Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Because it doesn't make any sense. It's like saying the numbers three, five and seven are prime numbers but two isn't because most people don't think of it that way off the bat.
It makes perfect sense. Again, words only have the meaning that people give them. What is so difficult to understand about that? The word "Latino," as the term is used here (which is has the same meaning and understanding as "Hispanic"), has never meant "of Latin descent." Regardless of whether you think it should have meant that is irrelevant. That's not was the term was coined to mean and that's not what the term means. Goodness. I didn't think this would be so difficult! Words take on new meanings/have meanings that some people would not expect/etc. all the time. And, prime numbers have an established meaning, though I submit people/society is free to broader/make a new definition for the term. The same goes for the term "Latino" as its understood in this context.
P.s. I am of Portuguese ancestry and people have a hard time understanding how that's not Latino. It seems only in New England do people know the difference. In the Midwest and the South nobody seems to even grasp the concept of Portuguese being European.
I am of Portuguese ancestry in California and have never been referred to as Latino there a few Portuguese in the Midwest and South.
I am of Portuguese ancestry in California and have never been referred to as Latino there a few Portuguese in the Midwest and South.
Most Portuguese live in the Northeast. The Midwest and South have negligible numbers. Keep in mind that in the Midwest and South many people DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. In California (especially certain cities) there are enough established Portuguese communities absorbed into White society that no one would call them Hispanic or Latino. But since such a thing isn't existent in the Midwest or the South, people with little knowledge just see dark features and "Spanish" sounding names like Pereira or DeSouza and think "maybe it could be Latino??". But in Massachusetts you get people with those names commonly and they are a part of the mainstream. Plus, in the Northeast many Latinos have Black ancestry which creates a much different look than the Mediterranean Portuguese appearance. It gets confusing elsewhere where Latinos may or may not be Mestizo. Portuguese don't look Mestizo but people don't know this. Some Latinos do have more of a Mediterranean look because of dominant Spaniard genes and thus it can be hard to tell a Luso-American from some Latinos. We don't all look like Katy Perry. My last name is Portuguese and was not changed to "fit in" with the mainstream.
I have had people ask me if it's like Brazilian simply because of the language.
Most Portuguese live in the Northeast. The Midwest and South have negligible numbers. Keep in mind that in the Midwest and South many people DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. In California (especially certain cities) there are enough established Portuguese communities absorbed into White society that no one would call them Hispanic or Latino. But since such a thing isn't existent in the Midwest or the South, people with little knowledge just see dark features and "Spanish" sounding names like Pereira or DeSouza and think "maybe it could be Latino??". But in Massachusetts you get people with those names commonly and they are a part of the mainstream. Plus, in the Northeast many Latinos have Black ancestry which creates a much different look than the Mediterranean Portuguese appearance. It gets confusing elsewhere where Latinos may or may not be Mestizo. Portuguese don't look Mestizo but people don't know this. Some Latinos do have more of a Mediterranean look because of dominant Spaniard genes and thus it can be hard to tell a Luso-American from some Latinos. We don't all look like Katy Perry. My last name is Portuguese and was not changed to "fit in" with the mainstream.
I have had people ask me if it's like Brazilian simply because of the language.
I get asked if I'm Italian sometimes especially since I have kept my original Portuguese given name I never opted to change it and my surname is also found in some Italians. Some light complected Hispanics do look very similar to Portuguese people. Katy Perry(Pereira) is only 3/16th Portuguese all from the island of Faial. I don't know of any families that have changed their surnames since the 1920's that would be considered a disgrace nowadays.
I have had people ask me if it's like Brazilian simply because of the language.
Have much more Portuguese American (Portuguese ancestry
1,477,335 0.5% of the US population) than Brazilian American (Brazilian Americans
371,529 0.11% of the US population in 2012) in U.S.
I get asked if I'm Italian sometimes especially since I have kept my original Portuguese given name I never opted to change it and my surname is also found in some Italians. Some light complected Hispanics do look very similar to Portuguese people. Katy Perry(Pereira) is only 3/16th Portuguese all from the island of Faial. I don't know of any families that have changed their surnames since the 1920's that would be considered a disgrace nowadays.
Most White people assume I am Italian or Greek. Most Hispanics assume I'm not Hispanic but occasionally some will speak in Spanish to me.
Most Blacks think I'm some kind of Latino. Most Arabs assume I am Arabic, and most Indians and East Asians think I'm Arabic, too. My swarthy, hairy appearance just confuses people. Especially in the Midwest where being White = being Germanic, Eastern European, or Irish.
Most White people assume I am Italian or Greek. Most Hispanics assume I'm not Hispanic but occasionally some will speak in Spanish to me.
Most Blacks think I'm some kind of Latino. Most Arabs assume I am Arabic, and most Indians and East Asians think I'm Arabic, too. My swarthy, hairy appearance just confuses people. Especially in the Midwest where being White = being Germanic, Eastern European, or Irish.
Makes sense some people love to categorize individuals in little boxes I can see why some people in the Midwest would think you are Latino based on how you describe your appearance.
Makes sense some people love to categorize individuals in little boxes I can see why some people in the Midwest would think you are Latino based on how you describe your appearance.
People say a resemble John Stamos or Travolta (funny because those two don't resemble each other) if they say I look like anyone. Now, even in the Midwest most WHITE people think I'm White, but usually it's non-Whites that guess non-European for my ethnicity. I couldn't explain this phenomenon to save my life.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
