Latin American diaspora
Over 55 million Hispanic and Latino Americans are residents of the United States, representing 16% of the US population. Hispanic Americans and Latino Americans ( , ) are American citizens who are descendants of immigrants from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and the Iberian peninsula. More generally, it includes all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino, whether of full or partial ancestry. For the 2010 US census, the American Community Survey, "Hispanic" or "Latino" were those who identified as one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the census or ACS questionnaire ("Mexican," "Puerto Rican," or "Cuban") as well as those who indicated that they were "other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino." The peoples of countries considered as Hispanic or Latino American groups by the Census Bureau were the following: Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, El Salvador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela. The Census Bureau uses the terms Hispanic and Latino interchangeably. The Census office of the United States excluded Brazilian Americans from the Hispanic and Latino American population (Brazil is part of Latin America, but Portuguese is the official language rather than Spanish). Other US government agencies have slightly different definitions of the term, including Brazilians and other Portuguese-speaking groups.
Latino Community Foundation
The Latino Community Foundation was founded in 1989 under the premise of being an organization that would help Hispanics and Latinos help themselves. Founded by Mr. Hugo Morales, because of the rapidly growing population of Hispanics and Latinos in the US, the organization is an invaluable resource to the Hispanic/Latino community of California. There are 38.8 million Hispanics and Latinos in the U.S., who represent a population growth in excess of 10% in two years. California is home to the majority of U.S. Hispanics and Latinos: 11 million Hispanics and Latinos, 1/3 of California's population and 1/3 of the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population. Hispanics and Latinos are rapidly immersing themselves into the market economy, housing sector, public education, and health care spheres of the United States. The dynamic growth of the Hispanic population requires leaders that understand the issues affecting U.S. Hispanics and Latinos. Therefore, the Hispanic/Latino Community Foundation “endeavors to support Hispanics and Latinos in building a strong future though personal, academic, and financial development”. The Latino Community Foundation partners with, and advertises, organizations which it feels are committed to helping create solutions to problems within the Hispanic/Latino community. Some of the affiliated organizations are: