Getting to Know US Latinos

A Step Toward Cultural Competence

Abstract

Data from the 2010 US Census Bureau, Latinos are one of the largest non-White groups in the United States, a trend expected to continue during the next two decades. Despite their status as the largest nonWhite populations in the US, Latinos continue to be poorly understood and their heterogeneous backgrounds are often ignored. The purpose of this paper is to describe an interactive learning activity designed to explore Latino demographics, food preferences, and culturally-specific health practices and beliefs among this population that traces its roots to many Latin American countries extending from Mexico to Tierra del Fuego and some Caribbean islands. The activity described in this paper is designed for English speaking audiences and may be used with junior or senior high school or college students