The Hispanic community in Virginia is quite abundant these days. This area holds one of the biggest Latin population in the United States. History shows that they have been around for 500 years now. If you do the math, that is almost a whole century before the English arrived in Jamestown in year 1607. It is said that a Dominican Republic named Lucas Vasquez de Ayllon founded the settlement in Jamestown. However, he died a short period after that due to ship fever. As of today, the Census Bureau said that there are about 400,000 Hispanics living in VA. These people have various ancestral roots including Spain, Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, South and Central America.
Virginia holds a lot of things that are worth learning when it comes to the Hispanic residents of the state. Here are some that should tickle your interest:
- Jamestown Settlement – It is a museum that showcases the 17th century history of the Hispanic community of VA. They have galleries, films and even realistic recreations of the Indian village, English ships, etc. This place has a scheduled guided tour that happens every day for only $16. Visiting this place will surely enrich anyone’s knowledge of the Latin history in VA.
- Yorktown Victory Center – This place focuses more on the Aljacan Mission that took place on the York River in 1570.
- Mariners’ Museum – This is the best place to go to if you want to learn more about the famous Spanish explorer, Juan Mendez Marques. He sailed through the Chesapeake Bay to look for a Northwest passage to the Orient.
- Chrysler Museum of Art – You will be in awe of the impressive collection that they have that came from Central and South America. The works that you can see in this place depict the Latin natives that live in Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, etc.
- Hampton Roads Naval Museum – This National Maritime Center showcases works on the Spanish-American War. They have exhibit commemorating the first U.S. Admiral, David Glasgow Farragut, which is a Hispanic himself. The center also serves as a home to the U.S.S. Wisconsin battleship.
- Yorktown National Battlefield Park – This place serves as a tribute to the people and events that were part of the final battleground during the Revolutionary War. King Carlos III of Spain was one of the people who donated money, weapons and medical supplies to the colonists. This helped the Americans overthrow the British rulers.
Virginia is indeed rich in Spanish culture and history. This may be the reason why the Hispanic community deems it as a comfortable place to live in. There are so many things that are related to Latin heritage that are celebrated in this place. The University of Virginia even hosts the Hispanic Heritage Month annually. You can certainly get a lot about the Spanish history from this place. VA is truly one of the places in the U.S. that give much importance to this race. Furthermore, the head count of the Hispanics is continually growing in this state with Arlington County taking the lead.