Workforce Language Services

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15), and the Hispanic population in the U.S. is proudly celebrating their heritage. CNN’s series “Latino in America” takes a special look at largest part of this group: Mexican-Americans.

3 of 10 Mexican-Americans were born to parents who were also born in the U.S., meaning that their national heritage is as deeply rooted in the U.S.’s as it is the country of their ancestors. But a continuing wave of immigrating Mexicans means that their identity remains closely linked to current immigration issues and their “Mexicanness,” in both problematic and enjoyable ways.

Ask the later-generation descendants of earlier waves of Mexican immigrants, and they’ll tell you that “Where are you from … no, where are you really from?” are questions that they have to field all too often. And even if it’s clear that they are Mexican-Americans, they still get quizzed about how well they speak Spanish. Assumptions about them being foreign turn from annoying to downright scary when law enforcement personnel suspect them of being illegal immigrants.

On the other hand, Mexican-Americans and Hispanics that have assimilated into the fabric of life in the U.S. have an advantage that many other immigrants don’t—easy access to their roots. Opportunities to celebrate their culture are all around, in the food, language and cultural traditions that persist thanks to ongoing immigration.

In fact, corporations, politicians and retailers are trying to grab a piece of the Hispanic market more than ever these days, and many Hispanics see this as an opportunity for growth.

Read Tomás R. Jiménez’s full article on this issue here at CNN.com.