National Hispanic Heritage Month

Celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month September 15 through October 15!

According to the Census Bureau, almost 15% of the United States population is of Hispanic origin - 42.7 million strong. Other interesting facts point to the growing recognition of this group

• Hispanics accounted for almost half (1.3 million, or 49 percent) of the national population growth of 2.8 million in 2004-05.
• Of the increase of 1.3 million, 800,000 was because of natural increase (births minus deaths) and 500,000 was because of immigration.
• The Hispanic population in 2005 was much younger with a median age of 27.2 years compared to the population as a whole at 36.2 years. About a third of the Hispanic population was under 18, compared with one-fourth of the total population.

Hispanic Americans trace their ancestry to many parts of the world, including Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spain, and other nations of Central and South America. Our rich multicultural diversity is strongly influenced by many Hispanic origins, from foods to entertainment and from leadership to activism. Take some time to reflect and celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month!

photo, Rumba Flamenco, from Adonis Chen's flickr