching number four in France.

Soon after, Martin announced his One Night Only with Ricky Martin tour. Starting in Mexico City, the tour premiered on November 15, 2005. After finishing the first leg which included Latin America and the United States, Martin performed at the 2006 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Turin. A few days later, he announced the second leg of his world tour, which included Europe and Africa. The second leg started on April 21, 2006 in Manchester, UK, and ended on June 3, 2006 in Tel Aviv, Israel.

''MTV Unplugged'' and a world tour: 2006–2007

On August 17, 2006, Ricky Martin taped his ''MTV Unplugged'' concert in Miami. It premiered on MTV Latin America, MTV Tr3s and MTV Puerto Rico in October 2006 and was released on CD and DVD in November 2006. The album was a critical and commercial success. It debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums and number thirty-eight on the Billboard 200. At the Latin Grammy Awards of 2008, ''MTV Unplugged'' received Latin Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Album and for Best Long Form Music Video. The first single, "Tu Recuerdo" which featured La Mari of Chambao, reached number one for three weeks on the Hot Latin Songs. The next single, "Pégate" peaked at number six on the Hot Dance Club Songs.

On February 19, 2007, Martin began his worldwide Black and White Tour which started with a performance at the José Miguel Agrelot Coliseum in Puerto Rico and concluded with a presentation at the Madison Square Garden in New York City on October 14, 2007. He also recorded a duet with Eros Ramazzotti, "Non siamo soli" which topped the Italian chart for eleven consecutive weeks.

Career break: 2007–2010

After finishing his worldwide tour, Martin took a break from the music industry and focused on his private life. In November 2007, Sony BMG Norte released ''Ricky Martin Live: Black and White Tour'' on CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc. One year later, a Spanish-language greatest hits album was released, entitled ''17''. It was a summary of seventeen years of Martin's musical career, which included mostly Spanish-language songs.

Autobiography and a new album: 2010–present

Ricky Martin's autobiography, ''Me'', was published on November 2, 2010. The book became ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list, debuting at number five on the Hardcover Nonfiction list. A Spanish-language edition entitled ''Yo'' was published simultaneously.

Martin's new single, "The Best Thing About Me Is You" featuring Joss Stone also premiered on November 2, 2010 and peaked at number seventy-four on the Billboard Hot 100. The Spanish version, "Lo Mejor de Mi Vida Eres Tú" topped the Hot Latin Songs for two weeks. It was followed by a new studio album, ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' released on January 31, 2011. It debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and became the highest charting, primarily-Spanish language album in the United States, since ''Dreaming of You'' by Selena. ''Música + Alma + Sexo'' also represents the highest ever chart debut on the Billboard 200 for a Sony Music Latin release. It spent two weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Latin Albums. On March 25, 2011, Martin started his Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour, which will end on November 12, 2011. The second single from the album, "Más" was released on April 5, 2011 and peaked at number seven on the Hot Dance Club Songs. "Frío" featuring Wisin & Yandel was chosen as the third single.

''17: Greatest Hits'' was released on July 11, 2011 exclusively in the United Kingdom.

Ricky Martin will be playing Ché in the Broadway revival of the show ''Evita'', scheduled to begin previews on Broadway in March 2012, ahead of an opening in April 2012.

Personal life

In the past Martin stated he was in love with Mexican TV host Rebecca de Alba, with whom he had an off-and-on-again relationship for over 14 years. They even talked of starting a family together, and at one point Martin planned on proposing. However with the release of ''Life'' in 2005, Martin confirmed he and De Alba had parted ways.

In August 2008, Martin became the father of twin boys, Matteo and Valentino. The babies were birthed by a surrogate mother.

After the success of "Livin' la Vida Loca", Martin's personal life became a subject of interest due to his large gay following, and he was questioned about his sexual orientation. In a December 2000 interview with ''The Mirror'', Martin was asked to comment on the rumors surrounding his sexuality. He replied that "I don't think I should have to tell anyone if I am gay or not, or who I've slept with or not." Along with this, Martin reportedly stated in an interview with ''Plus 7 Days'' magazine, "If I were gay, why not admit it? I am a normal man. I love women and sex. I am a real hot-blooded Puerto Rican, but I have never been attracted by sex with a man."

On March 29, 2010, Martin publicly acknowledged his homosexuality in a post on his official web site by stating, "I am proud to say that I am a fortunate homosexual man. I am very blessed to be who I am." Martin said that "these years in silence and reflection made me stronger and reminded me that acceptance has to come from within, and that this kind of truth gives me the power to conquer emotions I didn't even know existed." In 2010, prior to Martin coming out, Barbara Walters expressed some regret for pushing Martin in a 2000 interview to admit if he was gay. The ''Toronto Star'' quoted her as saying, "When I think back on it now, I feel it was an inappropriate question."

Martin announced on ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' that he is in a relationship. Martin has also expressed support for same-sex marriage in an interview on ''Larry King Live'', and commented on his experience of being closeted and coming out. "[E]verything about saying [that I am gay] feels right...", Martin stated, adding "if I’d known how good it was going to feel, I would have done it ten years ago."

Martin was raised Catholic, but says he is open to all sorts of religious beliefs, especially the Buddhist philosophy, although he does not identify as a Buddhist.

Humanitarian work

Martin is the founder of ''Fundación Ricky Martin'' (), a non-profit organization. Among the events promoted by the foundation was a summer camp, which included Martin's personal participation.

Martin has been honored with many accolades for his humanitarian efforts including: Leadership in the Arts Award, ''Billboard'''s Spirit of Hope Award, ALMA Award, Vanguard Award, International Humanitarian Award by the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children, Hispanic Heritage Award for his humanitarian work through the Sabera Foundation in rescuing three orphan girls from the streets of Kolkata (September 2002).

Martin has also collaborated with the International Organization for Migration on the ''Llama y Vive'' (''Call and Live''), a campaign which is aimed to facilitate prevention of human trafficking, protection of the youngest victims of child trafficking, and prosecution of the traffickers. For his work against human trafficking, the United States Department of State named Martin one of its Heroes in Ending Modern-Day Slavery in 2005.

Politics

Martin was a headliner in the 2001 inauguration ball for President George W. Bush; he even invited the newly elected president to join him on stage to dance. This image was captured by photographers and broadcast in various media throughout the world. Martin referred to it in a later song, "Asignatura Pendiente".

Martin has since changed his position on the former President. In a concert in Puerto Rico during the song ''Asignatura Pendiente'' Martin thrust his middle finger disapprovingly in the air while singing the line "photo with Bush". The gesture met with audience approval but caused a minor controversy with the media. Martin said in an e-mail statement sent to the Associated Press via a spokesman: "My convictions of peace and life go beyond any government and political agenda and as long as I have a voice onstage and offstage, I will always condemn war and those who promulgate it".

Martin supported Hillary Rodham Clinton over Barack Obama in the landslide Clinton victory in the Puerto Rican Democratic primary on June 3, 2008.

Discography

''Ricky Martin'' (1991)

''Me Amarás'' (1993)

''A Medio Vivir'' (1995)

''Vuelve'' (1998)

''Ricky Martin'' (1999)

''Sound Loaded'' (2000)

''Almas del Silencio'' (2003)

''Life'' (2005)

''Música + Alma + Sexo'' (2011)

Filmography

1987 : ''Por siempre amigos'' (TV series) as Ricky

1990 : ''Alcanzar una estrella'' (TV series) as Pablo Loredo

1991 : ''Alcanzar una estrella II'' (TV series) as Pablo Loredo

1992 : ''Más que alcanzar una estrella'' as Enrique

1993 : ''Getting By'' (TV series) as Martin

1993 : ''General Hospital'' (TV series) as Miguel Morez (1994–1996)

1996 : ''Barefoot in Paradise'' (TV series) as Sandoval

1997 : ''Hercules'' (Spanish Language, Voice Only) as Hercules.

2002 : ''Les Diables'' as Brian Rodriquez

2003 : ''Ricky Martin: En la intimidad'' (TV) as a guest star

;Television appearances

''Phua Chu Kang'' (2003) – as himself (guest appearance in season 6)

''General Hospital'' (1995) (television series) – Miguel Morez (unknown episodes, 1994–95)

''Alcanzar una estrella'' (1991) (television series)

''Sos mi vida'' (2006) – as himself

''The Oprah Winfrey Show'' (2011) – as himself (guest appearance in season 25)

''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (2010) - as himself

''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' (2011) - as himself

Theatre

''Les Misérables'' (1996), Broadway – Marius

''Evita'', (2012), Broadway – scheduled

Tours

{| |- ! style="width:350px;"| ! style="width:350px;"| |- ||Ricky Martin Tour || (1992) |- ||Me Amaras Tour || (1993–1994) |- ||A Medio Vivir Tour || (1995–1997) |- ||Vuelve World Tour || (1998) |- ||Livin' la Vida Loca Tour || (1999–2000) |- ||One Night Only with Ricky Martin || (2005–2006) |- ||Black and White Tour || (2007) |- ||Música + Alma + Sexo World Tour || (2011) |}

Records and achievements

Martin was chosen along with Félix Trinidad in 1999, to lead Puerto Rico's worldwide tourism campaign, both exemplifying Puerto Rico's youthfulness, enthusiasm and indefatigable character.

In February 2004, Martin received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Lo Nuestro Awards in Miami.

Martin was honored as the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year by the Latin Recording Academy on November 1, 2006. He was chosen for his accomplishments as a world renowned entertainer, consummate performer and passionate humanitarian. A portion of the proceeds from the evening's tribute dinner was used for benefitting Ricky Martin's charitable efforts.

On October 16, 2007, Martin received the 2351st Hollywood Walk of Fame star, shortly after receiving the key to the city of Miami Beach, Florida on October 11. The star is located besides the Hollywood and Highland complex. Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Rita Moreno were invited to the unveiling ceremony.

In addition to the numerous awards received throughout his musical career, Martin has also been honored with many accolades for his humanitarian efforts.

|- style="background:#ddd;" | colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| Grammy |- style="background:#ddd;" | colspan="5" style="text-align:center;"| Latin Grammy

See also

List of best-selling music artists

List of Puerto Ricans

Honorific nicknames in popular music

White Latin American

Notes

External links

Category:1971 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:American humanitarians Category:American philanthropists Category:English-language singers Category:Gay actors Category:Hispanic and Latino American actors Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Grammy Award winners Category:Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year Honorees Category:Latin pop singers Category:LGBT Christians Category:LGBT parents Category:LGBT Hispanic and Latino American people Category:LGBT people from Puerto Rico Category:LGBT television personalities Category:LGBT musicians from the United States Category:Menudo members Category:People from Los Angeles, California Category:People from San Juan, Puerto Rico Category:Puerto Rican male singers Category:Puerto Rican people of Catalonian descent Category:Puerto Rican people of Corsican descent Category:Puerto Rican people of Spanish descent Category:Puerto Rican pop singers Category:Puerto Rican Roman Catholics Category:Puerto Rican soap opera actors Category:Puerto Rican stage actors Category:Spanish-language singers Category:World Music Awards winners

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