Why do Americans dont know what "hispanic" means? (cinema, association)

[KathrynAragon]

Originally Posted by Smtchll

I like how the census says that "Hispanic" isn't a race, but at the same time, some other categories that they call races aren't really races either. For instance, "Asian" includes people from East Asian, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Since when are Indians & Koreans part of the same race? Then Native American & Alaskan Natives is a separate "race" yet Alaskan Natives who look much closer to Koreans than Indians do.

You make a very good point.

It's difficult to label ethnicities and races, especially in this age of racial mixtures, global mobility, and political correctness, without offending SOMEONE.

[WorldTravelingYogi]

Wow people on these boards really like to attack people. I have traveled to over 70 countries and many of these countries I have been multiple times and yes 19 years of travel I can count on 1 hand how many times I said I was Canadian. It is not a big deal.

It's not like I sewed a Canadian flag on my pack and went around posing as a Canadian.

[Joy74]

Most Americans are quite aware that Spanish is a European language. There is nothing special about Spanish. Spanish speaking people think Spanish is more important than it is. Its just o.k. It is one of the easiest languages to learn. English is actually a more difficult language to learn, but not that difficult if you are motivated to learn it.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by masonbauknight

@Portlander. As frenchuser says, "Hispanic" is from Latin and means (literally) "from Spain." In the U.S., the term is used by extension to mean a person of Spanish-speaking HERITAGE.

Funny,
this whole time I thought it came from the name of the Iberian peninsula when it was part of the Roman Empire 2000 years ago.

[french user]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Funny,
this whole time I thought it came from the name of the Iberian peninsula when it was part of the Roman Empire 2000 years ago.

"hispania" is just the latin name of "Spain", like "Britannia" is the latin for "Britain". Maybe meny English-speaking people do not realize this this because the name "Spain" has been sort of distorted from "hispania" that it is not recognizable, but for us that is so obvious that we find hard to understand that many people do not see that it refers to Spain.

Lat. Hispania - ES. Espana - FR. Espagne , etc.

All Almost sound the same

[french user]

[quote=masonbauknight;29023481 In American English, "Latino" derives from the Spanish word "Latinoamericano." You (as a Frenchman) come from a Latin country. The French are Latins, not Latinos. "Latino," with a final -o, refers to Latin America, including Portuguese-speaking Brazil.[/quote]

I understand this. In french too if we say "latino" is is a colloqiual term to mean the shortened form for "latino-americain" (latino-Americano or latin-American), and it has a different meaning as "latin".

But what i meant is that this word existed long before in other languages (spanish or Italian for exemple) in the meaning of "latin" (romance speaking). That is what "latino" originally means (and continues to do so) before being adoptated in American English as an official label for immigrants in the USA from latin American backgrounds. Aslo I've noticed that in the US, when one say "latin", everybody thinks "latino" (with sort of Mexican clichés that goes with); but not of latin cultures in Europe or elsewhere.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by french user

In french "Amérique" (America) does not reffer to any country but to the continents, wich are separated into north America and south America. The country that some call "America" in English is always reffered as "Etats-Unis" or "Etats-Unis d'Amérique". But calling the USA "Amérique" sounds a bit stupid in a french speach, it sounds somehow childish. Curiously the inhabitants of the USA are refered as "Americains"; but this term can also apply to the inhabitants of the whole continent of "Amérique". We also have the word "état-unien". In Quebec the word "Etats-unien" (Estadounidense in Spanish) is more used than in France.

Yeah. People in Quebec do generally consider themselves as living in "America". (Just a different one from the rest.)

For example, the two main newspapers in Montreal have these taglines on their front pages:

Le No 1 des journaux français d'Amérique (Le Journal de Montréal)

Le plus grand quotidien français d'Amérique (La Presse)

But the term "Américain" when talking about people always refers to people from the US.

[french user]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yeah. People in Quebec do generally consider themselves as living in "America". (Just a different one from the rest.)

For example, the two main newspapers in Montreal have these taglines on their front pages:

Le No 1 des journaux français d'Amérique (Le Journal de Montréal)

Le plus grand quotidien français d'Amérique (La Presse)

But the term "Américain" when talking about people always refers to people from the US.

Of course! Quebec is obviously part of America, as well as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, etc.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by french user

Of course! Quebec is obviously part of America, as well as Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, etc.

Interestingly enough, most English-speaking Canadians don't really consider themselves as part of "America", or at least are uncomfortable with that identifier. Even geographic.

But that's a whole other story.

[masonbauknight]

@Frenchuser. U.S. dictionaries of American English say what you did: "Hispanic" > Lat., Hispanicus, from Hispania, "Iberian Peninsula, Spain." Dopo is splitting hairs. (I love his map though.)

I've met few French, Belgians or Québécois who use the adjective "états-unien." That remains mostly an ideological term with (often) anti-American overtones. "Américain" is still common usage in the French-speaking world, including Québec.