I hesitate to ask this because the potential for Rabbit Holes (as Fr. Z calls them) in such a comment thread is so great.
But it’s something I’m honestly curious about.
A couple of weeks ago, my oldest son was visiting and because of various scheduling issues we ended up at a noon Mass which I didn’t notice, when I looked it up on the Internet, was a Spanish-language Mass.
Which was fine – I knew what the readings were, I can even do a few of the prayer responses (I could have done more if I’d known where the missalettes were – they weren’t in the pews) and I do know what’s happening. I was actually sorry that I don’t understand Spanish, though, because the priest’s delivery in his homily was excellent and seemed to be engaging, and I really would like to have known what he was saying.
So anyway, my past experience at predominatly Hispanic Masses has taught me that only a minority in the congregation will receive Communion. I was startled, though, because I’m going to estimate that at this Mass, only about 10% present did. I was expecting maybe half, but I’m serious when I say that in this congregation that numbered probably three or four hundred, Communion took about three minutes.
Why is that?
The Rabbit Hole I’d like to avoid is the whole comparison between pre-and post-Vatican II Communion reception practices in general. That’s not what I’m interested in. I’m interested in why so few Hispanic Catholics receive Communion in 2008.
Most valuable, of course, would be input from Catholics of Hispanic background and those who minister in these communities.
 Update:   So, what I seem to be picking up from the comments is that looking at this globally, the practices of US Catholics are out of whack with the rest of the world? (See Matthew Fish’s comment in particular) That what we blame (or credit) “Vatican II” for didn’t hit Catholics around the world in the same way in this regard?  Australian, English, African and Asian Catholics – chime in!
(And just a word on the Second Vatican II business – yes, we know the effect, (and do know that increasing Communion-receiving numbers was of great interest to lay spiritual movements in the 20th century, but it was also always tied to Confession) – but my interest is in the present. Hispanic Catholics in the US, for example, are ministered to by mostly diocesan priests, most of them, I’d guess, actually Anglo – who aren’t communicating a spirituality of the Eucharist that’s tailored to different groups. I know we have a few more priest-readers out there who minister to Hispanic Catholics. I’d love to hear from them.)
Related:  Thanks to SWP for passing along this link from the always excellent Deacon’s Bench blog – on a Georgia parish which recently saw 31 marriages on one day:

More than 500 parishioners were in attendance at St. Joseph Church on Dec. 22 for a unique event—one that married 31 couples in one Mass.
The Mass was celebrated in Spanish, the native tongue for most present, by the pastor, Father Jesús-David Trujillo, known to his congregation as Father J.D.
“This is the first time I celebrated a multiple-couple marriage,” the pastor wrote by e-mail afterward. “I know, in Dalton, on May 5, 2001, Father Abel Guerrero celebrated 11 weddings. This year I celebrated 31.”
The Mass brought the couples, who were either civilly married or not yet married, into communion with the Catholic Church.
The couples processed into the standing-room-only nave that was decorated for the Christmas season. A nearly life-size Nativity scene stood prominently in the sanctuary, which was also decorated with poinsettias and three trimmed Christmas trees.
The couples took their seats at the front of the church as the Mass began. The readings, which came from Genesis and the Gospel of Matthew, highlighted the importance and necessity of the relationship between a man and a woman. Following the readings, the pastor welcomed the couples and thanked the attendees for being a part of this unique event.
In his homily, Father J.D. explained how this Mass was a combination of new and old traditions. He also expanded on the Gospel’s message, speaking of marriage as special, definitive and lasting forever. The pastor then expressed his joy that this event was taking place during this particular season of the church, a sense he reiterated when he reflected on it later.
“All these couples were able to receive the sacrament of Communion now because they are married,” he said. “Especially at Christmas, they were able to celebrate Jesus born in them.”
snip
While the joint wedding Mass helped the couples save money, most took part in this special celebration in order to re-establish their connection with the Catholic Church, the pastor said.
“The purpose was to bring more people to Communion,” commented Father J.D. “All the couples who celebrated marriage on Dec. 22 were living together or were civilly married for more than five years. Some of them were living together without the sacrament for 28 and 30 years. … I enjoyed seeing these couples celebrating this sacrament and receiving the body and the blood of Jesus Christ after a long, long time. That is the satisfaction I received.”