Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans of origins in Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, except in the state of New York, where only people of Latin American origin are included. The group encompasses distinct sub groups by national origin and race, with ancestries from all continents represented. Hispanics and Latinos constitute 15.1% of the total United States population, or 45.4 million people, forming the second largest ethnic group (which includes Afro-Latin American Latino's of African descent), after non Hispanic White Americans (which is also composed of dozens of sub groups). Again, Hispanic and Latino Americans are the largest ethnic minority in the United States; African Americans, in turn, are the largest racial minority, after White Americans in general (non Hispanic and Hispanic).