How have Central and South Americans contributed to the diversity of the Hispanic peoples in the United States?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Immigrants who have come from Central and South America are a diverse population that has not been closely studied. Indeed, most government statistics treat its members collectively as "other" and rarely differentiate among them by nationality. There are 20 nations, each with own identity in Latin America. People from Chile and Costa Rica have little in common other than their hemisphere of origin and the Spanish language, if that. Still others may come from indigenous populations, especially in Guatemala and Belize, and have a social identity apart from any national allegiance. Also, not all Central and South Americans even have Spanish as their native tongue; for example, immigrants from Brazil speak Portuguese, immigrants from French Guyana speak French, and those from Suriname speak Dutch.
One fact that is clear is that immigration from Central and Latin America has increased dramatically. For example in the 20 years through 2010, Cuban and Puerto Rican population in the United States increased about 70 percent, compared to 137 percent for Mexican Americans. During the same time Salvadorans increased by 192 percent, Guatemalans 289 percent, and Hondurans 383 percent
Many of the nations of Central and South America have a complex system of placing people into myriad racial groups. Their experience with a color gradient necessitates an adjustment when they experience the Black–White racial formation of the United States. Added to language diversity and the color gradient are social class distinctions, religious differences, urban-versus-rural backgrounds, and differences in dialect, even among those who speak the same language. Social relations among Central and South American groups with each other, Latinos, and non-Latinos defy generalization. Central and South Americans do not form, nor should they be expected to form, a cohesive group, nor do they naturally form coalitions with Cuban Americans, Mexican Americans, or Puerto Ricans.