In 2016 the
Latino community made up nine percent of
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...
's population, and 44.9 percent of non-English-speaking households spoke Spanish. The district’s Latino population has been increasing steadily since the 1980s as its total population has declined. More immigrants from Latin American countries have settled in the district, and there has been an increase in births to Latina mothers compared to other racial and ethnic groups.
Latinos living in D.C. are more likely to be immigrants than non-Latinos, and Latino immigrants in the district are predominantly from
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, and the
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
.
D.C. Latino households are more likely to consist of a married couple than non-Latino households, and include more children.
History
The Hispanic presence in today's Washington DC is recorded at least as early as 1785, when the Spanish merchant
Peter Casanave emigrated to
Georgetown. In the early 90s of the 18th century, Casanave served as the fifth mayor of Georgetown. He presided over the ceremonial laying of the cornerstone of the President's House, later to be known as the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800 ...
, on October 12, 1792.
Demographics
The population of Hispanic and Latino Americans in the district as of July 2019 is 79,477, 11.3% of its
population
Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...
. If treated as a category separate from race, Hispanics are the third largest minority group in DC.
The district has a very diverse Hispanic population. The largest ancestry group of Hispanics as of July 2019 are of
Salvadoran
Salvadorans (Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvado ...
descent (25.1% of Hispanics and 2.8% of city's population or 19,984) followed by
Dominican descent (11.6% of Hispanics and 1.3% of city's population or 9,251),
Mexican descent (11.6% of Hispanics and 1.3% of city' population or 9,223),
Puerto Rican descent (10.8% of Hispanics and 1.2 of city's population or 8,558),
Colombian descent (6.5% of Hispanics and 0.7% of city's population or 5,145),
Honduran descent (5.1% of Hispanics and 0.6% of city's population or 4,053),
Peruvian
Peruvians ( es, peruanos) are the citizens of Peru. There were Andean and coastal ancient civilizations like Caral, which inhabited what is now Peruvian territory for several millennia before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century; Peruvian p ...
descent (2.9% of Hispanics and 0.3% of city's population or 2,280),
Guatemalan descent (2.3% of Hispanics and 0.3% of city's population or 1,783),
Cuban descent (2.2% of Hispanics and 0.3% of city's population or 1,772),
Panamanian
Panamanians ( Spanish: ''Panameños'') are people identified with Panama, a transcontinental country in Central America (a region within North America) and South America, whose connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For m ...
descent (1.9% of Hispanics and 0.2% of city's population or 1,541),
Argentinian descent (1.7% of Hispanics and 0.2% of city's population or 1,355),
Chilean descent (1.7% of Hispanics and 0.2% of city's population or 1,311),
Ecuadorian
Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collect ...
descent (1.4% of Hispanics and 0.2% of city's population or 1,099),
Venezuelan
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in t ...
descent (1.2% of Hispanics and 0.1% of city's population or 937),
Bolivian (1.0% of Hispanics and 0.1% of city's population or 824),
Nicaraguan
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...
descent (0.6% of Hispanics and 0.1 of city's population or 483),
Costa Rican
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
descent (0.4% of Hispanics and 0.1% of city's population or 346),
Uruguayan
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
descent (0.1% of Hispanics and 0.0% of city's population or 91), and those of other Hispanic ethnicity or of mixed Hispanic ethnicity (11.8% of Hispanics and 1.3% of city's population or 9,335).
Over 800,000 Latinos live in the
Washington metropolitan area
The Washington metropolitan area, also commonly referred to as the National Capital Region, is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C. The metropolitan area includes all of Washington, D.C. and parts of the states of Maryland, Virgi ...
. Latinos in the district have a median household income of nearly $61,000, the highest Latino income in the United States. One-fourth of Hispanic adults in the district have at least a
bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six y ...
, nearly double the national Latino rate. However, there is a significant education gap in the population; the number of Hispanic adults with less than a
ninth-grade education is about the same as the number with bachelor's and
advanced degrees.
Culture
Although the district’s Latino population has historically lived in its northwest quadrant (primarily in
Wards 1, 2, and 3),
changes in the city’s neighbourhoods and housing market have resulted in a demographic shift. The district’s housing boom, which began in 2001 and peaked in 2006, affected Latino neighbourhoods; the Latino population has increased along Ward 4's southern border and declined in Wards 2 and 3.
Hispanic plays are performed year-round at the
GALA Hispanic Theatre
GALA (Grupo de Artistas LatinoAmericanos) Hispanic Theatre is a theater located at 3333 14th St NW in Washington, D.C. It hosts plays in Spanish and English, as well as dance, music, poetry, spoken word, art and films.
History
The GALA Hispani ...
. Cultural programs and events for the Latino community thrive across the city, including frequent concerts by Latin music artists such as
Juanes
Juanes at the Zelt Musik Festival 2015 in Germany.html"_;"title="Freiburg,_Germany">Freiburg,_Germany_
file:Juanes_ZMF_2015_jm49211.jpg.html" ;"title="Germany">Freiburg,_ Freiburg,_Germany_">Germany.html"_;"title="Freiburg,_Germany">Freibur ...
,
Shakira
Shakira Isabel Mebarak Ripoll ( , ; born 2 February 1977), professionally known by the mononym Shakira, is a Colombian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Barranquilla, she has been referred to as the " Queen of Latin Music" and is n ...
,
Alejandro Fernández
Alejandro Fernández Abarca (; born 24 April 1971) is a Mexican singer.
Nicknamed as El Potrillo by the media and his fans, he has sold over 20 million records worldwide, making him one of the most successful Hispanic music artists. He is the ...
,
Juan Gabriel
Alberto Aguilera Valadez (; January 7, 1950 – August 28, 2016), known professionally as Juan Gabriel (), was a Mexican singer, songwriter and actor. Colloquially nicknamed as Juanga () and El Divo de Juárez, Juan Gabriel was known for his f ...
, and
Ricky Martin
Enrique Martín Morales (born December 24, 1971), known professionally as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican singer, songwriter, and actor. He is known for his musical versatility, with his Ricky Martin albums discography, discography spanning ...
. Latinos are widely represented in the
LGBT community
The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, gay community, or queer community) is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and other queer individuals united by a common culture and socia ...
. Hispanic television channels include Univision, Telemundo, and Azteca America, and radio stations include El Sol and Radio Viva.
Latin music
Latin music ( Portuguese and es, música latina) is a term used by the music industry as a catch-all category for various styles of music from Ibero-America (including Spain and Portugal) and the Latino United States inspired by Latin Ameri ...
is heard in supermarkets and restaurants. There are about five
Spanish-language
Spanish ( or , Castilian) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family that evolved from colloquial Latin spoken on the Iberian peninsula. Today, it is a global language with more than 500 million native speakers, mainly in the ...
newspapers, including the ''
Washington Hispanic'', ''
El Tiempo Latino
''El Tiempo Latino'' is a Spanish-language free-circulation weekly newspaper published in Washington, D.C. The paper was founded in 1991 and acquired by The Washington Post Company in 2004. After Nash Holdings, the Jeff Bezos
Jeffrey Pre ...
'' and ''El Pregonero''.
Most government programs and facilities provide services in Spanish. The
Washington Metro
The Washington Metro (or simply Metro), formally the Metrorail,[Google Books search/preview ...](_blank)
and
Metrobus provide announcements and schedules in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and Spanish.
Bilingual staff may be found in most supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, and laundromats. The Latino Federation of Greater Washington is the region's largest group of Latino organizations.
Fiesta DC
Fiesta DC, an annual celebration of Latino heritage held on the third Sunday in September, has been held for over 45 years. The celebration had taken place between the 900 and 1400 blocks of
Pennsylvania Avenue
Pennsylvania Avenue is a diagonal street in Washington, D.C., and Prince George's County, Maryland, that connects the White House and the United States Capitol and then crosses the city to Maryland. In Maryland it is also Maryland Route 4 (MD 4 ...
. After the construction of
Trump Tower
Trump Tower is a 58-story, mixed-use skyscraper at 721–725 Fifth Avenue in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City, between East 56th and 57th Streets. The building contains the headquarters for the Trump Organization, as well ...
at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, Fiesta DC organizers moved the festival to the area between 300 and 700 Pennsylvania Avenue. According to Fiesta DC president Maria Patricia Corrales, the move was due to the cost of installing barriers which would preserve the building's parking area. A Parade of the Nations takes place the day before the festival.
Education
Bilingual schools in Washington DC include Oyster-Adams Bilingual School (
K-8 school K8 or K-8 may refer to:
* K-8 (Kansas highway), two highways in Kansas, one in northern Kansas, one in southern Kansas
* K-8 school, a type of school that includes kindergarten and grades one through eight
* AMD K8, the internal designation for the ...
),
Bell Multicultural High School, and
Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School (
adult education
Adult education, distinct from child education, is a practice in which adults engage in systematic and sustained self-educating activities in order to gain new forms of knowledge, skills, attitudes, or values. Merriam, Sharan B. & Brockett, Ralp ...
). The
Latin American Youth Center helps meet the educational and professional needs of young Latino students. The
Ana G. Mendez University System and the
Catholic University of America
The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S ...
are the district's most accessible universities for Hispanic students.
George Washington
George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...
,
Gallaudet Universities,
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mar ...
, and
George Mason University
George Mason University (George Mason, Mason, or GMU) is a public research university in Fairfax County, Virginia with an independent City of Fairfax, Virginia postal address in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. The university was origi ...
also recruit Latino students. DC's largest event to promote higher education for hispanic and latino population, the ALCANZA College Fair, in its 21st year in 2021, is located at George Mason University
Health
Several medical centers address the needs of the
Spanish-speaking
Hispanophone and Hispanic refers to anything relating to the Spanish language (the Hispanosphere).
In a cultural, rather than merely linguistic sense, the notion of "Hispanophone" goes further than the above definition. The Hispanic culture is th ...
population, including
La Clinica del Pueblo and the district's
Office of Human Services. Centers such as the
Whitman-Walker Clinic, Mary's Center, Columbia Heights Farmers Market, and Columbia Heights Clinic offer services in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
and programs for the Latino community. Ayuda is a Latino substance-abuse program.
Hospitals, including
MedStar Washington Hospital Center
MedStar Washington Hospital Center is the largest private hospital in Washington, D.C. A member of MedStar Health, the not-for-profit Hospital Center is licensed for 926 beds. Health services in primary, secondary and tertiary care are offered t ...
,
Providence Hospital Providence Hospital may refer to:
* Providence Hospital (Columbia, South Carolina)
* Providence Hospital (Mobile) in Mobile, Alabama
* Providence Hospital (Southfield), Michigan
* Providence Hospital (Washington, D.C.) in Washington, D.C.
*Providenc ...
,
Howard University Hospital
Howard University Hospital, previously known as Freedmen's Hospital, is a major hospital located in Washington, D.C., built on the site of the previous Griffith Stadium. The hospital has served the African-American community in the area for over ...
and the
George Washington University Hospital
The George Washington University Hospital is a for-profit hospital, located in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It is affiliated with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. The current facility opened o ...
, provide services in Spanish. Most district hospitals offer bilingual services, including translators and bilingual staff on call twenty-four hours a day.
Embassies
All Latin American countries, including
Cuba, have diplomatic representation in Washington. The
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
, the
Inter-American Development Bank
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB or IADB) is an international financial institution headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States of America, and serving as the largest source of development financing for Latin America and the Caribbe ...
, the
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster glob ...
, and the
Organization of American States
The Organization of American States (OAS; es, Organización de los Estados Americanos, pt, Organização dos Estados Americanos, french: Organisation des États américains; ''OEA'') is an international organization that was founded on 30 April ...
have groups and committees which gather Latinos from many countries. The Washington metropolitan area has the largest population of
Salvadorans
Salvadorans ( Spanish: ''Salvadoreños''), also known as Salvadorians (alternate spelling: Salvadoreans), are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvad ...
in the world outside
San Salvador
San Salvador (; ) is the capital and the largest city of El Salvador and its eponymous department. It is the country's political, cultural, educational and financial center. The Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which comprises the capital i ...
, and communities from
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
,
Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
,
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
Colombia, and other
Latin American
Latin Americans ( es, Latinoamericanos; pt, Latino-americanos; ) are the citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their diasporas are multi-eth ...
countries also exist.
Latino embassies in the district are:
*
Embassy of Argentina
*
Embassy of Bolivia
*
Embassy of Belize
*
Embassy of Chile
*
Embassy of Colombia,
*
Embassy of Cuba
*
Embassy of the Dominican Republic
*
Embassy of Ecuador
*
Embassy of El Salvador
*
Embassy of Haiti
*
Embassy of Honduras
*
Embassy of Mexico
*
Embassy of Nicaragua
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually deno ...
*
Embassy of Paraguay
*
Embassy of Peru
*
Embassy of Spain
*
Embassy of Uruguay
*
Embassy of Venezuela
Notable residents
*
Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...
,
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
An associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States is any member of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the chief justice of the United States. The number of associate justices is eight, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1 ...
*
Sonia Gutierrez, Educator and Hispanic rights activist, District of Columbia, Carlos Rosario International Public Charter School.
*
Geovanny Vicente
Geovanny Vicente-Romero is a Dominican political strategist, lawyer, columnist, international consultant and university professor who teaches strategic communications at Columbia University as an associate lecturer. He specializes in public poli ...
, political strategist, international consultant and columnist who writes for
CNN
CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by t ...
.
See also
*
Carlos Manuel Rosario
*
Central America Resource Center
*
Latin American culture
Latin American culture is the formal or informal expression of the people of Latin America and includes both high culture (literature and high art) and popular culture (music, folk art, and dance), as well as religion and other customary practices ...
*
Latin American diaspora
The Latin American diaspora refers to the dispersion of Latin Americans out of their homelands in Latin America and the communities subsequently established by them across the world.
Latin American diaspora in Africa
Historically, Latin Ameri ...
*
Office of Latino Affairs of the District of Columbia
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Latin Americans In Washington, D.C.
Washington DC
Hispanic and Latino American women in politics
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, Na ...