Photo Gallery The Changing Face of the US Electorate
In his speech following his reelection last week, US President Barack Obama said: "What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation on Earth."
Demonstrators march for immigrants' rights in Los Angeles in 2008. Seven out of 10 Latinos voted for Obama in 2012, and because they now make up 10 percent of all American voters, their political preferences are beginning to play a decisive role.
Protestors calling for immigration reform in Washington, DC in March 2010. In the last four years, the US president focused primarily on health care reform, and was relatively half-hearted in pursuing major immigration legislation.
A supporter holds up a sign in favor of Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. Some leading Republican figures, including former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, warned their party against taking too sharp a stance on immigration.
Mariachi musicians go door-to-door to encourage people to vote on election day in a Los Angeles neighborhood. Americans with Hispanic roots are currently the country's fastest-growing group of voters, with 50,000 Latinos turning 18 -- and becoming eligible to vote -- every month.
Graphic: Ethnic backgrounds of American voters.
