The United States marshals contacted the first census in the seventeenth century. Since that time to date, the practice has been contacted after every ten years. However, the Latino/Hispanic group has been treated differently despite that fact that they are part of the American community. Notably, this is the most significant minority group in the American continent as they are more than the African Americans. Later on, they have been recognised by the federal government as part of Americans. Detailed below is a comprehensive description of the variability in census concerning when this practice officially started, five groups under this major Latin group, how Africans were incorporated in this group, how colorism after membership into this group, and the role of language, religion, and culture.
The Start of the Census Category and Five Subgroups under Latin America
The separate category accounting for Hispanics and Latinos officially commenced after groups lobbied to have the federal government start recognizing them as an independent community. Notably, the practice started in 1970 (NPR, 2017). Subsequent census was carried out after every ten years from then. There are five subgroups under this group including those of Mexican origin, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Salvadorans. These are the largest Hispanic subgroups in the United States of America. Therefore, the first census for these Latin Americans was contacted after a struggled in 1970, and the group comprises several subgroups.
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How People from Africa Became Part of the Latino Population in the US and How Africans in Mexico Were Absorbed Into the Hispanic Population
First, black slaves actively participated in the war against Spanish rule in Latin America. Because of this, they were recognized as being a reason for independence in this community, and, therefore, they were included in the "deal" as part of the Latino American community. Even though they were discriminated because of their color, they became part of the community. On the other hand, Africans in Mexico became part of the Hispanic population after they assisted in a colonial war and intermarried with the locals. The population of the resultant generation has been expanding ever since. The government was forced to include them as legit citizens of that nation due to their significance in the past. Thus, Africans became part of the Latino and Hispanic population due to their contributions in the colonial wars, and due to their intermarriage to give rise to a generation that could not be disregarded by the governments.
How Colorism Affects Membership within Latino/Hispanic Group Today
People of African origin are denied access to vital national resources such as education and health facilities. Consequently, they have always lagged behind regarding education and overall health (United States Census Bureau, n.d.). Similarly, people of African origin are denied access to good jobs, which negatively affects their living standards (Medina, 2017). Lastly, blacks are always mistreated, beaten up, and jailed without fair judgment. For instance, they are denied an opportunity to get lawyers and enhance their battles in court. Therefore, these are some of the ways colorism affects membership within the Latino/ Hispanic groups.
The Role of Religion, Language, and Culture
Concerning culture, these people possess diverse economic, geographic and social backgrounds. In this case, they were different from each other, and, therefore, unable to unite in pushing for recognition by the federal government. About language, they majorly speak Spanish. Despite having people from diverse background, a majority of them spoke Spanish, which was not recognized by the federal government in the past. Therefore, they were not regarded as part of the American community, which was majorly English speaking. Likewise, most of the Hispanic and Latin America are Catholics and Protestants. This contributed significantly to bringing this community to become part of the Americans who are also majorly Christians.
Conclusion
Over the years before the 1970s, Hispanics and Latinos were not counted separately. Particularly, they were not recognized as one large community. After a struggle by activists, the federal government was lobbied to initiate category census program for people in this community in 1970. On the other hand, Africans became part of the Latino and Hispanic population since they contributed significantly to their victory during colonial wars. Colorism, language, religions, and culture have contributed substantially to their discrimination and unfair treatment in the United States.
References
Medina. K. (2017). Afro-Mexicans and the Struggle for Recognition. Senior Theses . 212. Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1188&context=senior_theses
NPR. (2017). Here's Why The Census Started Counting Latinos, And How That Could Change In 2020. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2017/08/03/541142339/heres-why-the-census-started-counting-latinos-and-how-that-could-change-in-2020
United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). The Foreign-Born Population in The United States. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/newsroom/pdf/cspan_fb_slides.pdf
