House approves bill to let Puerto Ricans vote to become 51st state

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by epchick

"Hispanic" to describe people of Spanish-speaking countries in and of itself is inaccurate. It would be more accurate to consider people from Spain "hispanics" because those are the people the word originally was designated for.

Spain is really an anomaly when it comes to designating "hispanics" or "latinos" even considering it a "Latin American" country. They have their heads so far up their own asses that it's just better to leave them out. They think themselves FAR superior than any other Spanish-speaking country.

I see Spanish (from Spain) artists on the Latino Billboard/Premios/Awards Shows/etc...so they're at least not shy about lumping themselves in with Latin Music.

Why would you consider the use of "Hispanic" for people of Spanish speaking countries inaccurate?

If you want to go right to the root of these designations, Latino could describe someone Mexican, Brazilian, or even Italian and Portuguese, because it means someone who speaks a Latin-based language. I know someone will probably argue with that, but I don't see anything wrong with calling a spade a spade.

Meanwhile, I had no idea WTF to put for my husband on the census. There was a question about being "Hispanic", but then the next question was about race, and it said that Hispanic was an ethnicity not a race (you can't tell them that, though - iLa Raza!). I finally ended up settling on "Native American - Zapoteca". I looked it up later, and technically, that's not off-base, because he's a Mesoamericano - which are people indigenous to middle Mexico-Central America, and are therefore Native Americans (even if they're not Native (NORTH) Americans.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Why would you consider the use of "Hispanic" for people of Spanish speaking countries inaccurate?

Because of what you said next:

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

If you want to go right to the root of these designations, Latino could describe someone Mexican, Brazilian, or even Italian and Portuguese, because it means someone who speaks a Latin-based language. I know someone will probably argue with that, but I don't see anything wrong with calling a spade a spade.

Most of us prefer you call us by out ethnicity (Mexican, Cuban, etc) but if you don't know it, "Latino/a" would be more accurate, and more accepted, than Hispanic. I personally hate being called 'Hispanic.'

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Meanwhile, I had no idea WTF to put for my husband on the census. There was a question about being "Hispanic", but then the next question was about race, and it said that Hispanic was an ethnicity not a race (you can't tell them that, though - iLa Raza!).

Is Mexican (I know you mentioned Zapotec, but I know they can go down through several countries). That's strange that the census didn't have that option--mine did. I put Mexican, or Mexican-American, under ethnicity and 'white' under race (i believe).

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by epchick

Most of us prefer you call us by out ethnicity (Mexican, Cuban, etc) but if you don't know it, "Latino/a" would be more accurate, and more accepted, than Hispanic. I personally hate being called 'Hispanic.'

I think that might be kind of like the Black/African American debate - some prefer one, some prefer the other. Some have a STRONG preference, and others it doesn't mater as much. I hardly ever hear my husband call himself Latino - he usually calls himself "Hispano". He wouldn't be offended, though, if someone called him Latino. He would only be offended if someone called him "gringo".

Originally Posted by epchick

Is Mexican (I know you mentioned Zapotec, but I know they can go down through several countries). That's strange that the census didn't have that option--mine did. I put Mexican, or Mexican-American, under ethnicity and 'white' under race (i believe).

Yes - I marked Mexican - I was talking about the race...are Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans really considered Caucasian? I would also probably throw in there that my husband is 100% indigenous, and his skin looks more like Sammy Sosa (BEFORE he went all Micheal Jackson with the white-boy drugs) or India Maria than Cameron Diaz or Edith Gonzalez.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

He would only be offended if someone called him "gringo".

Me too, MOST DEFINITELY!! I guess your husband more so, since he doesn't look 'gringo' at all. Yeah the whole Latino/Hispanic debaucle is very similar to the Black/African-American thing, and it really is about preference. On the one hand, I don't like being called "Hispanic," but on the other it doesn't really bother me enough to correct people. Latino & Hispanic are interchangeable, so its not really worth getting upset or defensive over.

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

Yes - I marked Mexican - I was talking about the race...are Hispanics/Latinos/Mexicans really considered Caucasian? I would also probably throw in there that my husband is 100% indigenous, and his skin looks more like Sammy Sosa (BEFORE he went all Micheal Jackson with the white-boy drugs) or India Maria than Cameron Diaz or Edith Gonzalez.

I believe so. I know that I am more Caucasian than I am black. But my mom is very similar to your husband (in skin tone) and I remember on my BC, they labeled her as "white."

[thetygerlily]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

If you want to go right to the root of these designations, Latino could describe someone Mexican, Brazilian, or even Italian and Portuguese, because it means someone who speaks a Latin-based language. I know someone will probably argue with that, but I don't see anything wrong with calling a spade a spade.

Meanwhile, I had no idea WTF to put for my husband on the census. There was a question about being "Hispanic", but then the next question was about race, and it said that Hispanic was an ethnicity not a race (you can't tell them that, though - iLa Raza!). I finally ended up settling on "Native American - Zapoteca". I looked it up later, and technically, that's not off-base, because he's a Mesoamericano - which are people indigenous to middle Mexico-Central America, and are therefore Native Americans (even if they're not Native (NORTH) Americans.

My husband is Brazilian and boy does he get riled up if he's every referred to as Hispanic or even Latino! The Hispanic objection is because they speak Portuguese and not Spanish. The Latino objection I have not gotten a clear answer on, I think it's more of colloquial usage usually assumes Spanish speaking and not the Latin-based roots.

We've had several people take the liberty of checking the Hispanic box for him on mortgage applications and the like. 1- don't assume based on looks and 2- people aren't required to provide that information, so it should be up to him. He gets even more riled up about that one!

Since there isn't a "Brazilian" box, I just check "Other" He would probably check Caucasian out of defiance but he isn't filling out the forms, so...

And back to your regularly scheduled programming... I'll be curious to see this one play out. I've always thought that (albeit a very small) part of the reason Puerto Rico, Guam, etc aren't states is because they don't want to deal with changing the flag. But that's the cynical part of me coming out.