Hispanic vs. Latino

Since I haven't taught in almost a month, I'm sort of itching for the opportunity to educate people, and thought I'd use the poor souls who read this blog :)

In our PC-culture, many North Americans, especially white ones, try very hard to use culturally sensitive terms to refer to people who are not like themselves. This is fine, of course, if you have any idea what you're talking about. But, as a Social Studies and Spanish teacher, an international traveler, and an illegal immigrant in Mexico, I have some knowledge on what you're supposed to call brown people who may or may not speak Spanish.

hispanic: anyone or anything that speaks Spanish or reflects the Spanish language, regardless of where it is from. For example, Mariachi and Flamenco music is Hispanic, bc it is from Spanish-speaking countries and often includes Spanish lyrics. Octavio Paz is an Hispanic writer, bc he writes in Spanish. Anyone who speaks Spanish as their first language, or who spoke both Spanish and another language since childhood, can be described as Hispanic, whether that person grew up in the U.S., Cuba, or Mexico. Or, in the case of my students, even though they look Asian, they are officially Hispanic bc they were born in a Spanish-speaking country and grew up speaking Spanish. Native Mexicans who speak only Nahuatl or Maya, and not Spanish, are NOT Hispanic, even though they were born and raised in Mexico.

Latino: is anyone or anything from a Latin American country, regardless of what language is associated with him/her/it. For example, tortillas are a Latino food, bc they are originally from Latin America. Rum and coffee are also Latino beverages, bc they are originally from Latin America. A white Brazilian, a native Amazonian, and a Black Jamacian, are all Latino, bc they are from Latin America, even though none of them are Hispanic, bc none of them speak Spanish.

Chicano/ Chicana: a U.S. citizen or resident of Mexican descent, or a U.S. "thing" that is derived from the Mexican culture. This person or thing is Latino, but may or may not be Hispanic. Carlos Santana is an example of a Chicano person, and his music is an example of a Chicano "thing" - both are from Mexico, but their unique identity is definitely tied to U.S. culture.

Race: a quality defined by common perceptions rather than biological components. There has been no scientist in the last 3 centuries who has been able to better define race based on genetic or biological components. Since Europeans invented the concept of race, their definition still holds: there are 3 races: white, black, and yellow. Red and Brown people are, by definition, race-less.

There is NO Hispanic, Latino, or Chicano race.

Ethnicity: a shared heritage or culture. Persons or things of the same race may or may not share an ethnicity. Latinos generally share an ethnicity, even though they may or may not share a race. (There are black, white, brown, and red Latinos.)

Those who share the same race, ethnicity, religion, and nationality, generally have very similar characteristics. Many North Americans falsely assume that all Mexicans are the same, but they aren't. About 60%-80% of Mexican citizens have a mixed European and Native bloodline, speak Spanish, and claim to be a part of the Catholic church. This is roughly equivalent to the 60%-80% of U.S. residents who have a mixed European heritage (with 1 or 2 variants in their tree), speak English, and claim to be a part of the Christian church. But United States-ians would shudder to think that anyone could assume we're all the same.
Mexicans feel the same way.

So, next time you're talking about someone or something who may-or-may-not be from south of the border, call him/her/it "Latino". Next time you're talking about someone or something definitely connected to the Spanish language, call him/her/it "Hispanic". And, please, avoid the term "Caucasian". As explained in an earlier post, only people from the countries of Geogia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan (between Russia and Turkey) are Caucasian. The rest of us are just white Americans/Europeans.