Final answer:
Latinos account for 18.5 percent of the U.S. population as of 2019, making them the largest ethnic minority group. This percentage has grown significantly from less than five percent in 1970.
Step-by-step explanation:
Latinos represent 18.5 percent of the total U.S. population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2019. This proportion has seen a notable increase over the years; in 1970, Hispanics made up less than five percent of the US population. By 2010, this number had grown to about 16 percent, making Hispanics the largest ethnic minority group in the country, surpassing African Americans.
A substantial part of the Hispanic population in the U.S. is of Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Cuban origin. The growth of the Hispanic population has been significant due to both immigration and birth rates, which underscores the increasing importance of this demographic in various sectors, including consumer power and political influence.