Since the beginning of Hip Hop in the early 1970’s in the South Bronx, hip hop has been a community for minorities to express their feelings and thoughts in creative ways. The political and economic hardships that Blacks and Latinos faced is what helped foster what would become hip hop with four elements; rap music, DJing, B-Boying, and Graffiti art. Yet, when we discuss hip hop, the Latin community is all but left out. Their voice has been nullified by the same art form they were originally apart of. The lack of diversity in America is already problematic and hip hop is supposed to be the place to foster the outcasts and make something of themselves. Latinos are the nations largest minority group at around 17%, according to the US Census Bureau in 2013. But because of fear of prejudice, racial profiling and the fear of deportation many of them live in hiding. They come to the United States in hopes of chasing the ‘American Dream’ which to many minorities is about as imaginary as the Tooth Fairy. They’re told to work hard and it will pay off in the end. Well Latinos are viewed as hard workers but in that same breath stereotyped with jobs as car mechanics, short order cooks and if not that then they are just called drug dealers and receive welfare.
