Latin Americans
Latin American Immigrants
The Hispanic presence in what is now the United States actually began before the country existed. Spanish explorers established colonies in what would become the Southeast and Southwest regions of the United States. Explorers such as Juan Ponce de Leon, Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, and many others established a Spanish presence throughout North America and the Caribbean Islands, not to mention all of Central and most of South America. These settlements grew into the nations that today are considered the Latin American World. It is from these Latin (or Spanish speaking) nations that Latin American immigrants historically have and continue to come to the United States.
