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I really don't understand this urge to incorrectly indentify Hispanics/Latinos as their own race. They're made of mix blood: Whites, Blacks, and Indians, but because they speak a common language and share similar cultures we must shuffle them all into one big pile. Why is this? You're thoughts please.
I really don't understand this urge to incorrectly indentify Hispanics/Latinos as their own race. They're made of mix blood: Whites, Blacks, and Indians, but because they speak a common language and share similar cultures we must shuffle them all into one big pile. Why is this? You're thoughts please.
Few people consider 'Hispanic' a 'race'...it's an artificial term, used primarily in the US and perhaps a few other English-speaking countries, to attempt to put Spanish-speakers....OR those descended from Spanish-speakers....OR those who formerly lived in Spanish-speaking nations....OR those who lived in the US Southwest before it WAS the US Southwest....OR who simply have Spanish surnames....or who LOOK as though they might be mestizo...ALL into some common 'category'.
It's pretty much impossible to do this, since these people are EXTREMELY diverse, include ALL the races of mankind, and have VERY little in common...but it's worth a try, because if you can 'pull it off', you can consider it a 'quasi-racial' designation, and you can THEN play the "race card". Suddenly, Panamanian blacks, Mexican mestizos, Argentinian whites, Bolivian Indians, Puerto Rican mulattoes, and even long-time native peoples of New Mexico and California all become part of some huge 'bloc' of people, with a common goal, and a common 'presence'. Works well to some extent, particularly when you're trying to downplay the importance of borders and other inconvenient things which 'separate' this 'united group'.
Makes no sense, I know (my own family is 'swept up' in this)....but that's how it works. Something like referring to the problems or the grievances of that very vague group known as "People of Color".....try to define THAT group, if you can....yet they're often mentioned.
I really don't understand this urge to incorrectly indentify Hispanics/Latinos as their own race. They're made of mix blood: Whites, Blacks, and Indians, but because they speak a common language and share similar cultures we must shuffle them all into one big pile. Why is this? You're thoughts please.
Take it to the U.S. Census Bureau they're the ones who came up with the term Hispanic for the census.
And explain to me again how is it that Brazilians are considered Hispanic when they don't speak Spanish again?
Hispania was the name given to the Iberian Peninsula by the Phoenicis. Portugal is located in the Iberian Peninsula, therefore one can argue that Brazilians being descendants and ex-colony of Portugal can be categorized by Americans as Hispanics.
Talk to lots of Portuguese, the common believe is so NOT Hispanic despite the Iberian geography explanation.
Brazilians are decendents of lots of other folks as well, kind of a stretch there, and Brazilian Portuguese language is not the same as mainland Portuguese either...and of course neither of which is Spanish!
Here are some definitions:
Main Entry: His·pan·ic
Pronunciation: hi-'spa-nik
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin Hispanicus, from Hispania Iberian Peninsula, Spain. Date: circa 1889
Hispanic: of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent living in the U.S.; especially : one of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin (Merriam-Webster´s Collegiate dictionary)
Hispanic: (connected with) a person who lives in the United States but who originally came from, or whose family came from, S America, Mexico, Cuba or Puerto Rico ( Cambridge International Dictionary of English )
Hispanic:
connected with a person who lives in the US but who originally came from or whose family came from Spanish-speaking Latin America
A Hispanic-American is an American citizen of Hispanic origin. ( Cambridge Dictionary of American English )
Hispanic: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts) Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize US citizens, permanent residents and temporary immigrants, whose background hail either from Spain or the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America. The term is used as a form of classification for the immigrants and descendants of a wide range of ethnicities, races and nationalities who use Spanish as their primary language. Hispanic - explanation-Guide.info - for information, definition, meaning, reference - free encyclopedia, glossary of terms (http://explanation-guide.info/meaning/Hispanic.html - broken link)
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) two definitions found: Hispanic \His*pan"ic\, a. [L. Hispanicus.]
Of or pertaining to Spain or its language; as, Hispanic words.
From WordNet (r) 1.6 : Hispanic adj : related to or derived from the people or culture of Spain;" the Hispanic population of California is growing rapidly" [syn: Hispanic, Latino]
Take it to the U.S. Census Bureau they're the ones who came up with the term Hispanic for the census.
And explain to me again how is it that Brazilians are considered Hispanic when they don't speak Spanish again?
Brazilians (whose language is Portuguese) are called 'Hispanics'...because 'Lusitanics' would just sound plain SILLY !!.....
Brazilians (whose language is Portuguese) are called 'Hispanics'...because 'Lusitanics' would just sound plain SILLY !!.....
Lmaoo
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