I'm Latin, not Hispanic

[SimonSays]

In some ways, I can see your point StationtoStation. Latino or Hispano is fine with me. I use either/or equally. It really just depends. I like Hispano to some extent because I think it is more reflective of my own family's background, but I think Latino is probably more neutral and to the great part of society should probably be the formal title for persons of Spanish Speaking Decent.

 

[StationToStation]

Why don't you just say, I'm not Hispanic, I'm not Latino, I'm just hella hot and that's all that matters.




Hmm maybe if you know you have roots in Spain you could say you're Spanish-American?

Ok, I'm Hella Hot. Think the census will give me my own category???

 

[justsimon]

One of my best friends is of Mexican descent. He identifies as Hispanic (or Chicano), not Latino.

 

[derelictdarrel]

This sort of reminds me of this scene

 

[StationToStation]

One of my best friends is of Mexican descent. He identifies as Hispanic (or Chicano), not Latino.

Mexicans have it an option of Chicano, being born as Mexican-Americans. I respect that choice.

 

[hungrybrownbear]

Ok, I'm Hella Hot. Think the census will give me my own category???

Isn't there an "other" option where you can fill that in?

 

[StationToStation]

Problem is that we don't speak Latin.

English is my first and only language I know.

 

[chatolandia]

I am Hispanic, hence I am Latino, or Latin...


If I was from Guadeloupe, I would be Latin, but not Hispanic


Latin is a general term of people with a culture inherited from the Romans, like the French, Spaniards, Portuguese, etc...

Hispanic, as Elvin pointed out, is basically Latin for someone from Spain (Hispania), and their cultural descendants... which is just more specific than Latin

if I wanted to be really specific, I would say I am Puertorrican, since that's where I come from. But really, for me is about context and who ask

To be honest, none of those are wrong, regarding my heritage.


Ultimately, I am American

 

[Beachguyj]

It doesn't matter. Call yourself what you want and don't correct others. It's like people who get mad over being called black or African American. You can never win unless you realize it doesn't matter.

I used to think that Hispanics were people who's ancestry comes from Spain and Latinos are ones who's ancestry comes from Indians such as Mayan or Inca. I would say I'm Hispanic before Latino, but it doesn't matter to me. To me Latino is more of a culture and Hispanic is more of a nationality.

 

[SimonSays]

I think it is important for US Americans to understand that their many more Nationalities, Elasticities, foods, etc. than Taco Bell, and because you speak Spanish you are therefore Mexican. The USA's history is heavily influenced by Spanish Culture and colonization, Florida, the Southwest, hell, even up in Washington State some of the landmarks have Spanish Names. So, I think it is important to realize the legacy and importance to the greater American Culture. But, at the end of the day, we are all human, and essentially, get over the minor differences.

 

[StationToStation]

I think it is important for US Americans to understand that their many more Nationalities, Elasticities, foods, etc. than Taco Bell, and because you speak Spanish you are therefore Mexican. The USA's history is heavily influenced by Spanish Culture and colonization, Florida, the Southwest, hell, even up in Washington State some of the landmarks have Spanish Names. So, I think it is important to realize the legacy and importance to the greater American Culture. But, at the end of the day, we are all human, and essentially, get over the minor differences.

Yep there is the San Juan Islands in Washington. I know since I grew up in Tacoma.

 

[saymyname]

Yep it's popular in the Latino/Latin community to move away from the term Hispanic. Even some Mexican born US Americans prefer the term Chicano. And like I said, as the largest minority we a community should name ourselves.

Yes Portuguese, Spanish, Italians, French and Romanians are all Latin based cultures, that have spread to the Americas.

Okay, then I'm going to have to disagree with your logic here. It makes more sense for me for someone with Spanish roots to identify as "Hispanic" because it's absurd to say that those are all "Latin based" cultures. You're obfuscating the lines between language and heritage. The Italian and French are not "Latin" - Latin was a language. That's like saying a Canadian should identify as a Brit just because they both speak English. I get that Latin does not equal Spain, but I also don't think Latin has the same connotation as Latino. They have two totally different connotations, and saying the Italians and French (or as my Canadian friend mentioned, francophones) have 'latin' heritage is extremely absurd. I hope that makes sense - it's hard to articulate what I mean, but basically I'd agree with everything elvin has said.

 

[StationToStation]

omgosh guys!!!! I have been emailing back and forth for a couple days now with this hottie in my neighborhood. i found his profile myspace and noticed he put "other" as his ethnicity.

so about a half an hour ago, i emailed him asking about his ethnic background, he just replied and his exact words were "Hispanic and Italian."

as cute as this guy is i'll take it. it guess it really comes down to hotness, eerrrr humankind.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

it real complcate ans countrys centurys ago be helpin people fit in but

any way so it KOOL people put head in head clamp help umselfs ground their feet

this thread real nice read

thankyou

 

[BINOWGAYLATER]

In the mid '70's when the GOVERNMENT got all fired up with EEO law - and degenderization of Job titles (with which I was heavily in the middle of) they "created" Spanish Surnamed Americans, AND strangely, enuff - this included women who acquired a "spanish surname" thru marriage. - Hence, a black female could me a "spanish surnamed American" - but her chances for promoton would have been much greater at that time if she just remained black. The "all knowing" Government, came up with a rather INCOMPLETE list of "spanish surnames' - if you had one of them, you were an SSA-- if you didn't you weren't. The same / similar dilemma arose with API's (Asian/Pacific Islanders) which were lumped together - but the definition failed to account for "Whites" who might identify as Pacific Islanders - with multiple generations of their families born on 'Pacific islands" but not qualifying as such.
My surname was identified as a Spanish Surname - for about 18 months - then the government changed their mind - and I became white again.. However, census takers in the 50's (in Hawaii) classified Portuguese COMPLETELY separately from Whites, and all Asian groups - separately, not lumped together.


I always "got the feeling" that Hispanics were in the East -- but Latino's where in the West - Where I live, there are Puerto Ricans, Mexican's, several Central American ethnicities, as well as many southern Carribiean countries represented.
I guess i'm more for equal opportunity and equal pay than labels. l

 

[Beachguyj]

In the mid '70's when the GOVERNMENT got all fired up with EEO law - and degenderization of Job titles (with which I was heavily in the middle of) they "created" Spanish Surnamed Americans, represented.

I am an American Surnamed Hispanic. It's really a European name and found in England, France and Spain, but hearing it you would think it's American. People have asked me if it was shortened when my family came to this country to make it sound more American, but it wasn't. My family hasn't been here since the Ellis Island days when people changed their names.

 

[davy]

a little bit of a history lesson for all of you:

the word hispanic is a legal term that was created during the nixon administration to differentiate between latin american/south american/carribean descendent white people and european descendent white people. (all hispanics have been legally white since the early 20th/late 19th century).

before then; hispanic was an adjective used to describe people from the iberian peninsula.

latino/latin came into the english language during the middle 20th century. its origin is unclear in the spanish language.

the earliest known use of the word chicano was had an "m" in it and it was a pejorative word used to describe mexicans in the western united states during the early 20th century. the word was revived during the middle 20th century to describe mexican descended americans.

 

[Beachguyj]

a little bit of a history lesson for all of you:

the word hispanic is a legal term that was created during the nixon administration to differentiate between latin american/south american/carribean descendent white people and european descendent white people. (all hispanics have been legally white since the early 20th/late 19th century).

.

So blacks from European Spanish decent aren't Hispanic?

 

[LilBit]

My understanding is that Latino is short for latinoamericano, meaning someone with roots in Latin America. Because my ancestry is Catalan, not Latin American, I feel that Hispanic is a more accurate term to describe myself.

 

[davy]

I can understand the word "Latino" becoming a part of the English language in the mid 20th century, but "Latin" was around long before English was ever even considered a language. In fact, English adopted the Latin alphabet when it eventually became a written language.

But, then again, maybe I'm confusing that whole cultural heritage thing again.

i'll say:

the english language, as we know it, didn't come into existence until the 13th century and it was written down by church clerics that were trying to recreate the english sounds using the latin alphabet.

So blacks from European Spanish decent aren't Hispanic?

the empahsis was only differentiating between people who are legally white. under american law there's no differentiation among black americans.