Latino Resources

Latino people have called Utah home since the Spanish first arrived centuries ago. Many Latino Utahns can trace their roots to this land deeper still through their Native American ancestry. From the myth of el Lago Teguayo to the San Rafael Swell, Latino culture and history is integral to Utah culture and history.

Latino people originate from 34 of the 35 countries in the Americas, including the United States. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Latinos make up approximimately18.7% of the national population. A Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute report notes Latinos form 15.1% of the Utah population with 40.1% of Utahns under 18 identified as Latino and Hispanic—the largest share of any other group, including White or Caucasian. 

The vast majority of Latino people in the U.S. are citizens or otherwise documented inhabitants, despite a common misperception. Another misperception is that all undocumented residents of the U.S. originate from Latin America, yet roughly 22% are from Europe, Asia and Africa. As of 2020, Utah’s undocumented community amounts to less than 3% of the state population. Many of these people are Dreamers, youth who immigrated to the U.S. as children and who have spent the majority of their formative years here.