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Your premise is wrong. The term "Hispanics" is a fairly new one for the census. Go to South America and nobody is running around saying they are a Hispanic.
Hispanics can be of any race. Some trace their roots right back to Europe. The Census actually gets it right in its classification of peoples. Why would you tell an Afro-Cuban that he has to be "separated" from other black people?
Why would you tell an Argentinian whose parents come from Germany that they are not European descent?
Quite frankly, the "Hispanic" label needs to be done away with, because it offers no insight into anything of substance.
Quick: If I tell you I am Hispanic. What do I look like?
Now, if I told you I am from Colombia and my grandparents all came from Spain, am I Hispanic? European? If you saw me walking down the street next to a French descended guy, are you sure you'd be able to tell which one of us is Hispanic? If I'm Colombian and marry a Russian woman and have children with her, are my kids "not white"?
What if I told you I was Puerto Rican.... do I look the same as a Chicano?
I know that Hispanic is a umbrella term, but at the same time Most Hispanics in the US are not White. Most are Mestizo or predominantly Indian. And there are alot of "Mulatto" hispanics here to from Puerto Rico etc. Grouping all hispanics with Whites is not accurate, its done to inflate White numbers if anything [as though more whites is a good thing?].
Besides I know where you are coming from. I live in Miami and alot of "Hispanics" here are White, descended directly from Spaniards. But thats a minority even here in Miami.
-Edit, Mestizo would be a better word for what the "hispanic" majority will typically look like in the future. Mostly from Mexico and Central America. That way "White" Hispanics dont get offended..
I think we're looking at this from the wrong perspective.
Since it appears that anyone from South of the United States in the Western Hemisphere (except Brazil and a few other exceptions) are ethnically "Hispanic" by simple virtue that they have lived or have acestors from those countries colonized by Spain, then by the second generation in America, NOBODY is "Hispanic."
Instead, everyone in America, regardless of race or original origin, is ethnically "Brittanican," since we speak English and were colonized by Britain. We are all the same ethnicity as India, Zimbabwe, Australia, and Hong Kong.
Brittanican is thus the dominant ethnicity, and only new immigrants can claim any other ethnicity besides Brittanican.
I know that Hispanic is a umbrella term, but at the same time Most Hispanics in the US are not White. Most are Mestizo or predominantly Indian. And there are alot of "Mulatto" hispanics here to from Puerto Rico etc. Grouping all hispanics with Whites is not accurate, its done to inflate White numbers if anything [as though more whites is a good thing?].
That's fine. They should put "Native American" or "mixed" on the census if they identify with and feel that they are of enough percentage to identify with Native or mixed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonaos
Besides I know where you are coming from. I live in Miami and alot of "Hispanics" here are White, descended directly from Spaniards. But thats a minority even here in Miami.
In Miami? Depends on the country of origin from my experience. Cubans come in all colors, but the prominent ones from the first wave are white, like Marco Rubio. Argentinians? Mostly all white. Venezuelans? Pretty much white. Uruguayans too. Dominicans? Black or mullatto. Puerto Ricans? Lots of black and mullato, though I have known some green eyed, redish hair Puerto Ricans in my day. The Mexicans IN America? Mestizo or Indio mostly, especially the poorest ones. Guatemalans, indios.
This topic has been discussed many times on the Miami boards, lol:
What I see is people who have no good argument using "racism" and "ethnicism" as trump cards because they KNOW there are problems associated with illegal immigration that exacerbate every other problem this country faces - from overpopulation and sprawl, to environmentalism, to education and health shortfalls, to crime and wage depression.
It's a dual prong problem. Corporations and illegal immigrants need each other. Dry up the source of jobs, and there is no motivation or illegal immigration. Dry up illegal immigration job pool, and corporations have to find local labor... and heck, they might actually have to pay a livable wage!
After all, who do you think does all the grunt, menial labor in places like Vermont or Maine? Why will Americans in predominantly non-Hispanic areas do jobs Americans don't want to do in California or New Mexico?
We can go back to the way things were in 1900 if you'd like.... if we ACTUALLY go back to the way things were:
NO foodstamps, NO Section 8, NO WIC, NO housing standards, NO universal education, NO medicaid....
The social safety net requires and demands CONTROLLED growth. We cannot have immigration like we did in 1910 if we want to have a social net. Fighting poverty is a war not worth fighting if we import millions of poor people a year to work for minimum wage.
Pick one. Which do you have more affinity for: The poor huddled masses of other countries, or Americans? Which do you want more: a viable social safety net and a higher standard of living for all, or unfettered immigration?
You really can't have both.
I think you misunderstand me, if you look at my original post in this thread, I admit to there being a big illegal immigration problem. I am not saying I want to let in unlimited immigration. I do not try to say I know the answer to this problem. My point is that I feel that there are those that use the problem to attack hispanics in general, and attack their culture as well, a culture that I have found interesting and one like many that has given things to the melting pot that is the U.S. I am not looking to go back to 1900, far from it-far too many people think that they can go back to some point in history that they have some sort of nostalgia for. I am saying that if you look at the trends in population in this country, the white european anglo or whatever you wish to call them is going to be a small minority of the population of this country (and the world for that matter) and there is nothing that is going to stop that. I am just saying that it would be wiser to accept the fact. I hear a lot of people using rhetoric and scare tactics regarding immigration as a way to vent about their racist feelings for hispanics. I have heared complaints about neighborhoods being 'over run' and the like, but if you look at any major city, there are areas that become enclaves to different ethnicities- it is just human nature to stick with those who share your beliefs, cultures, etc. in Chicago there are Polish neighborhoods, Italian neighborhoods, Indian neighborhoods, etc. It becomes tiring to hear hispanics singled out for behaviors as immigrants that all the other waves of immigrants-i.e. Irish, Swedish, Poles, Germans, etc. did when they came over here in waves in the past.
I wonder when the demographic changes will start to show in TV programs and movies. So far it seems Hispanics don't get beyond supporting roles, while the leading roles are still given to whites, even if they have to be imported like the guys from Lie to me or House
I wonder when the demographic changes will start to show in TV programs and movies. So far it seems Hispanics don't get beyond supporting roles, while the leading roles are still given to whites, even if they have to be imported like the guys from Lie to me or House
We don't have racial quotas on TV here like the UK does. The progressives that run the entertainment history can pick and choose who they want without government sanctions.
Like moths to a flame, threads about Hispanics attract bigots, rednecks, reactionaries, xenophobes, and white power nutcases.
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