A family is generally a group of people related to each other by blood, marriage, and ancestry. A family can also be an adoption, meaning someone has been brought into another family. There are many ethnic groups when it comes to families in America, such as African, White, Asian, and Native American families. However, one interesting ethnic group is the Hispanic-American family. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, 10.4 million Hispanic family households live in the United States. Additionally, 50.5 million Hispanics live in the United States today and the Hispanic population is 16.3%. The 2010 census also confirms that 63% of U.S. Hispanic families are comprised of a married couple. Family is a good thing to value, but there are many factors that affect families today. Some factors that have affected Hispanic families are female-headed households, gay and lesbian relationships, and ethnicity and social class. Female-headed households are common among Hispanic American families. Recent evidence has shown that one in four Hispanic children lives in a single-parent home. Facts also showed that 26% of children's mothers are heads of household. Hispanic female heads of household sometimes struggle to make ends meet. They often end up relying on welfare and other government programs to get through tough times. The percentages of women in female-headed households vary across the races and ethnic groups of American families in general. For example, in states like California, Texas, and New Jersey, the percentage of white families headed by women is less than 20%. However, the percentage of female-headed Hispanic households living in California, Texas, and New Jersey is over 20%. This really proves...... middle of paper ......news-and-events/press-releases/marriage-equality-would-benefit-most-black-and-latino-same-sex-couple- families>.Planas, Roque. "What is Latino? Defining America's Ambiguous Ethnicity." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, September 17, 2013. Web. November 21, 2013. “Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Low-Income Families.” Racial and ethnic disparities among low-income families. Np, and Web. November 21, 2013. “Women in Female-Headed Households with Children, by State and Race/Ethnicity, 2006-2008” “The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.” Women in female-headed households with children, by state and race/ethnicity, 2006-2008. Np, and Web. November 21. 2013. .