Cultural Heritage of Fairfax County Residents

Community Profiles | Demographics
In Fairfax County, Hispanics and Latinos comprise approximately 17.5% of the county's total population. Scroll through Fairfax County's 2024 community profiles to review the demographics in your neighborhood. 

Who is Hispanic or Latino? 

Hispanic generally refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone who is from, a Spanish-speaking country.

Latino/a generally refers to a person who is from, or a descendant of someone who is from, a country in Latin America. It is often a personal choice which term is used by an individual.

Latinx or Latine are gender-inclusive terms for a person who is from, or a descendant of someone who is from, a country in Latin America. It is often a personal choice which term is used by an individual.

"In 1976, Congress passed a law that required the government to collect and analyze data for a specific ethnic group: 'Americans of Spanish origin or descent.' That legislation defined this group as 'Americans [who] identify themselves as being of Spanish-speaking background and trace their origin or descent from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, and other Spanish-speaking countries.' This includes around 20 Spanish-speaking nations from Latin America and Spain itself, but not Portugal or Portuguese-speaking Brazil."

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 19.7% of the United States population identified as Hispanic or Latino as of July 1, 2023: Differences in Growth Between the Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Population

About this Reading Room | Hispanic Reading Room | Research Centers | Library of Congress

The Hispanic Reading Room is an important access point at the Library of Congress for researchers working on the Caribbean, Latin America, Spain and Portugal; the indigenous cultures of those areas; and peoples throughout the world historically influenced by Luso-Hispanic heritage, including the Latina/o/e/x community in the United States. Staff in the Hispanic Reading Room recommend collection items in all formats from and about these regions in collaboration with colleagues throughout the General and Special Collections. This work has resulted in millions of physical and digital items cared for and served in nearly every reading room at the Library of Congress. 

Data Base | Hispanic Society of America

The Hispanic Society of America established a free, public museum and reference library for the study of the art and culture of Spain, Portugal, Latin America, and the Philippines. The collections of the Hispanic Society are unparalleled in their scope and quality outside of Spain, addressing nearly every aspect of culture in Spain, as well as a large part of Portugal and Latin America, into the 20th century, with more than 900 paintings and 6,000 watercolors and drawings. 

Pew Research Center | Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Explore the diverse views and experiences of Latinos in America with in-depth surveys, articles, and demographic snapshots.