Page 36 - Cultural Competence in Health Education

14 Cultural Competence in Health Education and Health Promotion

estimated that this population represents more than 14 percent of the total U.S. population
(OMH, 2007), almost a 40 percent increase since 1990. Moreover, it is estimated that
by 2010 Hispanics will be the largest minority group and that by 2050 they will account
for 24 percent of the total population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004). Although Hispanics
share many cultural characteristics, the many groups that make up the Hispanic popu-
lation are also in many ways culturally and socially variant. For example, although a
majority of Hispanics speak Spanish and follow the Roman Catholic faith, they speak
their common language in many different dialects and practice their common religion
with many spiritual variations (Mar í n & Mar í n, 1991).
In 2004, among Hispanic subgroups, Mexicans ranked as the largest, at 66 percent
of the Hispanic population, followed by Central and South Americans, Puerto Ricans,
and Cubans (OMH, 2007; Ramirez & de la Cruz, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d).
Hispanics are more likely than non - Hispanic whites to live in the U.S. West and South
and to reside in central cities within metropolitan areas (OMH, 2007; Ramirez & de la
Cruz, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d). Hispanics are also younger on average than
non - Hispanic whites, with approximately one in three Hispanics being under the age of
18, and with a median age of 26.9 years. The average age for the non - Hispanic white
population was 40.1 years in 2004 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d). In 2004, nearly three -
quarters of Hispanics were U.S. citizens, with three in fi ve Hispanics having been born
in the United States (Ramirez & de la Cruz, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d). Although
three - quarters of Hispanics spoke a language other than English (that is, Spanish) at

home, almost two in five spoke English very well (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d).
In 2004, Hispanic households were more likely to be family households than were
non - Hispanic white households. These families also tended to be larger, with fi ve or
more people in the household (Ramirez & de la Cruz, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau,
2007d). Although half of Hispanics aged 15 and older were married, one in fi ve house-
holds was maintained by a woman with no husband present (U.S. Census Bureau,
2007d). Moreover, approximately 60 percent of Hispanics aged 25 and older had grad-
uated from high school and 13 percent had attained a bachelor ’ s degree or higher level
of education. However, this educational level varied among Hispanic subgroups. His-
panics from South America, Cuba, and Puerto Rico were more likely to have gradu-
ated from high school and to have completed a bachelor ’ s degree or more education
than were Hispanics from Mexico or Central America (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d).
Hispanics were much more likely than non - Hispanic whites to be unemployed
or to work in service, construction, and production jobs. Hispanics were also more likely
to have a lower median income level and to live in poverty than non - Hispanic whites
were (Ramirez & de la Cruz, 2003; U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d). In 2004, about 22
percent of Hispanics, in comparison to 9 percent of non - Hispanic whites, were living
at the poverty level (U.S. Census Bureau, 2007d). Moreover, Hispanics had the high-
est uninsured rates of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. Still, the unin-
sured rate varied by Hispanic subgroup, with the Mexican and Central and South
American subgroups having higher percentages of people without health insurance
than the Puerto Rican and Cuban subgroups do (OMH, 2007).

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