A Manifesto
Latin Americans—(Hispanics, Latinos, Latinas, Latinx, or Latine)—make up 20% of the total United States population (2024 Census).
Today, one in every five U.S. Americans is of Latin American origin.
And the future is even more Latin American: 26% of all children under 18 in the country are Latin American or of Latin American origin.
Who Are the Latin Americans in the United States?
From the thousands born in Texas, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico long before these lands became U.S. territories — and their subsequent generations — to the privileged few who arrived with resources, and the millions who came with little more than courage and dreams; from big cities, small towns, and rural corners across 33 Latin American countries, where they were already Americans or Latin Americans — it is to them that we refer in this Manifesto.
Despite diverse origins, Latin Americans share a cultural affinity rooted in history, identity, and tradition — values, beliefs, habits, and attitudes toward life.
Their Culture, Their Power
Latin America is not a race. It is a region with a shared history — a cultural mosaic where Indigenous, European, and African lineages have intermingled for five centuries.
Latin Americans are defined not by skin color, but by geography, history, culture, social and family structures, shared hardships, and resilience.
Skin tones across Latin America range from very dark to very light.
Spanish and Portuguese dominate across more than thirty countries in Central, South, and North America. English is spoken by millions born and living in the United States. And hundreds of Indigenous languages continue to thrive, proudly spoken and passed down to new generations.
The history of Latin Americans in the United States has been marked by wars, invasions, exploitation, segregation, racism, and — hard as it may be to believe — forced labor. It is a five-hundred-year history that, in many respects, has not yet been overcome.
Working Class and Business Class
Latin Americans continue to drive the vast majority of the country’s net workforce growth and are starting businesses at a record pace.
They are young — with a median age of 30, compared to 39.4 for the general population — meaning millions are entering the most productive years of life: higher earnings, higher consumption, and higher economic impact.
Latin American men recorded the highest labor force participation rates among all racial groups between 2003 and 2023; if trends continue, participation is projected to reach 59% by 2033.
Among the nearly 70 million Latin Americans in the United States are farmworkers, harvesters, fishers, and food gatherers who help feed the nation.
There are teachers, nurses, healthcare workers, carpenters, construction workers, landscapers, and service personnel who — often earning lower wages — generate higher profits for employers and cost savings for millions of American families.
Entertainers, Creators, Innovators
Latin Americans in the United States are artists, musicians, dancers, and skilled baseball players.
Over the last two decades, Latin American players — including U.S.-born players of Latin American descent — have made up 25% to 30% of Major League Baseball rosters. The Dominican Republic leads the list of countries outside the U.S., followed by Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.
Latin Americans are also scientists, engineers, architects, and entrepreneurs.
Thirty percent of new U.S. businesses are created by Latin Americans.
More than 5 million businesses in the U.S. (with or without paid employees) are owned by Latin Americans.
They drive one-third or more of all new business creation, particularly in construction, accommodation and food services, and professional, scientific, and technical services.
Purchasing power in 2023
Combined GDP in 2024
Annual federal and state taxes
The Fourth-Largest Economy in the World
Latin Americans in the United States are not an “emerging market.”
They are a powerful economic force.
Their purchasing power exceeded $3.4 trillion in 2023.
In 2024, their combined GDP reached $4.4 trillion — equivalent to the fourth-largest economy in the world.
This growth — fueled by rising incomes, strong workforce participation, and unprecedented business creation — has resulted in a purchasing power growth rate 2.4 times higher than the national average.
If current trends continue, consumption — particularly in housing and retail — is projected to outpace the rest of the country, cementing the U.S. Latino economy as a decisive engine of national growth.
Taxpayers
Latin American families pay an estimated $215 billion annually in federal and state taxes.
Undocumented immigrants also contribute significantly:
In 2022, they paid $96.7 billion in federal, state, and local taxes — nearly $1 trillion over a decade (Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy).
Contribution to the U.S. and Their Countries of Origin
Latin American workers not only strengthen the United States — they also support their home countries, reflecting a cultural trait rooted in strong family ties.
Remittances account for 4% of Mexico’s GDP, and in states like Guerrero, 13%.
Funds sent by Central Americans represent up to 30% of GDP in countries such as Honduras and Nicaragua.
Their progress uplifts families and economies across borders — a dual contribution unmatched by any other group.
Conclusion
Latin Americans are not asking to be seen; they already play a major role in the United States.
Now is their moment.
- They represent 20% of the U.S. population and 26.9% of its children.
- They are not simply “the largest ethnic minority.”
- They are a fundamental and growing force within U.S. society and the economy.
- Latin Americans aspire to move beyond merely being counted — to being recognized for their contributions.
They seek to move past labels and be included in the decisions that shape the nation.
This is not a request for special treatment.
It is a call to end the habit of viewing them as second-class citizens.
Medialuna Agency / Medialuna Magazine
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