Coming of Age in the U.S.

The Hispanic population in the U.S. is notable for its youth. Hispanics’ median age of 30.5 in 2021 made it the youngest major ethnic group in the U.S. In 2020, Hispanic children made up a quarter of all children under age 18 in the United States. The share of the Hispanic population born in the U.S. has increased from 59.9 percent in 2000 to 67.3 percent in 2019. Among Hispanic millennials, approximately two-thirds are second-generation Americans — born in the U.S. to at least one immigrant parent.

America’s Hispanic youth face the challenges of cultural duality in pursuit of economic and professional opportunities. They must respond appropriately to the expectations in their separate Hispanic and non-Hispanic worlds while simultaneously trying to succeed in both. Navigating their parents’ immigrant culture while being born and raised in the U.S. has shaped their views on identity and what it means to be an American – factors that are, in turn, shaping the nation’s adult workforce and electorate.

Language issues confronting Hispanic youth illustrate the difficult process of integrating themselves into the ways of the majority community without losing their ethnic identity. Whereas 91 percent of Hispanics born in the U.S. speak only English at home or speak English at least “very well,” only 38 percent of foreign-born Hispanics are this capable. As Hispanic youth became more reliant on English, there has been a generational decline in Spanish being spoken in Hispanic households, causing Hispanic identity to have faded from one generation to the next. Hispanic youth who do not speak Spanish have adopted the nickname “Yo no sabo” (I don’t know) to proclaim their ethnic identity despite their lack of fluency in the language.

What Being Hispanic and Latinx Means in the United States is the subject of a Ted talk given by Fernanda Ponce, a young lady born and raised in Chicago, Illinois by Mexican immigrant parents. She provides a first-person account of experiences that shaped her identity – addressing the stereotypes and assumptions about her ethnic group. As a proud member of the Hispanic community, she discusses the influence of Hispanics on the culture, politics, and economy of the U.S.

Because Ponce was born in Chicago, she automatically became a citizen of the U.S. However, among the millions of young Hispanics in America there is a large undocumented subgroup that was born abroad, brought to this country as children, and raised here to adulthood. Because they lack citizenship, they face discrimination and encounter social problems that severely obstruct their economic and professional opportunities. This ‘de-Americanization’ is the subject of a revealing Ted talk by Maria Chavez. She points out that the U.S. immigration policy entitled Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) permits some of these undocumented Hispanic youth to avoid deportation and become eligible for work permits. However, the policy does not provide a path to citizenship.