Hispanic populations are highly concentrated. As might be expected, the makeup of foreign born in the various metropolitan areas differs in rather extreme degree. While foreign born residents in Houston and Los Angeles come mostly from Central and South America, persons with European ancestry comprise the largest group in New York City. In Miami, most foreign born immigrated from the West Indies. Figure 1 pictures the separation of ethnic cultures for the four cities just described.
Ethnic restaurants are a fast-growing segment of the food industry.
Chinese is the most frequently served cuisine, followed closely by Mexican and Italian. Many Latins, and some Orientals, are illegal immigrants, a group understandably difficult to count. The teachings of Mohammed, identified with several religious groups collectively known as followers of Islam, appear mysterious to most Americans. A goat is often slaughtered for special occasions, holidays, or celebrations. There are said to be some 14 million Muslims now in the US, almost all in the urban centers.