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

[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."