The United States has been and still is a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities. As nurses, we must be able to provide competent care by integrating our patients' cultural beliefs and practices into their plan of care. The Hispanic population now constitutes the largest and most vibrant culture in our country. Across the United States, cities and rural areas little known for their Hispanic populations have seen a sharp increase over the past decade. Since the 2010 census, over the past ten years, the Latino population has grown from 35.3 million in 2005 to 50.5 million in 2010. As the U.S. population continues to age, so do Hispanics; in 2000, older Hispanics numbered fewer than 1.8 million, and their numbers are expected to increase to more than 8.6 million by 2030. Racial and ethnic health disparities affect care at all levels. Ethnic disparities can be explained by differences in language proficiency, but racial disparities in health care manifest as delays in care due to caregivers' lack of cultural and ethnic knowledge, lack of insurance and lack of transportation. According to Healthy People 2020, the goal of recognizing and addressing health disparities has not been adequately achieved. Studies show that many Hispanics lack insurance and are forced to go to emergency departments for their health care. Lack of health insurance can place considerable financial strain on low-income families seeking care without this resource. The lack of well-trained bilingual and bicultural clinical researchers and the use of competent assessment instruments have negatively influenced the diagnosis, management and service utilization pattern. of the Hispanic population. Barriers to health care... middle of article......ReferencesDettlaff, A. and Rycraft, J. (2009, November-December). Culturally competent systems of care for Latino children and families. Child Protection, 88(6), 109-127. Retrieved February 26, 2014, from Nursing and Allied Health Collection via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRCHicks, D. (2012, September-October). Cultural competence and the Hispanic population. MedSurgNursing,21(5), 314-316. Retrieved February 26, 2014 from Nursing and Allied HealthCollection via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRCStrunk, J., Townsend-Rocchicioli, J. and Sanford, J. (2013, January-February). Aging Hispanic America: Challenges for Nurses in a Stressed Health Care Environment. MedSurgNursing, 22(1), 45-51. Retrieved February 26, 2014 from Nursing and Allied HealthCollection via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com/nrcx/start.do?prodId=NRC