"Hispanics" vs. "Latino/a"

[Bill McBlueState]

In recent debates, I've seen a lot of the word "Hispanic" used to describe people with origins in Mexico, the Carribean, or countries further south. I know at least a few people who find that term offensive, preferring to describe themselves as Latino or Latina.

Is "Hispanic" generally considered offensive? Is it not offensive, but less preferred than Latino/a? Or does it not matter?

[Zen Democrat]

1. In Texas, Mexican-Americans call themselves Hispanics - not Latino. eom

[RB TexLa]

2. I can't say I hear the term Latino used too much in Dallas n/t

[mitchtv]

13. Here ( CA) MexAms often use Chicano

both other terms seem to have displaced it , however. People are more sensitive about being automatically refered to as Mexicans

[Jack_DeLeon]

37. I use Hispanic...

but whatever someone wants to call themselves is thier own business.

Lately I've been calling myself Tejano since I'm of Mexican-American descent but I'm from Texas.

[SteppingRazor]

3. Here in South Florida, I rarely hear "Latino/a"...

Most people say "Hispanic." More often, they refer to themselves by their specific country of origin -- Cuban, for example.

[RagingInMiami]

9. In Miami, people like to call themselves "Latin"

Because in Spanish, there is no direct translation for "Hispanic". Latin Americans call themselves "Latinos" so "Latin" is there translation.

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[VelmaD]

14. Uh...not all hispanics...

are pure indigenous. Particularly those in the US.

[mitchtv]

18. They are not all "Indians"., Latino and Hispanic

includes "white' spanish speakers

[QC]

50. And many "native Americans" hate that term--

they think it sounds like something a marketing research firm would come up with and prefer "Indian" or "American Indian."

[pschoeb]

5. Hispanic is for all native Spanish speakers

So it include say Spainards, etc., it's the widest catagory, Latino is more specific to someone from Latin America.

[LSparkle]

15. I always thought "Hispanic" meant from Spain/Europe and

"Latino/a" meant from Latin America meaning the Western Hemisphere. "Chicano/a" means specifically from Mexico. ???

[mitchtv]

28. and I always thought

Chicano was Mexican American. Mexicans are called "border brothers" in my family.

[pschoeb]

31. Your kinda correct on Chicano and Latino

Chicano is Mexican American, Latino is someone from Latin America. But Hispanic can refer to any Spanish speaking person, as well as specifically to Spain, if you wanted to group together spanish speaking people from Equitorial New Guinea, West Sahara and Mexico, you couldn't use the term Latino.

[Xipe Totec]

33. Problem is non-Spanish speaking Hispanics

My children do not speak Spanish, yet they are considered Hispanic because of their last name.

Ironically, they really are Hispanic by heritage (Asturian to be specific).

Also ironically, one of my sons speaks latin so, technically, he really is a Latino.

:shrug:

[blondeatlast]

56. Thanks--I've been confused by this for years.

I'm surrounded by Hispanics with friends, work, socially, etc. I've always been a bit confused by the distinction.

That clears up a lot of confusion.

[LSparkle]

36. NOW I get it -- Hispanic has more to do with language than heritage

That makes sense.

[Xithras]

45. Actually language has nothing to do with it.

Location, not language. If the land was once a Spanish colony, it's "hispanic" and its people are generally considered Hispanic. They don't need to be Spanish speaking though...there are black muslims in Western Sahara that are technically hispanic, and I doubt that many could speak a word of the language.

[Xipe Totec]

6. It's not offensive, just inaccurate

Some of us are more Hispanic than others.

If you have Spanish heritage then, technically, you are Hispanic.

[mitchtv]

7. Not an offensive term

Just clinical , and limiting. It eliminates, Brazilians, Spaniards and Portugese, who are also Latinos. Hispanics are Spanish speakers from the New World

[Ladyhawk]

8. When I was in college, the "PC" word was "chicano/a"

:shrug:

I've generally used the word "Hispanic," but if that group decides in favor of another word, that's fine with me. I figure it's best to let people define themselves.

[musiclawyer]

17. Not being mexican I always despised the term chicano(a)

I prefer Latino, like many latino Californians Homemade word, not anglo made word

[Ladyhawk]

39. Then, sir, if I ever refer to your nationality, I shall call you a Latino.

:)

[RagingInMiami]

24. Chicano is only for Mexican-Americans

It doesn't include Colombian-Americans, Cuban-Americans, Puerto Ricans, etc.

[Ladyhawk]

41. I see. I probably knew that at one time, so I've stuck to the word

"Hispanic." If "Latino/a" is more acceptable, I'll switch to that.

[Warpy]

10. Old timers here in NM call themselves "Hispano"

and I call people whatever they tell me they'd like to be called. That means "Hispano" or "Latino" or using their tribal identification.

As for me, I'm just happy I don't often hear the word "pendeja."

[slackmaster]

11. How about Dan Quayle's "Happy campesinos"?

:nuke:

[Atman]

12. Hispanic? Describing the Caribbean?

That's loony. There are Hispanic Caribbean islands, to be sure, but there are French, Dutch, all over the place. There is nothing offensive about the word "Hispanic" anyway. Odd question.

[ceile]

16. Found this on a site.....

address at the bottom. Don't know why it didn't come up as a link.

on edit:
nevermind, it did.

"Increasingly, recent immigrants and first-generation Americans with roots in Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean are also rejecting the "Hispanic" identification. Even though the term can be seen as a nod to the Spanish language that binds so many of today's immigrants, those who abhor the word consider it an English-language invention imposed by outsiders.


In fact, "Hispanic" -- almost never used in Mexico and Central and South America -- was adopted by the U-S Census Bureau in the 1970s as a way to lump together people of diverse cultures. To no avail, the bureau was reminded that the word "Hispanic" ignores Portuguese-speaking Brazilians and French-speaking Haitians, "bleaches out" -- as one person puts it -- the heritage of indigenous people who preceded Spanish rule, and brushes aside the millions of mestizos -- or people of mixed racial origin. Most of all, though, say its critics, "Hispanic" is entirely too Euro-centric a word to suit them. As one Mexican-American told VOA in a computer e-mail, "The term 'Hispanic' feels out of touch with the soul, struggle, and strength of today's U-S Latino."

http://www.help-for-you.com/news/Sep2003/scripts/27e5d789.html

[Bill McBlueState]

29. that's it

"Hispanic" -- almost never used in Mexico and Central and South America -- was adopted by the U-S Census Bureau in the 1970s as a way to lump together people of diverse cultures.

This is basically the argument I've heard. Thanks.

[RagingInMiami]

19. Neither is offensive

Hispanic is an English word, Latino is a Spanish word. If you want to get technical about it, Hispanic means your ancestors came from Spain and Latino means you or your ancestors came from Latin America, which in most cases, also means they came from Spain.

I'm Hispanic, I'm Latino, I find that I use them interchangedly depending on with whom I am talking.

I use Latino if I am talking to a predominantly Spanish speaking person and Hispanic if I'm talking to a predominantly English speaking person. If I am talking to someone like myself, who is American but with Latin American parents, then I use either one or sometimes both without even thinking about it.

[Dora]

20. Latino/a

is what I see published in academic circles....

[Atman]

22. I thought LatinA meant a female Latino

Am I wrong?

[Dora]

38. Nope. You're not wrong. Latina is feminine...

But in academic monographs (yawn....) it takes up too much page space to print "Latino/Latina." As well, scholars generally don't want to exclude 50% of the population by using the masculine as an all-inclusive. So, most university presses and scholars are opting for "Latino/a" as the solution.

[Poll_Blind]

21. Oregon: My girlfriend is very active in the latino community and...

..."latino" is their word of choice. I've been to a number of functions and "latino" is the only word I've heard used.

PB

[Bridget Burke]

23. I don't know, but there's no such thing as a "Latino/a"

The Spanish language has gender. You can just say "Latino" or you can add "Latina" If you want to be really inclusive, say "Latinos y Latinas." But "Latino/a" is not Spanish! (Sorry, it's a pet peeve of mine.)

Some people supposedly object to "Latino" because it can be confused with "Ladino"--the language of the Sephardic Jews. (Yes, that's reaching.)

I don't think either term is insulting--so just ask!

Down here, they're Tejanos...

[slide to the left]

25. In SPJ

Society of Professional Journalist, it is supposed to be preferred at Latino/a, but either is acceptable.

[Bill McBlueState]

26. heh, not much agreement here

25 replies and pretty much everyone has a different take on it.

The acquaintance of mine who finds "Hispanic" offensive feels that way because it's a term the US government uses to define people, instead of a term people use to define themselves.

But apparently at least *some* people whom the government considers Hispanic do call themselves that.

[Xipe Totec]

32. That in itself makes the point

that it is not a well crafted term.

It's like putting apples oranges and tomatoes in a paper sack and calling it fruit.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

42. Technically, a tomato isn't a fruit.

Is that an intentional part of your allegory, or not?

[Xipe Totec]

47. Technically, it is a fruit

I thought about using pineapple instead, which isn't a fruit, but I think the tomato made the point well enough.


:evilgrin:

[Donald Ian Rankin]

48. You're right, I don't know what I was thinking of.

So which is the thing that's usually classed as a fruit that isn't actually one? Or am I thinking of the fact that tomatoes aren't usually classed as fruit but actually are? But I think tomatoes ususally *are* classed as fruit. I don't know...

I'm going to bed...

[Xipe Totec]

51. Strawberries

are not fruit, but avocados are.

Good night

:hi:

[Cleita]

35. I don't like it either but I use it. Since I can't reply to your original

thread cuz I can't open it, I'll reply here. When we first came here just before WWII, Mexicans and people who spoke Spanish were called Spanish. Restaurants were Spanish restaurants not Mexican. But then some demographic of probably real Spaniards objected because Mexican Food and culture is quite different from Spanish food and culture.

So everyone was then called Mexican. Then someone got the idea because Mexican was a nationality not a race that we should call ourselves Latinos, because many of us were from various places in Central and South America so that should work for everyone.

Then the American born Mexican immigrants in the barrio decided that they wanted to be called Chicanos to differentiate themselves from immigrants. So somewhere a bureaucrat decided to lump everyone into the catch all phrase Hispanic although most of us have never been near Hispania.

In South America people call themselves Americanos del sud, and everyone north of the Panama Canal Americanos del norte, which lumps Canadians US citizens, Mexico and the other central American countries into one. Fortunately the Europeans are happy to be called Europeans with no distinction by language or color.

When are we going to do that?

[RagingInMiami]

40. I didn't start referring to myself as Hispanic until I moved to the SW

Growing up in Miami, I was either Latino or simply Latin, which is a bastardized version of Latino. But since everybody out west referred to me as Hispanic, I started referring to myself as Hispanics rather than Latino.

It might not be the most accurate word, but neither was Latin and I figured there are more important issues on hand than to be so nitpicky about what to be called.

The truth is, it's impossible to lump anybody of Latin American descent into one category. You have people like myself who were born here. Or people like my mother who was born in Colombia. Then you have Mexican-Americans who call themselves Chicanos. But don't call a Mexican national a Chicano.

Then there are Puerto Ricans and Neuyoricans. Then there are Tejanos, which as far as I know, means a Mexican-American born in Texas (of course I could wrong on that).

Then you have people born in Latin America who are mostly Indian descent and might not want to be called Hispanic because that is the name of their European conquerers. Then you have many Black people of African descent who were born throughout the Caribbean as well as Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil, who might also resent Hispanic or Latino.

But even though they might not be of Spanish descent, they do speak Spanish and have Spanish surnames. Well, not the Blacks born in Brazil. And the non-Black Brazilians might be Latin American, but they are not Hispanic either because most are descendant from the Portuguese.

I look at Hispanic defining more the common language rather than the respective ancestral background.
And Latino defining more the place of origin rather than the actual bloodline.

So a black person who was born and raised in Colombia (which by the way, has the second highest percentage of blacks in Latin America after Brazil)and speaks nothing but Spanish, in my opinion, can be called Hispanic because of his language and Latino because he was born in Latin America.

And if he is cool with that, fine, there is no problem. But if he has issues with that, like a certain Black friend of mine who was born in Miami to Black Colombian parents, and resents both Hispanic and Latino because they refer to his non-existent European background, then you might have to sit through a lecture.

My friend, by the way, who is fluent in English and Spanish, calls himself either Black or African. But he is a poet with a lot of cultural pride and rage and wants people of African descent to be proud of their heritage rather than ashamed, which is the case with many Blacks from Latin America.

And that, my friend, is a topic for a whole new discussion.

[Withywindle]

27. Well, "Latino" includes...

...my mom, who's Latina (as in, from Latin America, Iberian-South American Indian descent) but not Hispanic (Brazilian - Portuguese colonial descent, Portuguese speaking).

But the pedant in me thinks that should include Italians too, who were after all the original Latin speakers. :P

[Taverner]

30. Hmmmm the quandry

Hispanic is good - except that it doesn't include Brazilians, people from Belize or Guyana.

Latino is good, because it includes Brazilians but not Anglo-based Blacks.

[calico1]

34. I am Puerto Rican and usually refer to myself as

Hispanic. Not sure that "hispanic" is an English word because in Spanish yo u hear people use the words "hispana" or "hispano." I suppose my use of is is correct since on both sides we can trace some roots back to Spain. I think the problem is that there are so many different countries of Latino/Hispanic or whatever you want to call it origin. And so much diversity. I have had hispanic (latino) people post on other message boards when I have used "hispanic" that it is incorrect, I should use "latino." I never really got an explanation. Just that they were right and I was wrong. Whatever. As another poster said, as long as you don't call me pendeja or hija de puta, I am not offended. I find it strange to use the term "Latino" or "Latina" because makes me think of "Latin" which is not necessarily Spanish speaking country origin. And of course some people just say "Latin" which also includes Italians, Portuguese, etc. So confusing.....

[Greyhound]

43. I'll call anybody anything they want, but I think Hispanic is generally

the safest. Oh, except African-American, as all my black friends say black is cool, and African-American is inaccurate. I've known two African-Americans in my life and they are both white.

[Xithras]

44. "Hispanic" also includes Phillipino's and some Africans

The technical meaning of Hispanic is anyone who originates in a country that was once a Spanish colony, irregardless of skin color or language spoken. In America it's synonymous with Mexican and Latin Americans, but globally it includes a much larger group of people.

"Latino" is more specific, and means people with ancestors hailing from Latin America...again irregardless of skin color.

Chicano specifically means Mexican.

[radio4progressives]

46. In California...

Chicana/o is more often used by those who self identify as indigenous otherwise Latina/o is the more commonly used.

"Hispanic" on the other hand is used by Euro-Americans (Anglos/Caucasions) and is viewed by many Chicana/o's as a term used mostly by Anglos.

[Beausoir]

49. The Mexican birthmother of my children calls herself Hispanic.

I've had MANY people come up to me and tell me that I should be referring to my children as either Hispanic or Latino/a.

I am more confused than ever.

[Xipe Totec]

53. You should call them your reason for being

Or your ticket to immortality.

Hispanic, Latino, Mexican, or Chicano, are just labels; they are incidental and not of great importance.

[Beausoir]

55. Love that! You are so correct! Thank you! n/t

[drmom]

52. I'm Hispanic, but not Latina

My ancestors were from Spain, so I consider myself hispanic...a Latino/a would be a person who's origins are in Latin America.

[David Zephyr]

54. Latino.

Chicano is Mexican American.

Hispanic is a contrived term used in census material and is most bureaucratic in tone. It is still used in Texas, but then that's a whole other subject, isn't it?

Latino is the term used throughout Central and South America and the Caribbean. It is the most endearing term,too. Also, more and more Mexicans and Mexican-Americans are using this term exclusively.

Latino. Latina.