EssayICS17PadrJ

The Impact of Hispanics  As the Largest Minority in the United States

Hispanics from all around the world have had a large impact on the U.S. for many years and it doesn't seem like that is going to change anytime soon. The impact is significant yet sometimes we don't even realize it. Hispanics from different areas have impacted many things that we have in our daily lives such as sports, food and the language that has become very popular in the U.S. We would live in a very different world without all of the diversity that has been introduced to the U.S. A great portion of that diversity is thanks to various Hispanic cultures.

In the United States, baseball is America's pastime. As of recently, people worldwide have seen Hispanics not only do great things in Major League Baseball, but Hispanics have also grown to love this sport and have been steadily taking it over. Shortly after the creation of baseball, many other countries were introduced to it as well. For Latin America and the Caribbean, the love for baseball began when two students from Cuba, who enrolled in the United States educational system, returned home with a bat and a ball. Cuba then began to spread this sport throughout other Hispanic countries. Two Cuban brothers brought the game to the Dominican Republic. Both Cubans and people from the United States introduced Mexico and Puerto Rico to baseball(Latino Athletes). In 2017, the Major League Baseball season had the highest Hispanic percentage ever which is 31.9%(Writer, Richard). This just shows how far Hispanics have come in one of, if not the biggest sport in the U.S.

Hispanics have also changed the way Americans eat and look at food. Now tortillas outsell burger and hot dog buns, sales of tortilla chips are higher than those of potato chips(Chumley, Cheyl). Tacos and burritos are sold just about everywhere for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Hispanic food has not only dominated the grocery stores but also the fast food industry. Chef Lorena Garcia has made a significant impact by helping to fight obesity. Living near Hispanic homes, Garcia witnessed it becoming a problem and wanted to do something about it. Garcia created “Big Chef, Little Chef”, in an effort to help end the problem of childhood obesity. “Big Chef, Little Chef” is a non-profit organization that aims to encourage healthy eating starting at a young age. The foods Garcia develops for “Big Chef, Little Chef” are primarily Hispanic foods. Garcia continued her fight against obesity by working with Taco Bell. The partnership began in 2010 and experienced major changes for Taco Bell. Garcia went to Taco Bell with hopes of creating variety for the menu. She then helped redo the existing menu and added 8 new ingredients to different dishes. Starting on July 5, 2012, Taco Bell came out with the new Cantina Bell menu that was largely credited to Lorena Garcia(Lorena Garcia). Lorena Garcia has impacted the community in many ways and continues to do so today. Taco Bell is one of the many chain restaurants that are Hispanic-inspired. Restaurants like Pollo Tropical, Chipotle, and Tijuana Flats are very popular in American cuisine.

The Spanish language is by far the most spoken foreign language in the U.S. with a little more than 37 million Spanish speakers it and it's not just Hispanics. Studies show that Spanish is spoken more in non-Hispanics U.S. homes than any other non-English language(Lopez, Mark). In high schools, most students choose Spanish as their foreign language because of its growing popularity. In states like Florida, especially in cities like Miami, if a person does not speak and understand Spanish they are less likely to be hired for a job. The necessity of knowing Spanish is becoming more prevalent every day. In my opinion, Spanish should not even be considered a foreign language anymore because so many people speak it and understand it. The Spanish language is so influential that many state names have a Spanish origin for example; Nevada means snow covered mountain range. Montana means mountains in Spanish and Colorado, means red, named after the red rocks throughout the state(List of Places). The fact that many of the states have Spanish inspired names proves that Hispanic culture and language has had a lasting impact on the United States since the very beginning.

Hispanics will always have an impact on this beautiful nation filled with diversity and opportunity. Those are the very foundations America was built on and is why so many people leave their homes to come here. From the simplest things like language to people’s favorite sports to the very food we eat, someone made an impact. No matter your race, gender, or ethnicity it has no effect on what impact you can make or how big that impact will be.

Chumley, Cheryl K. "Hispanic Influence on Food." The Washington Times. The Washington Times, 17 Oct. 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/oct/17/hispanic-influence-tortillas-take-over-burger-buns/
 * I know this is a valid source because they have been confirmed by other websites

"Latino Athletes in American Sports." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 26 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latino_athletes_in_American_sports
 * I know this is a valid source because they have been confirmed by other websites

"List of Place Names of Spanish Origin in the United States." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_place_names_of_Spanish_origin_in_the_United_States
 * I know this is a valid source because they have been confirmed by other websites

Lopez, Mark Hugo, and Ana Gonzalez-Barrera. "What Is the Future of Spanish in the United States?" Pew Research Center. N.p., 05 Sept. 2013. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/09/05/what-is-the-future-of-spanish-in-the-united-states/
 * I know this is a valid source because my teacher recommended this website to me

"Lorena Garcia." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorena_Garcia
 * I know this is a valid source because it lists their references and they all say the same thing

Writer, Richard LapchickContributing. "MLB Race and Gender Report Card Shows Progress Still Needed." ESPN. ESPN Internet Ventures, 18 Apr. 2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017. http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/19185242/mlb-race-gender-report-card-shows-progress-needed
 * I know this is a valid source because it is a big and respected source