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"Hispanic" is DEFINITELY a U.S. coined and used political/statistical term. When I actually traveled to Spanish-speaking countries, I heard people refer to themselves or to fellow Spanish-speakers in general and Latinos, but NEVER heard them refer to themselves or to other Spanish-speakers as "Hispanic". In fact, a few times while traveling through Central America and still having U.S. terminology at the forefront of my mind, I slipped up and said "Hispano" (Hispanic) instead of Latino in conversation, and got strange or confused looks.
Hispanic is not a race. It's an ethnicity. It is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. It's related to Spanish colonialism.
The term was first introduced in the U.S. census in 1970. Prior to that time Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans were identified as white.
So, if Hispanics are classified based on a different language and lineage than commonly perceived American "white" people, what should we call French Canadians? Would they be grouped in with Haitians? How does that group differ from how we group Hispanics? (Americans cannot likely consistently spell Québécois or Haïtiens.) What about a French speaker from the Republic of the Congo or Algeria? Grouping them together under one label makes about the same sense as Hispanics.
So, if Hispanics are classified based on a different language and lineage than commonly perceived American "white" people, what should we call French Canadians? Would they be grouped in with Haitians? How does that group differ from how we group Hispanics? (Americans cannot likely consistently spell Québécois or Haïtiens.) What about a French speaker from the Republic of the Congo or Algeria? Grouping them together under one label makes about the same sense as Hispanics.
Don't try to rationalize the "hispanic" classification. It's a nonsense concept that was invented from whole cloth by political organizations for purely political purposes. It's not supposed to make any sense, and there's no reason to project the same concept onto any other ethnic groups in other parts of the world.
Don't try to rationalize the "hispanic" classification. It's a nonsense concept that was invented from whole cloth by political organizations for purely political purposes. It's not supposed to make any sense, and there's no reason to project the same concept onto any other ethnic groups in other parts of the world.
I would not characterize it as "political" in a pejorative sense but rather it seems to be a bureaucratic way to focus attention on a group perceived as under-served. The government simply wanted to collect information and measure the degree of service or poverty and created a non-racial group that really has few common factors outside of language and linguistic heritage. Not every "Hispanic" person is or was underserved across the board, but many were (or are) on a local or regional level. It was probably easier at the time to target language than whether they had a TV or indoor plumbing or were gainfully employed or a college degree.
Hispanic is not a race. It's an ethnicity. It is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.
All those groups of people you listed are not ONE ethnicity, but many different ethnicities. They are as different from each other as they could possibly be. Lumping them all together as one as if they were identical is ridiculous.
You left out the Irish slavery part, and the denigrating term they were called early in our nation's history, and how they were regarded by society. If it's right for other groups, then why not them?
I was making as valid a point as you were in your language post above about French Canadians.
I think the government is causing the confusion by listing "races" as black, white, "Hispanic" (which we know is ethnicity) - they are mixing up terms and making people choose one as "race." So if you are white but live in Mexico, you are wrongly dubbed "Hispanic."
You left out the Irish slavery part, and the denigrating term they were called early in our nation's history, and how they were regarded by society. If it's right for other groups, then why not them?
I was making as valid a point as you were in your language post above about French Canadians.
Yep. The Irish were treated terribly, as I know full well from family history. The signs would read "No Irish need apply", and while specifically referring to one nationality, "Irish" was also implying, almost as shorthand, Catholic, poor immigrant, and possibly drunkard if you ascribed to the popular stereotypes of the day. (There seemed to be an escape hatch for Scots-Irish, who were more respectable for some reason.)
For Hispanics, the word serves as shorthand for a bunch of different groups from very different places. None of those stereotypes are valid. My earlier point was related to current or past French language speakers as Hispanic refers to current or past Spanish language speakers (although many can't speak Spanish now).
Where I live, I sometimes hear the term "Anglo" as a catch-all reference to white Americans, but many (maybe most) white Americans have no ties to England apart from the adopted language their ancestors learned when they arrived. People who use that "Anglo" term make no distinction between Greek, Czech, Belgian, Russian, Irish, or German Americans. All of these labels carry perceptions and stereotypes that are not valid.
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