Latinos continue to be one of the fastest growing groups in the U.S., rising to 20% of the population for the first time this past year, according to the U.S. Census. In addition, Pew Research Center shared these facts: Latinos have played a major role in U.S. population growth.
The sources of Latino population growth have changed in recent years.
S. Latinos trace their roots to many countries.
California and Texas have the nation’s largest Latino populations.
The share of U.S. Latinos with college experience is rising.
The religious affiliation of U.S. Latinos is changing. Let’s dig deeper into these facts and how they can impact others.
Latino Population Growth in the U.S.
The U.S. was home to 340,110,988 people in 2024. Of those, 195 million are ...
One quarter (25%) of all Latino children live in doubled-up households, according to new data from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children and Families (NRCHCF). Doubled-up households are “those in which children live in households with their parents(s) and with other adults, who can include other relatives (e.g., a grandparent) and those who are unrelated,” according to NRCHCF. Let’s dig deeper into what this means and how it impacts families. Latino Family Households by the Numbers According to NRCHCF research, doubling up with a grandparent is the most common among such arrangements, with 15% of Hispanic/Latino children live with a parent and a grandparent. Additionally, 7% of Latino children live with a parent and some other extended family member, ...
Latinos continue to be a growing population in the US. However, at 19.5% of the population, Latinos only comprise 6% of all physicians, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). Fewer Latino physicians to meet the growing population can lead to worse health outcomes for Latinos, who rely on physicians that look and sound like them to build trusting patient-doctor relationships. To shine a light on this issue, National Latino Physician Day occurs every Oct. 1 during Hispanic Heritage Month to honor Latino physicians and share the need for more. Let’s go over how National Latino Physician Day came to be and why Latino physicians are integral for closing the gap on health differences for Latinos and all people.
How Did National Latino ...
Easy-to-use, informative, bilingual tools on infection control practices in the healthcare setting are essential for all healthcare workers. With this in mind, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched Project Firstline, a training and education collaborative that ensures all healthcare workers, no matter their role or educational background, have the infection control knowledge and understanding they need and deserve to protect themselves, patients, and coworkers. As part of Project Firstline, Salud America! and the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA) are bringing you a Salud Talks Podcast series to explore infection control in healthcare. Episode 45 of the Salud Talks Podcast covers the need to bring infection control education to medical ...
During Hispanic Heritage Month, Salud America! is celebrating Latino trailblazers, historical figures, and inspirational stories. This year we recognize Leonardo “Flaco” Jiménez, a conjunto and Tejano music icon. Before his recent passing in July 2025, Jiménez dazzled audiences for decades as one of the most well-known Tex-Mex musicians. Jiménez helped popularize conjunto music, a genre “developed by Texas-Mexican working-class musicians, who adopted the accordion—the main instrument in conjunto music—and the polka from nineteenth-century German settlers in northern Mexico,” according to the Texas State Historical Commission.
What Was Early Life Like for Flaco Jiménez?
Flaco Jiménez was born in San Antonio, Texas, on March 11, 1939. He came from a very ...
Did you know that over 65,000 U.S. physicians identify as Latino? As the number of physicians and healthcare professionals of different backgrounds continues to increase, it’s important to reflect on those who have paved the way. During Hispanic Heritage Month, we want to spotlight important figures throughout history and making a difference today. Let’s recognize Dr. José Celso Barbosa, the first Afro-Latino to obtain a medical degree in the United States.
Early Life in Puerto Rico
Dr. José Celso Barbosa Alcalá, also known as José Celso Barbosa, was born on July 27, 1857, in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, to his parents Carmen Alcalá and Hermógenes Barbosa. “Barbosa’s life traversed significant periods: Spanish colonization; Grito de Lares; slavery, abolition and ...
For over 70 years, Rita Moreno has dazzled audiences with charm, wit, and humor on the stage and big and small screens. But Rita is so much more than the characters she portrays. The only thing film gets right is that Rita is as larger-than-life as her characters. But before she was Rita Moreno, the actress sashaying on the set of the movie musical West Side Story, she was Rosa Dolores Alverío, a young Puerto Rican girl with dreams of making it into movies. “Nobody said I was going to be a star someday. Especially not in this country. I was just a Puerto Rican child. But I knew I was going to be very active in show business. I loved it,” she told TIME.
From Puerto Rico to New York City
Born in 1931, Rita had an upbringing that many immigrants could relate ...
Ya fuera con pintura sobre lienzo o con una charla amistosa en persona, la artista de San Antonio, Mary Louise Lopez, siempre transmitía amor y mostraba la belleza del espíritu humano. Mary Louise fue una artista de talento en dibujo, pintura, escultura y batik. Los temas de muchas de sus pinturas fueron las comunidades nativas de Texas, México, Centroamérica y Sudamérica, lugares a los que viajaba con frecuencia y donde iniciaba fácilmente amistad con muchas personas locales. Mary Louise, quien falleció en noviembre de 2022, de cáncer de páncreas, retrató el orgullo y la fortaleza de los latinos nativos con gran cariño y cuidado, dijo Irene Peche, una amiga cercana de la familia. “Ella buscaba capturar su dignidad y la ética de trabajo con la que vivían. Hay ...
At Salud America!, we're excited to discuss health during Hispanic Heritage Month! This annual U.S. observance, from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, celebrates the histories, backgrounds and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America and Latin America.
How Did Hispanic Heritage Month Start?
U.S. Congressmen George E. Brown and Edward R. Roybal of Los Angeles, and Henry B. Gonzales, were among those who introduced legislation on the topic in 1968. President Lyndon Johnson implemented the observance as Hispanic Heritage Week that year. U.S. Rep. Esteban E. Torres of Pico Rivera proposed the observance be expanded to cover a 31-day period. President Ronald Reagan implemented the expansion to Hispanic Heritage ...
