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That's true -- a guy from Mexico told me he never saw himself as "hispanic" -- only as a Mexican until he came to the USA and learned he was a "hispanic" whatever that is.
What's wrong with calling people by their nationality? Or by the country to which they give their allegience?
To me a Mexican is a citizen of Mexico -- they might be any ethnicity or race but often mixed.
"Hispanic' as far as I remember was a rather desperate attempt to 'euphemize' the hard felings encountered during the civil-rights era of the 1960's. "Mexican" at that time was thought to be pejorative. Many Mexican-Americans in those days described themselves as "Spanish". Hispanic, as I understood it, served to 'smooth out' some of this--and later to attempt to 'merge' a huge and diverse group of people fron MANY nations into some sort of single, identifiable group. It was a 'silly' idea then, and it never made any scientific sense. But it did sound 'nice', and it had no negative stereotypes.
Part of the problem is the misuse of nearly ALL racial terms, PLUS the 'emotional' baggage they all carry. "Mexican" for example, literally means 'a citizen of Mexico"--a legal term. But it might ALSO mean (erroneously) an American descended from Mexican ancestors---or a person who LOOKS like a Mestizo---(both of which are totally incorrect, but commonly used)- and "hispanic" made this error sound just a LITTLE less wrong. "Hispanic" couldn't be totally wrong, because unlike "Mexican", Hispanic was a made-up word--so you could make it mean whatever you wanted.
Sam Houston, the famous Texan, was born in Virginia. At one point he was adopted into the Cherokee Tribe. Eventually he emigrated to Texas, at that time a part of Mexico, where he was granted Mexican citizenship. Sam Houston, at that moment, legally became a Mexican. (Bad move for the Mexicans--he ended up 'rebelling' against the government)...
So, are the descendants of Sam Houston today "Mexicans"? Well, probably not in the normal sense of the word. But they DID have an ancestor who WAS a Mexican citizen--so it looks to me like they'd qualify in the sense that "Mexicans" are anyone remotely descended from Mexicans, in any country. But unless they LIVE in Mexico, those Houston descendants today are not Mexicans in the literal, or legal sense.
"Hispanic" was an attempt to simplify all this--which it did, by being a term so vague that no one can really challenge it...
Hispanic, as I understood it, served to 'smooth out' some of this--and later to attempt to 'merge' a huge and diverse group of people fron MANY nations into some sort of single, identifiable group.
I think that's the problem a lot of people have with it. Why lump together diverse nations at all?
Why would Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico be lumped together as "hispanic" countries and anyone with ancestry of those countries a "hispanic" and England, France, Poland, Italy, Sweden be lumped together as "anglo" countries and anyone with ancestry of those countries be referred to as anglo?
I can see lumping together the countries of a continent to a point but not to describe the people of those countries -- only to refer to the land mass itself. African would be someone from the continent of Africa -- but those countries are really too diverse to lump them all together just by continent -- Egypt isn't exactly the same as Kenya and neither are the same as Ethiopia.
Hispanic is such a strange word really -- some people will argue that people of Brazil should be counted as hispanic -- which they clearly are not -- yet Filipinos whose country once was a colony of Spain and they often have Spanish names are not considered hispanic.
it's easier for them to sneak over at steal what's ours...
they need to grow a pair and fight for better life IN THIER COUNTRY.. which is "suppose" to soooo rich to begin with!
That would be "supposed". I wish we'd make English the official language already so we wouldn't have to deal with incorrect grammar.
The other thing I thought -- that the term "hispanic" was first used by people in the SW who did not want to be considered the same as "chicanos". I always thought it was the upper class (white) refugees of the Mexican Revolution who saw themselves as "hispanics" and did not want to be confused with farmworker "chicano" types and that both terms described certain American citizens. It seems to have become a much much broader term.
The other thing I thought -- that the term "hispanic" was first used by people in the SW who did not want to be considered the same as "chicanos". I always thought it was the upper class (white) refugees of the Mexican Revolution who saw themselves as "hispanics" and did not want to be confused with farmworker "chicano" types and that both terms described certain American citizens. It seems to have become a much much broader term.
I have another word that I call the farm workers which is not appropriate to say on this forum. And no it does not start with a W. When I'm asked to mow the lawn or clean the backyard I reference it with a special word. My mom told my brothers 1st grade teacher what I call it.. yet.. she laughed. Shes white too.
That would be "supposed". I wish we'd make English the official language already so we wouldn't have to deal with incorrect grammar.
if gramma wez the ony thing we had TO wory bout in ower country.. thet would be grate! Then we would not have any worries about illegals BEEDING US DRY!
if gramma wez the ony thing we had TO wory bout in ower country.. thet would be grate! Then we would not have any worries about illegals BEEDING US DRY!
I think that's the problem a lot of people have with it. Why lump together diverse nations at all?
Why would Cuba, Argentina, Bolivia, and Mexico be lumped together as "hispanic" countries and anyone with ancestry of those countries a "hispanic" and England, France, Poland, Italy, Sweden be lumped together as "anglo" countries and anyone with ancestry of those countries be referred to as anglo?
I can see lumping together the countries of a continent to a point but not to describe the people of those countries -- only to refer to the land mass itself. African would be someone from the continent of Africa -- but those countries are really too diverse to lump them all together just by continent -- Egypt isn't exactly the same as Kenya and neither are the same as Ethiopia.
Hispanic is such a strange word really -- some people will argue that people of Brazil should be counted as hispanic -- which they clearly are not -- yet Filipinos whose country once was a colony of Spain and they often have Spanish names are not considered hispanic.
I can't argue with anything in your post--it's all true. And yes, the only way to GUESS who might be "Hispanic" in the phone book, and who MIGHT be Filipino, is the Filipinos' tendency to use more "Filipino" first names--- some of them derived from the long American occupation of the Philippines. Even that is only a 'long shot'. Puerto Ricans, too, in some cases, have unusal non-Hispanic first names, from their long association with the US. But none of this means anything, and, as I said, the main value of the word "Hispanic" is that it is so entirely vague, arguable, and 'silly', that it can't POSSIBLY offend anyone, because anyone is free to define it any way they wish...
To illustrate how 'silly' this can get, there is a large, very well-known supermarket chain near here....in an area with many Mexicans, Mexican-Americans, and other "Hispanics". And one of their aisles is labeled "HISPANIC FOODS"....Apparently, this is OK---I'm surprised that someone hasn't objected--but my kids used to have lots of fun teasing each other about "what you feed your dog (dog food)----and what you feed your cat (cat food) ----and what we should feed Mom (Hispanic food)"....Luckily, Mom has a good sense of humor...
I have another word that I call the farm workers which is not appropriate to say on this forum. And no it does not start with a W. When I'm asked to mow the lawn or clean the backyard I reference it with a special word. My mom told my brothers 1st grade teacher what I call it.. yet.. she laughed. Shes white too.
Actually, the "W" word was used freely among English-speaking Mexican-Americans some years ago to describe illegals. Like "gringo", it wasn't considered particularly offensive, if used among friends. It wasn't considered racist unless that was the obvious intention. It didn't sound "bad", just perhaps a little uneducated.
I remember one time talking to the Mexican-American foreman of a landscape crew who was getting ready to open an irrigation valve. I said "watch it--don't get those guys all wet"...He laughed and answered "most of them already are"...some of the crew overheard---and everyone laughed.
In fact, I noticed that arriving illegals even adopted the word themselves, translating it into the Spanish "M" word...STILL not offensive. There was even a "corrido" which came out on the radio during the 'first' amnesty ('86) in which the refrain stated "This 'W' is gonna be 'dry' from now on' "....(referring to becoming 'legalized'.)
None of this is possible nowadays, of course. Use these words now and you'd undoubtedly get in ALL KINDS of trouble. It's not easy to remember the rules of "PC"...
if gramma wez the ony thing we had TO wory bout in ower country.. thet would be grate! Then we would not have any worries about illegals BEEDING US DRY!
Your post illustrates a point...the "flexibility" of English. Although you intentionally "butchered it up", I'm sure ALL of us could understand your meaning. That's why I don't think it's too much to ask that ALL citizens of America adopt at least a 'working' knowledge of English. As your post shows, even 'mangled up' English can get the message across--not everyone needs to be a "PhD"....
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