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It's used often, in many threads, and it's a newish term to me. I'd never heard it applied to myself until I moved to New Mexico. Since "Anglo" is a form of "Anglo-Saxon" and my ancestry is NOT Anglo-Saxon, I don't know why the term would be applied to me. I certainly never use it to describe myself.
I'm a little on the fence as to whether or not I consider it insulting, although it's certainly not accurate.
I think in the Southwest, "Anglo" is interchangeable with "white" or "Caucasion."
In the context in which it is used in this part of the country, I have never thought it meant Anglo-saxon, just a way to differentiate white-skinned people from Hispanics or Indians.
Now if they start calling you "gringo" - that might be considered insulting.
It's an old term. The problem is you can't really say "white" because technically hispanics are considered "white" also so no differentiation. In the Southwest the term has long been a way to differentiate residents of the indigenous Hispanic/Indian culture from those whose heritage derives from other parts of the U.S. and whose native language is singularly English. Since most non-hispanic Americans the people of the Southwest first encountered were English speakers who descended from English or Germans (with some Scots Irish thrown in) "Anglo-Saxon", shortened to "Anglo" was a reasonable descriptor.
It's an old term. The problem is you can't really say "white" because technically hispanics are considered "white" also so no differentiation. In the Southwest the term has long been a way to differentiate residents of the indigenous Hispanic/Indian culture from those whose heritage derives from other parts of the U.S. and whose native language is singularly English. Since most non-hispanic Americans the people of the Southwest first encountered were English speakers who descended from English or Germans (with some Scots Irish thrown in) "Anglo-Saxon", shortened to "Anglo" was a reasonable descriptor.
You said it better than I was able too, CAVA1990. Rep points for you!
I think the term refers to speakers of the Anglo-Saxon language. That included Blacks and anyone elso who spoke English in days past. Since English has become the de facto language of most of the Hispanics in the area and the state has become more ethnically diverse, the term has come to be synonymous with 'White, non-Hispanic'.
The French use the same convention (though they don't drop the '-Saxon' part) to refer to the English, Irish, Americans, Canadians, Australians, etc.
I think the term refers to speakers of the Anglo-Saxon language. That included Blacks and anyone elso who spoke English in days past..
Kind of hard to parse those since nearly all the outsiders encountered early on during the American period (pre-Civil War) were white and for the most part only spoke English, but perhaps your interpretation is more accurate.
I've lived in the Rocky Mountain/Southwest region all my life. As others have posted, the term "Anglo" has long been used to describe non-Hispanic English-speaking people in the region. I hear the term used by both Hispanics and Anglos and, as an "Anglo", I do not in the least find the term offensive--unless, of course, it has a bunch of epithets or derogatory adjectives put in front of it. In that case, any term can be made offensive.
I feel the same way about being called a "gringo." Some Anglos may find that term offensive, and some Hispanics may use it with that intent, but it just doesn't get a rise out of me--I choose not to be offended. I will even self-describe myself as a gringo to some of my Hispanic friends--we get a good laugh out of it and go on.
I feel the same way about being called a "gringo." Some Anglos may find that term offensive, and some Hispanics may use it with that intent, but it just doesn't get a rise out of me--I choose not to be offended. I will even self-describe myself as a gringo to some of my Hispanic friends--we get a good laugh out of it and go on.
Now I do know the origin of that term. During the Mexican war a popular song that the American soldiers would sing had the refrain "Green grows the grass on the Emerald Isle". The Mexicans then dubbed them "gringos".
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