Hispanic and Latino Americans traditions. The term "Chicano" became popular amongst Mexican Americans in the 1960s during the Chicano nationalism and Chicano Movement, and is today seen as an ethnic and cultural identity by some. Political activist César Chávez and novelist José Antonio Villarreal are famous Chicanos. Nuyoricans are Americans of Puerto Rican descent from the New York City area. There are close to two million Nuyoricans in the United States. Famous Nuyoricans include US Supreme Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor and singer Jennifer Lopez. Hispanic or Latino origin is independent of race and is termed "ethnicity" by the United States Census Bureau. According to
Demographics of the Supreme Court of the United States is not African American) instead. The selection of Thomas to instead replace Marshall preserved the existing racial composition of the court. The words "Latino" and "Hispanic" are sometimes given distinct meanings, with "Latino" referring to persons of Latin American descent, and "Hispanic" referring to persons having an ancestry, language or culture traceable to Spain or to the Iberian Peninsula as a whole, as well as to persons of Latin American descent, whereas the term "Lusitanic" usually refers to persons having an ancestry, language or culture traceable to Portugal specifically. Sonia Sotomayor—nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and