The word Hispanic is a generic term derived from the word España, which is the Spanish word for Spain. People of any race who trace their family origin to a Spanish-speaking country are Hispanic. Hispanic people can be of any race. They constitute a pluralistic society of many national origins.

Growing ethnic diversity will continue to create new challenges and opportunities for the Hispanic Emphasis of the Boy Scouts of America.

U.S. Hispanics experienced the largest population growth of any racial or ethnic group between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2002. According to the latest U.S. Census figures, the Hispanic population rose to 38.8 million, bringing the total U.S. Hispanic American/Latino population to 42.7 million people.

Hispanic Demographics

More than three-quarters of Hispanic Americans/Latinos live in the West and South; half of all Hispanics live in just two states: Texas and California.
The Hispanic population has increased by more than 50 percent since 1990.
People of Mexican origin represented the largest group of Hispanic Americans/Latinos, at 66.8 percent, followed by Puerto Ricans (8.6 percent), Cuban Americans (3.8 percent), and other Hispanic (20.8 percent).
Some counties in nontraditional Hispanic states, such as Georgia and North Carolina, had sizeable proportions of Hispanic populations.
Thirty-five percent of Hispanic Americans/Latinos were less than 18 years of age.
The median age for Hispanic Americans/Latinos is 25.9 years.

Challenges Faced by the BSA

Many professional Scouters and volunteers have discovered some real challenges in organizing traditional Scouting units in predominately Hispanic communities. The reasons are many, but two factors seem to contribute to the struggles many unit-serving executives face:

The perception that Scouting is for wealthy families.
Scouting is not a household experience shared by most Hispanic Americans/Latinos.

Many newly arrived immigrants (first-generation Hispanics) from Mexico and parts of Central and South America, and a large number of second-generation families perceive Scouting as a youth program reserved for wealthy families. When a child brings a Cub Scout flier home from school, the conclusion many of these parents draw is that Scouting can't possibly be for them.

The second factor is equally challenging. Most Hispanic Americans/Latinos don't have a long tradition of Scouting in their families. The vast majority can honestly say their grandfathers, fathers, and uncles were not in Scouting as youths. This is an unfortunate reality when one takes into account that Hispanic Americans/Latinos are among the most "brand loyal" consumers in this country.

Solutions to These Challenges

Council executives who are serious about serving their growing Hispanic American/Latino communities should keep in mind that it will take some time for unit-serving executives and volunteers to establish the trust and confidence of Hispanic American/Latino parents about a program that's fairly new to them. Hiring local Hispanic men and women who are bilingual and knowledgeable about the benefits of Scouting can quicken the pace. Also, recruiting Hispanic community leaders to serve in council Scoutreach committees and executive boards is a tremendous plus.

Community Resources Available to Local Councils

Most cities in the United States have Hispanic community?based organizations that address the social, political, and economic growth of their communities. Members of these organizations are themselves "movers and shakers" of Hispanic communities, and can be great resources to councils. Examples of these organizations include

Hispanic/Latino chambers of commerce
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
Local chapters of the National Council of La Raza

Letters of endorsement from these and other national Hispanic organizations are available through the Scoutreach Division and can be helpful in selling Scouting to local Hispanic chapters.

Other community resources include

Hispanic-owned community newspapers and TV stations
Hispanic small business owners
Churches with a large Hispanic population (e.g., Roman Catholic Church)

Resources Available to Local Councils

The national office produces a wide array of Spanish-language resources designed to assist unit-serving executives in promoting Scouting's awareness in Hispanic communities. These resources, most of which are parent-focused, include bilingual, colorful brochures, fliers, posters, booklets, videos, and training manuals. Especially helpful to unit-serving executives are the following:

Marketing to Hispanic Americans in Your Local Council (No. 94-070)
Scouting: It Works for Your Youth brochure (No. 94-098)
!Scouting! Vale la Pena (It's Worth the Effort) posters (No. 94-110)
Your Organization and Scouting brochure for prospective chartered organizations (No. 94-003)
Que Es Scouting? (What Is Scouting?) orientation video for parents (94-124)
Spanish translation of the following handbooks for Hispanic/Latino youth:
- Manual del Tiger Cub (94-219)
- Manual del Wolf (94-244)
- Manual del Bear (94-217).
- Manual del Webelos (94-252).
Cub Scouting Tiempo Bien Utilizado (No. 02-453)
More Than Ever, American Families Need Cub Scouting (No. 13-077)
Cub Scouting: Un Buen Programa Para Neustras Familias (No. 13-125)
Su Hijo—Un Gran Tesoro (Your Son—A Great Treasure) (No. 94-018)
Scouting—Si Funciona Para Sus Ninos (Scouting—It Works for Your Youth) (No. 94-098)

Unit-serving executives can order these and all other Spanish materials directly from the National Distribution Center by calling 800-323-0732.

BSA's Spanish Web Site

www.scoutingvalelapena.org gives Spanish-speaking parents an overview of the various traditional Scouting programs, including BSA's Soccer and Scouting program. A council locator enables interested parents to identify the council service center near their homes and provides the names of bilingual staff who can assist them.

Top 10 Hispanic/Latino Markets for 2006

		Place Hispanic/Latino Population (millions)	Percent of Area's Population	Primary Country of Origin by Market
1.	Los Angeles	8.4	46.7%	Mexico 80%
2.	New York	4.3	20.7%	Puerto Rico 31%
3.	Miami	2.1	48.6%	Cuba 46%
4.	Chicago	1.9	19.5%	Mexico 81%
5.	Houston	1.9	33.6%	Mexico 81%
6.	San Francisco	1.7	23.7%	Mexico 76%
7.	Dallas/Fort Worth	1.6	24.5%	Mexico 88%
8.	Phoenix	1.2	26.6%	Mexico 93%
9.	San Antonio	1.2	53.8%	Mexico 91%
10.	Rio Grande Valley	1.1	NA	Mexico 96%

Source: Synovate U.S. Diversity Markets Report 2006