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Exactly ! I think most people do not know that. I was talking to some Americans years ago and they were all insisting that the European Latins are not Latins because the Latins are the ones from Latin America. They didn't have any clue how South and Central America became Latin at all.
I think people know from the languages they speak being called "Spanish" and "Portugese" that they were colonized by Europeans, everyone knows this. They are just unused to calling Europeans Latin anything. They call them Spanish or Portugese, or Italian or whatever. They call the languages in English "Romance" languages. It's just very unusual to call a European a Latin in English so they don't think about it, even though they are most likely well aware of European colonization.
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Originally Posted by Hermosaa
Exactly ! I think most people do not know that. I was talking to some Americans years ago and they were all insisting that the European Latins are not Latins because the Latins are the ones from Latin America. They didn't have any clue how South and Central America became Latin at all.
Yes, I know. When I discovered this "American use" of the term "latin" a few years ago discussing in internent, I was almost shocked. I couldn't believe that some people might think that "latin culure" was not originary from Europe, but exclusively in latin-America. I was surprised to realize that in the US, they apply the word "latin" as a synonym of "latin-American", and as such they consider everthing form latin-America to be "latin"... which sounds to us Europeans very odd. Corn tortillas (indigenous food) becomes "latin food"; indigenous looking people become "latin race", caribean rythms (from Africa) becomes "latin music"... Applyed that way the word "latin" lost its whole original meaning
I think we canno't do much against this misuse; excepted explaining again what "latin" means, to what culture it originally came from, etc. Explaining that not everything in latin-America is of "latin" origin, the same way everything in the US is not of "Germanic" origin.
Yes, I know. When I discovered this "American use" of the term "latin" a few years ago discussing in internent, I was almost shocked. I couldn't believe that some people might think that "latin culure" was not originary from Europe, but exclusively in latin-America. I was surprised to realize that in the US, they apply the word "latin" as a synonym of "latin-American", and as such they consider everthing form latin-America to be "latin"... which sounds to us Europeans very odd. Corn tortillas (indigenous food) becomes "latin food"; indigenous looking people become "latin race", caribean rythms (from Africa) becomes "latin music"... Applyed that way the word "latin" lost its whole original meaning
I think we canno't do much against this misuse; excepted explaining again what "latin" means, to what culture it originally came from, etc. Explaining that not everything in latin-America is of "latin" origin, the same way everything in the US is not of "Germanic" origin.
No, it's actually the opposite. In the US, people use Latino to group Spanish people with Latin Americans. It was in Spain that I discovered that Latino and Spanish are considered two different groups.
No, it's actually the opposite. In the US, people use Latino to group Spanish people with Latin Americans. It was in Spain that I discovered that Latino and Spanish are considered two different groups.
Well, many Spanish take advantage of the Latino gibberish. Now, Spanish musicians and actors are included in the Latino awards, etc. Here, most people don'y give a crock about American eccentricities.
I think people know from the languages they speak being called "Spanish" and "Portugese" that they were colonized by Europeans, everyone knows this. They are just unused to calling Europeans Latin anything. They call them Spanish or Portugese, or Italian or whatever. They call the languages in English "Romance" languages. It's just very unusual to call a European a Latin in English so they don't think about it, even though they are most likely well aware of European colonization.
Yes indeed, but that's the product of ignorance and faulty thinking, and ignorance and faulty thinking must be combatted.
Yes, I know. When I discovered this "American use" of the term "latin" a few years ago discussing in internent, I was almost shocked. I couldn't believe that some people might think that "latin culure" was not originary from Europe, but exclusively in latin-America. I was surprised to realize that in the US, they apply the word "latin" as a synonym of "latin-American", and as such they consider everthing form latin-America to be "latin"... which sounds to us Europeans very odd. Corn tortillas (indigenous food) becomes "latin food"; indigenous looking people become "latin race", caribean rythms (from Africa) becomes "latin music"... Applyed that way the word "latin" lost its whole original meaning
I think we canno't do much against this misuse; excepted explaining again what "latin" means, to what culture it originally came from, etc. Explaining that not everything in latin-America is of "latin" origin, the same way everything in the US is not of "Germanic" origin.
The Latin American stuff was a French invention, I believe it was De Gaulle or maybe older. The goal was to assert France in Spanish American culture as a Latin country, and remove Spain from the equation.
The Latin American stuff was a French invention, I believe it was De Gaulle or maybe older. The goal was to assert France in Spanish American culture as a Latin country, and remove Spain from the equation.
Emperor Maximilian, actually. It was all part of a "Come on, you're gonna love me; we're all Latin after all" strategy. It was then adopted by Americans with the meaning "Those funny foreigners South of Texas who don't speak English like God intended".
Emperor Maximilian, actually. It was all part of a "Come on, you're gonna love me; we're all Latin after all" strategy. It was then adopted by Americans with the meaning "Those funny foreigners South of Texas who don't speak English like God intended".
Not really, Americans called Latin to anybody that was a Catholic and spoke a Romance language. The Latin referred to Latin America came later.
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