The Latino Socioeconomic

Just like every individual in the U.S., the desire to provide a better life for their families is a driving force for the Latino population. The Latino immigrants not only face discrimination upon their arrival, but also deal with the emotions of being away from their home country, the security of their families, friends, culture, and traditions. The reception that they experience on arrival is far from welcoming. “The negativity towards immigration, be it warranted or not, is not good for our country. It fuels segregation, racism, prejudice, and discrimination” (Lopez, 2010). Illegal immigration has become such a hot topic for many that even when immigrants arrive legally they are still met with suspicion. I think one of the most offensive titles given to a group of people is illegal “aliens”. These individuals are not aliens; they are human beings with dreams of a better life just like everyone else. Today, Latinos are proud of their culture and heritage and even though they attempt to assimilate into the American culture, through pluralism they are retaining their own, as well. They continue to converse in their native languages within their families, listen to music and watch Spanish television programs. Where in the past the melting pot theory led many to discard their native language and culture in order to fit in, today many are embracing these ideals, which may be a contributing factor in the continued discrimination (Lopez, 2010).
African Americans have for the most part suffered from the highest unemployment, but Latinos are not far behind. Many are paid much less for the same work as others. There are few Latinos in management positions and many feel there is very little chance for career advancements.
Latinos are one...

... middle of paper ...

...e Latino presence is leading to greater political representation and the needs of their communities can no longer be ignored. Both the Democratic and Republican parties have come to recognize the growing involvement of the Latino community because of assimilation, as well as pluralism (Schaefer, 2012).
Although many improvements have been made in terms of education, healthcare, political representation and job opportunities, there is a long way to go in closing the gaps that are so apparent in our society.

Works Cited

Cardenas, V., Kerby, S. (2012). The state of Latinos in the United States. Retrieved from www.americanprogress.org
Lopez, R. (2010). A collection of Latino opinions. Retrieved from www.latinoopinion.com/category/prejudice-and-discrimination
Schaefer, R. (Ed.). (2012). Racial and ethnic groups. (13th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education