Most Latinos living in the United States (74 percent) identify more with being American, reports NBCLatino.com. Approximately one in five identify as being both American and Latino and just 4 percent identify primarily with their country of origin.
“What is interesting is that surveys and polls consistently show Latinos mostly identify with the U.S. and with being American, and yet this is continually a surprise to the general public,” notes Cristina Beltran, director of Latino studies at New York University, in the NBCLatino.com article. She adds, “The fact that we have an attachment to our culture does not preclude our political and civic attachments.”
These findings are part of a survey of 400 Latinos conducted between August 31 and September 4 by NBC Latino and IBOPE/Zogby International. The survey also looked at Latinos’ perceptions of discrimination. Fifty-one percent of Latinos say they have been victims of discrimination—29 percent on more than one occasion. Despite this, the majority of Latinos remain optimistic about being in America. Fifty-two percent believe this is the best time to be a U.S. Latino.
