Americans with roots in Spanish-speaking regions such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba not only make up the second-largest and one of the fastest-growing ethnic groups in the United States, but they are also looking to expand their footprint in accounting and finance. Latino accounting and finance professionals have come a long way since 19 Latino CPAs formed a professional accounting organization in 1972, now known as the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). Celebrating its 50th anniversary, ALPFA today is one of the largest minority-based business and accounting organizations. The organization's history goes back to Gilbert R. Vasquez and 18 other Latino CPAs pooling their resources to increase Latino representation in the AICPA. Today, ALPFA has more than 95,000 student and professional members. (See the sidebar, "ALPFA Milestones.") In addition to being a vehicle of social change within the accounting and finance community, ALPFA has become a networking forum for Latino students, professionals, and businesses through its membership and annual conventions. Fifty years ago, the founders came together with aspirations to compete for government contracts, encourage other Latinos to pursue accounting ca-reers, and make significant and progressive changes in a field where they had little representation. They did not realize their actions would have a lasting and powerful influence on the Latino business community.