Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper, including the following:

The Latino/Hispanic group is the only ethnic category counted separately by the United States Census. According to the U.S. Census, a Latino/Hispanic person can be of any race. Describe the variability within the larger "Latin American" group, as defined by the U.S. Census, including the racial differences.

Include in the paper:

• When this census category became official (the first time it was used in the United States Census)
• At least five distinctive subgroups that belong under this broad category
• How people from Africa, both slaves and freemen, became part of the Latino population in Mexico, Central and South America, and the U.S.
• How Africans in Mexico, Central and South America were absorbed into the Hispanic population, while generally being kept separate in the U.S.
• How colorism affects membership within the Hispanic/Latino group today (i.e. a Mexican who is Black)
• The role of language
• The role of religion
• The role of culture

Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines.