Have you ever wondered about our Latino neighbors’ countries of origin?

In light of the intersection between Hispanic Heritage Month and our to build a “cross-cultural community,” Duke will be sharing a series of posts this month on topics that may help us learn about our Latino neighbors, with a special focus on notable individuals, features, and events in the history of Latin American Christianity. 

Of course, nothing can replace learning through an actual face-to-face conversation (i.e., hearing about their story and family), but here’s a demographic snapshot of DC’s Latino community according to country of origin (Source: District of Columbia Office on Latino Affairs). Perhaps one the best takeaways from these numbers might be remembering that “while this population is lumped together categorically, significant differences exist in culture and language, and these differences tend to be overlooked.”

Is there anything in this data that stands out to you as new, meaningful, or unexpected? How can it help us to love our neighbors well?

The District’s Latino population is comprised of individuals from 18 different countries of origin. According to the 2007 American Community Survey (U.S. Census Bureau), about 37.2% of the city’s Latinos are from El Salvador, while other major places of origin include: Mexico (14.4%), Dominican Republic (9.7%), Puerto Rico (7.4%), and Colombia (4.5%).

{embed_code}