3.
Finally, it means that you are a member of a very diverse group, in terms of socioeconomic positions, religions, racial classifications and national origins. Although historically there are important regional concentrations of each of these groups, e.g., Cubans in Florida, Puerto Ricans in the Northeast, and Mexicans in California and the Southwest, there is increasing Latino heterogeneity in all of these areas. All states now have Latino populations, many of which are increasing rapidly, and almost all cities are experiencing substantial changes in their Latino mix. For example, Miami now has an increasingly diverse Latin American population, with Colombians, Puerto Ricans, and diverse Central and South Americans increasing their presence. New York City now has substantial and growing Dominican, Colombian, Ecuadorian and Mexican populations. The same is true of Los Angeles and other large cities and many suburban areas. Being Latino also means that you lay claim to one (or more) of the rich and unique histories that each of these groups brings to the United States. Likewise, each of these groups has had a unique narrative in the United States, involving different times of arrival, areas of settlement, and types of migration and reception experiences. Like so many other groups coming to the United States, some groups came mainly as political refugees, or, political exiles without the benefit of refugee status. Others came as free or contracted laborers, and still others simply as immigrants looking to improve the opportunities in their lives. Unlike most other groups, Latinos have come from this hemisphere. Therefore, they have been consistently impacted by U.S. hemispheric policy and they have had more "va y ven" (coming and going) between their countries and the United States. This has contributed to the sustenance of the Spanish language and multiculturalism within Latino communities while adding new infusions of Latinos to the United States. Since Latinos have been part of the U.S. landscape for centuries, the nature of the migrations has also varied over time. For example, political immigrants or exiles were more characteristic of the migration from Puerto Rico in the late 19th century, while those who came in search of work characterized the exodus in the mid 20th century. There were also varying methods of migration, where some groups arrived mainly by boat, others by plane, and still others over land in cars, trains or buses. Some have arrived legally as immigrants, others were undocumented. Some became naturalized citizens, others became citizens because they were born in the United States and still others arrived as citizens or became citizens because their lands had become subject to United States rule. Different groups have also had different receptions in the U.S. at different times.Being Latino means a connection to the Spanish language, although, in Latin America there is also a multiplicity of other languages spoken by various groups, e.g., the indigenous peoples. Each Latino group coming to the U.S. spoke Spanish, but each country has its particular way of speaking Spanish. Spanish speakers throughout Latin America and the Caribbean understand one another. However, the way the language is spoken varies according to class, regional, ethnic and racial differences within each country. If we think about how English is spoken in Australia, Britain, Brooklyn, New York, as well as the southern, eastern, and midwestern parts of the United States, we have some idea of how the same language can vary with regard to accent, intonation patterns, and vocabulary. Curiously, however, you can be called a Latino, or classified a Hispanic, and yet not speak Spanish very well or at all. Finally, being Latino means you are a part of one or more groups that have their own unique cuisine, music, and cultural and artistic traditions. For example, spicy, hot food is common in some diets and relatively absent in others. But there are also some commonalties. For example, in the same way that meat and potatoes can be considered a staple of the U.S. American diet–though not everyone eats this–rice and beans are a staple throughout much of Latin America. Pink beans are preferred in some countries, black beans in others, and pinto beans in still yet others and so on. Most members of each group are proud of their own uniqueness and history–both in this country and in their country of origin. However, as Celia Cruz, the great Cuban Salsa singer, has said, "we are all brothers in a different country" and the level of bonding and common identification often goes beyond speaking Spanish. v On Terminology: Hispanic or Latino? The term "Hispanic" is often used interchangeably with the term "Latino." The term "Hispanic" was introduced into the English language and into the 1970 census by government officials who were searching for a generic term that would include all who came from, or who had parents who came from, Spanish-speaking countries. It is, therefore, an English-language term that is not generally used in Spanish-speaking countries. The term "Latino," on the other hand, is a Spanish-language term that has increased in usage since the introduction of the term Hispanic. Some Latinos/Hispanics feel strongly about which term they prefer. Some reject both terms, and insist they should be known by their national origin; still others use all terms and vary their usage depending on context. Those who prefer "Latino" argue that the term preserves the flavor of national origin and the political relationship between the U.S. and Latin America. Also, they say that it is more culturally neutral and racially inclusive of all groups in Latin America. For example, those of indigenous, African, European and mixed origins are assumed to be Latinos, as are Brazilians, whose main language is Portuguese. In addition, they argue that it is less associated with Eurocentric Hispanistas, who were largely conservative wealthy landowning groups; and lastly, they maintain that it is the term most used in numerous editorials that are written in both Spanish and English. Those who prefer the term "Hispanic" maintain that it should be used because the data on this population is gathered using this term, and the data should not be re-labeled. It is seen to be preferable for scientific publications because it is seen to be more rigorous and consistent with the data. It is argued that Hispanic is a more universal term because this is the term used by most agencies and other data gathers, while Latino is a regional term more often used in areas where there are large numbers of native Spanish-speakers. In essence, the argument is that this is the term that most people–particularly those living far from Spanish-speaking populations –will use. The term includes those from Spain, although it does not cover those from Brazil. It is also argued that the term "Latino" might be legally problematic, for others of "Latin" descent whose families have never lived in Latin America, e.g., the French, Italians, and others might conceivably argue that they are "Latinos" and therefore should be considered minorities. Dr. Clara E. Rodríguez is a Professor at Fordham University, Lincoln
Center campus. Her last two books are Changing Race: Latinos, the Census
and the History of Ethnicity in the United States, New York University
Press, 2000, and Latin Looks: Latina and Latino Images in the U.S. Media,
Boulder, CO.: Westview Press, 1997. By Christine Granados Are you a Hispanic or a Latino? We have been asking ourselves this question since the seventies when the government adopted the term "Hispanic" to keep population statistics and monitor compliance to Affirmative Action laws. And the answer isn’t as clear-cut as one might expect. Choosing one term over the other means taking a political, social, and even a generational stand. Stereotypically, those who call themselves Hispanic are more assimilated, conservative, and young, while those who choose the term Latino tend to be liberal, older, and sometimes radical. A recent presidential tracking poll by Hispanic Trends, Inc., a polling firm associated with this magazine, wanted to put the identity issue to rest once and for all by asking registered voters which term they preferred–Hispanic or Latino. The result was something of a surprise: A majority prefer the term Hispanic. Sergio Bendixen, president of Hispanic Trends, says his company decided to put the question in its poll for obvious reasons. "It’s something Hispanics and Latinos have been debating for years, and no one seems to have asked the question. So we decided to ask it," he says. Of the 1,200 Latino registered voters polled, 65 percent preferred the term Hispanic, and 30 percent chose to identify themselves as Latino. Regionally, the results were similar. This random sample showed that 67 percent of Mexican Americans in Texas preferred the term Hispanic, as did 52 percent of Latinos in California and New York. Bendixen, who has been conducting polls for 25 years, says the results surprised him. "I thought the term Latino would be the overwhelming winner, because I’ve worked in California for Univisión and Telemundo, and I was not allowed to say Hispanic on the air. When I did, we got a lot of complaints." But 24-year-old Daniel Villaruel, a student at California State University Northridge, was not surprised by the poll results. "That makes sense," says the fourth-generation Spanish American. "Because registered voters tend to be second- and third-generation Hispanics and they tend to be more assimilated." Bendixen explains it this way, "I think that the people who don’t like the term Hispanic are very vocal." Like author and poet Sandra Cisneros, who has identified herself as Latina, Chicana, Tejana, and Mexican American, but never Hispanic. Cisneros is so offended by the term that she has refused to be pictured on the cover of this magazine. [HISPANIC Magazine uses the terms interchangeably.] "The term Hispanic makes my skin crawl," Cisneros, 45, says. "It’s a very colonistic term, a disrespectful term, a term imposed on us without asking what we wanted to call ourselves." What she finds most objectionable about the word Hispanic is that the younger generation is accepting the term without questioning where it came from, and who gave the term to them. She blames the Reagan Administration for applying the unwanted label back in the eighties (although the term itself is much older). "How would Reagan feel if we said, ‘We’re going to call your people "los gueros"? We’re just going to group you all together–the Irish, Polish, Lithuanian, English–and we’re going to call you ‘pinkies’ without asking." Cisneros believes that the "dominant culture" imposed this label on Latinos as a way of erasing their identity and their past. And she finds this carefree labeling the most insidious destruction of all. "I’m a poet, so words have their resonance. People don’t think about how language can be creative and destructive," Cisneros says. Celestino Fernández, a professor of sociology at the University of Arizona in Tucson, objects to the term Hispanic for the same reasons Cisneros gives. "It’s like the difference between African American, Colored, or Negro," the 51-year-old doctor of sociology says. "That’s the issue: Who is naming you? The dominant structure came up with the generic Hispanic term." He says that the term Hispanic has been used for many years now, beginning at least two censuses ago, and it’s fairly ingrained in the daily language. "I have found that the older generation prefers the term Latino and the younger population prefers Hispanic," he says. "I’ve seen some change over time. Many more people are confused about the term Latino. They don’t know where the term comes from, especially the native-born Hispanics." The word Hispanic is derived from the word España, the country that led the conquest of the New World and whose language and culture has dominated Latin America. The word Latino traces its roots back to ancient Rome and some say it’s more inclusive, encompassing Latin American countries such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and others, according to Himilce Novas’ book, Everything You Need to Know About Latino History. Zachary González, a 27-year-old human resources specialist, attending Roosevelt University in Chicago, is more comfortable with the word Hispanic. "It’s a more politically correct word that people outside the race can understand," he says. However, if he had his druthers, "I’m American first, Hispanic if pressed," says the Mexican American raised in Texas. Villaruel, the 24-year-old studying for a bachelor’s degree in business at Northridge, says he also prefers the term Hispanic because his parents are of Spanish Portuguese descent. But he prefers to refer to himself as Spanish American. Which leads to another point: "If people were given the choice among several terms they would not pick either Latino or Hispanic, but a term closer to how they think of themselves," says Fernández. "Most people think of themselves as Mexican Americans, Chicanos, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans." María E. Martín, executive director of Latino USA, a radio journal of news and culture that is heard on National Public Radio, isn’t exactly comfortable with the term Hispanic, but her views regarding the term have shifted somewhat. "My reaction to the term back then [in the seventies] was that it was the dominant culture’s attempt to homogenize Latinos," Martin, who is in her forties, says. But, "[Hispanic] has become much more a part of our reality, and it doesn’t feel so much as something that was imposed on us." In fact, the radio journal uses the terms Hispanic and Latino interchangeably depending on the person being interviewed. They are sensitive to what each interviewee prefers to be called. As does Latina magazine. The fashion, beauty and health magazine
for Hispanic women chose its name based on focus groups. Women responded
to the term Latina more positively than other terms, says editor-and-chief
Sylvia Martínez. The bilingual publication is sensitive to a person’s
preference. She, like Martin, is finding that more and more people are
accepting the term Hispanic. |