ABSTRACT
This chapter describes how changes in the national origin composition of the Latino population have resulted in the creation of Latinos as a new ethnicity and analyzes the extent to which they are incorporated into American society. indicates that ordinary individuals are familiar with, knowledgeable about, and engaged with mainstream society, institutions, and social practices. Respondents were additionally asked how strongly respondents think of themselves in terms of their country of ancestry and in terms of a Hispanic or Latino panethnic identification. National origin is the most common and powerful form of identification among US Latinos. The Americanization process has occurred simultaneously with the melding of multiple national origin groups into Latinos who are primarily concerned with their well-being in the US, experience similar treatment, and pursue similar goals as panethnic Latinos. As level of Americanization increases, Latino respondents increasingly resemble “the mainstream” in terms of socioeconomic status.
