HispanicHeritageEssayGRI

Hispanics and Latinos have had to overcome many challenges in the United States of America, including discrimination because of their ethnicity and many other issues. 55 million of the 318.9 million United States citizens in the U.S. are Hispanic or Latino. That is about seventeen percent of the entire population of the United States (FFF: Hispanic Heritage Month 2015). All of these people have to deal with being treated unfairly because of their ethnicity. Despite this, all of them still overcome the challenges they have to face in the U.S. and live their lives. Even some celebrities have gone through the prejudice of being Hispanic or Latino, but them too have all triumphed through those challenges.

Two things that Hispanics think are major problems are immigration and education. Since 2007, about one-third of Hispanics have said that immigration is an “extremely important” issue to them. Many foreign born Hispanic people in the United States of America came here illegally. In 2013, about fifty-seven percent of Hispanic voters called education an “extremely important” problem that they had to face (Krogstad, Jens Manuel (2)). In 2011, less than thirty percent of Hispanic students graduated from high school. In addition to this, they also had the highest dropout rate of students ages 16 through 24, which was seventeen percent (11 facts). Even though these are quite monumental, Hispanics and Latinos are able to overcome them. Some Apply for U.S. citizenship and become legal residents of the United States. In addition to this, the rate of high school dropouts has lowered since 2011, and fourteen percent have a bachelor's degree or higher (U.S. Census Bureau).

There are more not as prominent issues that Hispanics face as well. One in four Hispanics report mistreatment (McCarthy), like being referred to with racial slurs and being on the receiving end of physical, mental, and emotional abuse. Even in workplaces, they still suffer discrimination. Twenty-two percent of Hispanic and Latino workers have said that they have experienced being treated unfairly at their jobs. They have been rejected from jobs because of their ethnicity as well. There are not many Hispanic or Latino people in management positions either (Gibson, R. Sebastian). Hispanic females earn about 54 cents for every dollar earned by a white male. This accounts for a loss of almost twenty-four thousand dollars every year. Another issue for Hispanics and Latinos is poverty. More than six million Hispanic children were in poverty in 2010, two-thirds of which come from immigrant parents, and more than twenty percent of female Hispanics and Latinos under the age of 18 live below the poverty level (11 Facts). However, Hispanic people can overcome these challenges as well. From 2012 to 2013, the number of Hispanics in poverty dropped from 13.6 million to 12.7 million, even as the Hispanic population grew by one million over the same time period (Krogstad, Jens Manuel (1)). Treatment of Hispanic and Latino people has also been getting better over the years.

Lastly, even Hispanic celebrities have to overcome their own challenges. Salma Hayek is a Mexican-American actress who was diagnosed with dyslexia in her teens. Even with her disability, she succeeded in school in Mexico. Despite this, she dropped out of college to pursue an acting career, and then went to do so in the United States of America after she became a soap opera star in Mexico. She struggled in the U.S. Salma Hayek had great difficulties learning English because of her disability. She could not drive either. Salma was not used to having to do everything on her own in the U.S. But, after a year of effort and perseverance, Salma starred in her first film, Mi Vida Loca. Ever since this, she has had a successful career in Hollywood. She was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance as the title role in the movie Frida (Success Story).

In conclusion, there are many challenges that Hispanic and Latino people have to overcome in the United States of America. These challenges can vary from person to person. Some say that education is the most major problem, while others say that it is immigration. Other issues include poverty, and workplace discrimination. Even with all of these hardships to overcome, the Hispanic population of the U.S. has been succeeding. In addition to these difficulties, some celebrities have their own issues. Salma Hayek is a Hispanic woman who has overcome dyslexia and become a famous actress in the United States. So, overall, Hispanics and Latinos have, can, and will overcome many challenges here in the United States of America.

"11 Facts About Discrimination and Poverty in the Latino Community."DoSomething.org. DoSomething.org, n.d. Web. 04 May 2016. . "FFF: Hispanic Heritage Month 2015." FFF: Hispanic Heritage Month 2015. United States Census, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 03 May 2016. . Gibson, R. Sebastian. "Discrimination Against Hispanics, Latinos and Mexican Americans, and the Need For More Civil Rights Lawyers in California." HG.org. HGExperts, n.d. Web. 29 Apr. 2016. . Krogstad, Jens Manuel. (1) "Hispanics Only Group to See Its Poverty Rate Decline and Incomes Rise." Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 19 Sept. 2014. Web. 05 May 2016. . Krogstad, Jens Manuel. (2) "Top Issue for Hispanics? Hint: It’s Not Immigration." Pew Research Center. Fact Tank, 2 June 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.  "Latino Hunger Facts." Feeding America. Feeding America, n.d. Web. 05 May 2016. . McCarthy, Justin. "Immigrant Status Tied to Discrimination Among Hispanics." Gallup.com. Gallup, Inc., 20 Aug. 2015. Web. 03 May 2016. . Salam, Reihan. "Hispanic Americans Face Real Challenges." National Review. N.p., 21 May 2014. Web. 20 Apr. 2016. "Success Story: Salma Hayek." Dyslexia Help at the University of Michigan. University of Michigan, n.d. Web. 06 May 2016. . U.S. Census Bureau. "Hispanic Americans By the Numbers." Infoplease. Infoplease, n.d. Web. 04 May 2016. .
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