Written by Corina Martinez Chaudhry
Throughout the United States, we hear the term Hispanic or Latino thrown around. Some say it means the same thing, and yet others say it doesn’t. So which is correct? Hopefully we’ll try and shed some light on the best use of this terminology; however, in the end if you are still perplexed, continue following your methodology.
If you look at the various government agencies and how they classify Spanish speaking people into categories, they all have a different spin on these two terms. For instance, the US Census first began using the term “Hispanic” to classify people that were Spanish speaking, had Spanish surnames, or came from Spanish speaking countries back in the early 1970s during the Nixon administration. Currently, many of the local and federal agencies still continue to use this term; however, in the year 2000 this changed somewhat. Due to the term “Latino” being used mostly in the western segment of the US, this new category term also made its way into the US Census survey. Note: The government doesn’t define or differentiate between these two terms, but rather allows a person to check their preference and chose a specific country or origin.
To throw a wrench into the mix, within the actual Spanish speaking populations and groups across the United States there are many different thoughts on what constitutes a Hispanic or a Latino person. Some even throw around the terms Chicano and Mexican American as if these terms were also as interchangeable as the former two. No wonder there is confusion. That, in itself, is a whole other story.
Some would argue that the term Hispanic should be used for persons having origin from the Iberian Peninsula (these would include persons from Spain or Portugal), and that the term Latino should be used for persons having origin in Latin America, which include a whole bunch of countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico (actually US), Cuba, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Salvador, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, or Venezuela.
But as everyone knows, the Spanish conquered most of Latin American in the 1500s, and parts of the US for that matter. As a result of those conquests, much Spanish influence and intermarriages took place; therefore, many of the people in Latin American and the US are of Spanish ancestry.
Since the 16th century and the landing of Juan Ponce de León in Florida, the Spanish became a force to be reckoned with. Not only did they reach Florida, but they moved onward towards the Grand Canyon, New Mexico, Texas, the Great Plains, and all throughout the Pacific Coast. And this was all done well before the Lewis and Clark Expeditions! So how much influence do you think the Spaniards had and have on our society today? I would venture to say they had quite a bit. Even today, we are still haggling between which terms to use as we define who we are as a people or group.
In addition, and especially in the US, we have many people from Latin America who have migrated and merged into our society, which has further complicated the mix of intermarriages and cultures. If you add the mix of European cultures such as the French, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, and others which have intermixed with the Spanish in Europe, you really get a hodge-podge of cultures and ancestries. As we become more globalized and intermixed, the cause of many Spanish surnames to be dropped or lost along the way will continue, as well as many third and other generation Hispanics and Latinos in the US to not have the opportunity to learn Spanish for whatever reasons.
So what characteristics do we use to define us? Is it the language, our origin, our ancestry, our Surnames, or the culture? As you can see, there are so many factors involved to defining who we really are.
For those that live in the United States and are citizens, I would venture to say that we can just classify ourselves as Americans and maybe that helps to put us in a category; however, then we continue to also lose identity with our ancestors and their countries. For those that are here illegally, it’s hard to say. Maybe you identify with the country of origin; however, keep in mind the huge Spanish influence of centuries past. For those that feel comfortable with using their term of choice, Hispanic or Latino, go right ahead. You wouldn’t be wrong. In the end, I guess it’s probably all just a matter of preference.
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