Then and Now Experiences of Hispanics and Latinos

Photograph, "Cinco de Mayo Celebration at the White House," taken on September 15, 2015 (Image source: NAID: 234097189)

As of July 2025, learn about past and present heritages and civil rights experiences of Hispanics and Latinos. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an individual's response is based upon self-identification of their race and ethnicity, and they may identify with more than one. This guide follows the bureau's current definition:

• "Hispanic origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person’s parents or ancestors before arriving in the United States. People who identify as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish may be any race."

According to the 2020 Census Data, 60,724,000 people identified as having Hispanic origin, approximately 18.7% of the total U.S. population. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget defines Hispanic or Latino as a "person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race." 

Below are some annual events that occur either in the United States or worldwide.