According to the 2015 census there are 55.4 million people identifying as Hispanic. This number excludes all Hispanics without documentation and those Hispanics who chose to identify as “White”. Although Hispanics make up at least 17% of the population of the United States, the median household income for most Hispanic groups is less than that of the national average. The wealth gap between Hispanics and ‘American’ families is not equal in its distribution of average wealth. The allocation of wealth mirrors that of the work structure in the service industry as discussed by Dr. Alexander.

White-passing Hispanics such as Argentineans, Peruvians, and Venezuelans have a higher median household income than that of Hondurans, Dominicans, and Guatemalans. This unequal distribution in wealth indicates that the structural limitations based on race and ethnicity contribute to a lower socioeconomic standing and perpetuates some of the stereotypes that surround many Hispanic groups.

As Dr. Alexander’s findings illustrate, many of the undocumented workers in the service industry felt the need to code switch between their regular speech, appearance, and manners to that which was more ‘white’ in order to move to the front of the restaurant. While this was advantageous in some scenarios for US-born workers, it put foreign born workers at a disadvantage. It was advantageous of those foreign born groups which were accented but appeared to be phenotypically white, such as Spanish migrants. In Dr. Alexander’s findings she found that workers exhibiting whiteness and American-ness were more likely to become promoted and receive better jobs. This micro examination may be reflected of the macro-economy of the United States as Hispanics make up 17% of the population but only hold 2.2% of the wealth. As the population of Hispanics continue to grow in the United States, the structural and social inequities which the largest minority group in the nation faces must be addressed to decrease the wage gap and distribute the wealth in a more adequate manner.