This has been going on for a couple of decades. One reason, among many that are more obvious to traditional Catholics (loss of the sacred in word and liturgy), is that Hispanics who do become evangelicals go out recruiting other weak Catholics with an emotionally-charged zeal. Anti-Catholic tracts do their damage usually after the person has already had their faith weakened by hyped-up ex-Catholic friends and family members. Add to that, ignorance of the Faith, scripture, and Church history, and not enough Hispanic clergymen, and you have an easy prey.
Vatican Insider: The Pew Research Center, an American think tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world has presented the results of a study which shows that Hispanics are rapidly abandoning the Catholic Church. Today, 55% of the approximately 35 million Hispanic adults living in the US call themselves Catholics whereas back in 2010 this figure was significantly higher at 67%. What is more, the survey shows that it is mainly the younger generations that are less likely to affiliate themselves with the Church, so the trend may not only continue in the near future, it may become even stronger. Read more here.
