The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently released a report that found U.S. Hispanics can expect to outlive whites by more than two years and blacks by more than seven. Researchers have seen signs of Hispanic longevity for years but have only recently calculated the life expectancy for Hispanics as a separate group.
Hispanics are the largest, fastest growing minority in the United States, accounting for 15 percent of the population. An estimated 40 percent of them are immigrants. A prominent theory for Hispanic longevity is that Hispanics who manage to immigrate to the U.S. are among the healthiest from their countries. Many of these immigrants arrive in the U.S. after a grueling journey only to work in demanding manual labor
Theorists hypothesize the United States is gaining some of the healthiest people born in Mexico and other countries. However, experts also say that immigrant hardiness diminishes within a couple of generations due fast-food diets and sedentary lifestyles blamed for the diminished health of other ethnic populations.
If you are interested in reading the CDC report please visit www.cdc.gov/nchs/