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I was talking with a couple of friends from Paraguay and Chile. I called them Hispanic and they quickly corrected me and told me that Hispanic is an American term not used in their respective countries. If I was to travel to Paraguay I would not find people who would call themselves Hispanic, the same goes with Chile.
That left me thinking about my trips around South America. I never really heard any one in the Spanish speaking countries of South America refer to themselves or others as hispanics, they simply would call themselves by their nationality or region or ethnicity.
In Argentina people even would classify themselves as members of their perspective heritage:
"Tanos" means Italian descendant Argentines
"Manoles" Spaniard Argentines
"Judaicos" Jewish Argentines etc.
Did you know that Argentina has the largest number of Welsh descendants outside Wales in the world? There is even a region in South Argentina where most of the population is Welsh in origin and speak Welsh as a main regional language!
I actually don't think Argentinians are very aware of the Hispanic label.
Then you have countries like Peru where a sizable number of its inhabitants are indigenous and some even speak their ancestral language Quechua (Wouldn't it be quite incorrect to call an Incan person who speaks Quechua as his/her mother tongue Hispanic? It would be like calling the Australian aborigines Anglo-Saxons).
I must also mention that a very large number of Peruvians are Asian in origin, many Asians in Peru occupy high ranking government positions in fact.
In Venezuela for example over a million people have Portuguese roots and other million and a half are estimated to have Italian ancestors, plus millions of African descendants. I have even met Venezuelans of Indian/Pakistani origin, apparently because of closeness to Guyana (an Ex-British Colony where many of the inhabitants descend from Indians and Pakistanis).
If you were to take all of the Spanish Speaking Countries of South America and make them one single country, they would surely be a very diverse country with plenty of African, European, Asian, Arab descendants.
Any input from South Americans or any one for that matter? I certainly will not use the term Hispanic any longer when Speaking of Spanish Speakers in the Americas.
Last edited by anthony69; 04-24-2015 at 08:08 AM..
In Argentina people even would classify themselves as members of their perspective heritage:
"Tanos" means Italian descendant Argentines
"Manoles" Spaniard Argentines
"Judaicos" Jewish Argentines etc.
Did you know that Argentina has the largest number of Welsh descendants outside Wales in the world? There is even a region in South Argentina where most of the population is Welsh in origin and speak Welsh as a main regional language!
I actually don't think Argentinians are very aware of the Hispanic label.
Argentinians don't view themselves as the same as Peruvians or Dominicans. That's to be expected.
I was told that in S.America there is no such thing as "Hispanic" and the idea that all Latin Americans are the same (Culturally, racially, ethnically) and can be put in a box is a distinctly American thing.
I use the term Ibero-American (also for Brazilians) when speaking generally about people who are from the Iberian colonized countries of the Americas. An example of the use of the term is the Ibero American summit held every year in a different country.
But most of the times I go for the nationality if I know it, but it depends on the context.
Coming from Spain, the use of the words "Hispanic" or "Latin/Latinos" seems too American (as from USA) and I tend to avoid it.
Yes, in Argentina and Chile and Peru ....down here they get annoyed by the term Hispanic....and rightfully so, they aren't LOL. They'll correct you BIG time down here if you do. I already discussed this in another thread some months ago and some folks tried to take me to task but it's true, they don't like it....period. My Argentine wife get's really irritated about it..
It's soemthing that get's tossed around in the US alot as kinda generalization or sweeping description for all folks in latin america, whether that includes Mexico, Central or South america.
For the carribean nations that are Spanish speaking Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico( a territory yes I know ) and Cuba...I guess the term "Hispanic" could reply, but only those countries IMO:
You Said:
In Argentina people even would classify themselves as members of their perspective heritage:
"Tanos" means Italian descendant Argentines - This is partly correct. Here more commonly Italians are actually called "Gringos" that's what I've always heard them called usually.... It's ironic, but that's what they call them here "Gringos" But sometimes you hear "Tano" as well.
"Manoles" Spaniard Argentines - You don't here this as much as they use the term "Gallegos." Even though a "Gallego" is from Galecia, Argentines in the slang called "Lunfardo" have a tendency to label all immigrants from Spain "Gallegos." The term, "Manoles" or "Manolitos" you don't hear so much anymore, mainly from older Argentines. Also a "Manolito" would be the son/daughter of a 1st generation argentine, removed from spanish immigrant parents. However, their parents would still be called "Gallegos" Also sometimes someone who is "Gallego" is also used to describe someone simple, unsophisticated....sometimes
For example - "Este es un Gallego cuadrado" they would say
"Judaicos" Jewish Argentines - Nobody in Argentina has used this word that I've ever heard and I've lived here for many years now. They just say "Judeos" nothing more.
Did you know that Argentina has the largest number of Welsh descendants outside Wales in the world? There is even a region in South Argentina where most of the population is Welsh in origin and speak Welsh as a main regional language - Yes, this correct.. in the Provinces of Chubut and Santa Cruz ( mainly Chubut ) their are fully welsh villages and speak welsh. Although, don't be fooled, they are VERY much argentine and also speak excellent spanish just like any other argentines. Also German communties in the NE and around central Patagonia. I've met Argentines of English, Irish, German, Russian, Syrian, Algerian and even Polish descent.
I actually don't think Argentinians are very aware of the Hispanic label - Argentines are actually quite aware of this label. They follow regularly trends and news and publications and sources from outside of the country so they are quite aware of this term actually. I'd say argentines in many ways are more informed about trends and different things in some ways than even americans are.
They use "paraguayo" to describe things that are negative, they really come down hard on paraguay in the negative in Arg slang, especially low quality clothing or parts etc:
Es una remera calidad paraguayita
or
Esto es toda una porquerria paraguaya
But these are rather negative steretypes in Argentine slang so don't use them, rather discriminatory
Last edited by EricOldTime; 04-24-2015 at 09:44 AM..
Argentinians don't view themselves as the same as Peruvians or Dominicans. That's to be expected.
I was told that in S.America there is no such thing as "Hispanic" and the idea that all Latin Americans are the same (Culturally, racially, ethnically) and can be put in a box is a distinctly American thing.
Makes sense. Same thing happens in Africa and probably Asia as well although we tend to go to greater lengths to differentiate them. We differentiate between Europeans. Funny how the degree to which we differentiate between different groups of people in a continent correlates directly with how much money and power the continent is thought to have.
"Latin Americans" is a better choice than Hispanic if its necessary to refer as a group to non-English speakers in the Western Hemisphere. Most of the languages spoken -- Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian -- are derived from Latin. Except for Welsh.
"Latin Americans" is a better choice than Hispanic if its necessary to refer as a group to non-English speakers in the Western Hemisphere. Most of the languages spoken -- Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian -- are derived from Latin. Except for Welsh.
Except that with a couple of exceptions (English in Belize, Dutch in Suriname, French in Haiti, etc) 99% of "Latin Americans" speak Portuguese or Spanish (or neither, as there are many people whose native tongue is a Native American one, like Quetchua or Aymaran). And also, people generally don't consider French-speaking Canada "Latin America".
the term Latin America was introduced by the Frenchs when they had some influence in the continent (part of Mexico, Louisiana, Canada, part of the Caribbean) but imho it doesn't make sense to use this term nowadays where as I said the majority of people speak Spanish or Portuguese in Latin American.
Argentinians don't view themselves as the same as Peruvians or Dominicans. That's to be expected.
I was told that in S.America there is no such thing as "Hispanic" and the idea that all Latin Americans are the same (Culturally, racially, ethnically) and can be put in a box is a distinctly American thing.
Yah, Hispanic is likely a US English-language coinage, trying to get away from purely nationalistic labels, while avoiding racial/ethnic characterizations/slurs. In that, it's a good label. But yah, it applies best in the US - everywhere else, you might as well key on nationality, if known.
American as an adjective is misleading in this context. For shorthand purposes in most US English conversation, you can understand it to mean US. Once you're talking about the Americas - the New World - it's less confusing to name the country, rather than the continent. Unless confusion is the aim ...
American as an adjective is misleading in this context. For shorthand purposes in most US English conversation, you can understand it to mean US. Once you're talking about the Americas - the New World - it's less confusing to name the country, rather than the continent. Unless confusion is the aim ...
I hear ya. I won't rehash the whole "American" thing but there is no other way to put it besides it's a "United States" thing.
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Confusion to the enemy
