7 Facts for<br />Hispanic Heritage Month In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month,<br />here are seven key facts about the<br />Latino population in the United States. 1. Hispanic Heritage Month was first<br />established as Hispanic Heritage Week<br />by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968.<br /> 2. It was later expanded into a month-<br />long celebration by President Ronald Reagan<br />in 1988, spanning from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.<br /> 3. As of 2016, the Hispanic population in the U.S.<br />is 57 million, which makes Hispanics the second-<br />fastest-growing racial group in the nation. 4. People of Mexican origin make up about two-thirds<br />of the Hispanic population with 35.3 million people,<br />followed by 5.3 million of Puerto Rican origin. 5. Research shows that 68 percent of Latinos<br />over the age of five speak English proficiently.<br />This is a 59 percent increase from 2000. 6. 55 percent of Hispanic adults identify as Catholic,<br />16 percent identify as evangelical Protestants and<br />5 percent identify as mainline Protestants. 7. As of 2016, a record 27.3 million<br />Latinos are eligible to vote. This is<br />five million more than in 2012.
