National Parks: Chronicling The Presence And Historic Legacy Of U.S. Hispanics: Hearing what is said these days about Hispanics in the United States, you would think that the 50 million here -- who represent 16.4 percent of the population, according to Census 2010 data -- are a mix of "aliens," criminals, vandals, low-class men and women, and "illegal" workers out to take jobs away from "Americans."
In the current climate, where the word "Latino" connotes other words like "illegal" and "deportation," we forget that the historic presence of Hispanics, and Hispanic heritage, has influenced this country for more than 400 years. Its imprint on politics, business, culture and sports is now immutable.
