In the United States, people of all different backgrounds live together. Today, more than one in eight people in the United States are Hispanic, and Latino communities are an important part America. Hispanic Americans are people from different lands, cultures, and backgrounds—but they share some things in common. One of the most important is their history. Many Hispanic Americans think of themselves as "La Raza," which was born in the fifteenth century from the first contact between Spain and the Native people who lived in the Americas. Despite a long history of injustice and discrimination, La Raza has grown strong. It's one of one of today's most exciting ethnic groups.