Free Essay

Hispanic Identity Lecture

In: Social Issues

Submitted By sgray1087
Words 1485
Pages 6
Hispanic Identity Lecture

Sociology 337

Hispanic Identity Lecture
Ethnicity is a difficult topic to discuss. When discussing terms of ethnicity it is challenging to truly identify a Hispanic. The reason for this is because the term Hispanic is used for what seems to be a variety of ethnic backgrounds. If one looks at the term Hispanic in attempts to identify its origin, one will be taken back to a time when the Romans used the root of the word, Hispania, to refer to the Iberian Peninsula (Gracia, 2000). Eventually the term turned into España, and a term used to refer to people from Spain or Spanish descent. However, the term is now used to describe people not only of Spanish descent but also for Latin Americans and descendants of Latin Americans and Spaniards in the United States.
The reason attempting to group Hispanics according to a common set of shared traits is problematic; is because Hispanics may have some common traits, however, they also have many differences. The problem is one cannot assume we are all the same, although the saying everyone is equal does come into play it is unlikely that we all in fact share the same traits. So, the idea of assuming Hispanics includes such a diverse group of people seems unrealistic. How can a Latin American, Mexican American, and Spaniard really relate? Although they do have some shared traits historically, they have many differences and this is where the arguments truly begin. Not one individual truly wants to lose their identity and in creating these terms to define a people that is exactly what is being accomplished. It is already a struggle as a human being to truly identify oneself and now many people are being forced to refer to themselves as this or that term. That is the problem. People want to identify themselves not correctly and not based on simply sharing some common traits. They want to relate to their own people from their own country, no have to share a term with that of three or more countries.
In reality, however, identifying Hispanics in historical terms really does make the most sense. However, shared common traits may not be enough for everyone to accept the term Hispanic. However, identifying Hispanics in this way seems to be the only way that truly identifies Hispanics while still maintaining the fact that simply being Hispanic does not in fact mean one shares the same traits with that of another Hispanic. This way every person identified as Hispanic is still able to keep his or her own identity, like that of a Spaniard, Latin American, Mexican, etc.
Although it is understandable the desire to want to properly identify a people from another for census purposes, there does not seem to be any other true reason to do this. Why not permit Spaniard to simply call him or herself Spanish? Or people from Argentina, would it be so shameful or horrible for them to call themselves Argentinian, rather than to have to mount themselves with a variety of groups and call him or herself Hispanic or Latino?
The terms Hispanic and Latino are very problematic within the community of Mexicans, Spanish and people from Latin America. “The terms vex native Spanish-speakers and spark debates at social gatherings. Non-Hispanics get stumped on which to use, while they are used interchangeably in media reports and advertisements. The dictionary doesn't provide much assistance: Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines "Hispanic" as a person "of Latin American descent living in the U.S., especially one of Cuban, Mexican or Puerto Rican origin" and a Latino as a "person of Latin-American origin living in the U.S” (Diaz, 2004). So as a person whom has to identify with one of these terms, how does one decide which term fits them best? It has become increasingly difficult to choose and to truly identify one self. What is interesting to see is that even within Spanish-speakers the debate seems even higher as to which term should be used to identify. It would make the most sense to allow individuals to choose the way in which he or she wants to identify him or herself.
Another concern that seems to play into the debate in using the two terms Hispanic or Latino is that it causes a rift when thinking back historically speaking. The Spanish committed many atrocities in Mexico and many other parts of the world. This means that using a term, which in fact was used to describe a people of Spain, would seem a bit unfair for those who are Mexican or of Mexican descent. Maybe they do not want to fully recall the atrocities committed by the Spanish, or maybe they want to be able to identify whom they are without having to feel like they are being put into a group, which was once used to refer to Spanish.
The desire to want to identify a person or group of people is understandable, especially for purposes such as the census. However, ethnic markers only serve to remind people of their differences and separate what could be a community into clutters or groups. It is clear that everyone is different, but is it necessary to have this type of reminder? It should be up to the person to decide what he or she wants to be called. If people who are Mexican do not want to refer to themselves as Hispanic or Latino let them be. Maybe they would prefer to simply call themselves Mexican. The same goes for any group of people from anywhere around the world. There should not be specific ethnic markers. And if there are going to be ethnic markers then it should include ALL ethnic markers. Including those such as: Argentinian, Mexican, Nicaraguan, Portuguese, Spanish, etc. This way a person from Argentina can choose to refer to him or herself as either Argentinian or Hispanic or Latino. The point is now they have the choice rather than being forced into using a term they may not feel comfortable with using to describe him or herself.
The problem however, with not using certain racial markers and allowing people to decide if he or she even wants to have a term to describe who he or she is, is that it allows for issues of being unable to identify oneself to begin. "The reality," said Clara, is that "no one will probably ever come up with a term that satisfies everyone. (But) self- identification should be respected" (Urbani, 2003). Self-identification is the reason many problems begin with in the first place, and although using a term like Hispanic may or may not work for everyone it still allows for people to find a way to identify with a culture or race. So would it be better for no racial markers to exist? Probably not, because it would mean that the issue of self-identification would hit an even bigger rise of problems. Without racial markers whom would a person be identified as? How would people distinguish each other from others? Although having racial markers does lead to not everyone being satisfied with the terms available there is still hope in identifying oneself and understanding where one came from, whereas without these terms or racial markers a people would grow up with the idea that we are all the same and cultures would lose a sense of self or differences.
Overall, there will always be a debate on whether a person should use the term Hispanic or Latino. However, it is up to a person to decide what he or she wants to be called and to figure out why he or she feels the need or desire to identify with this or that term. It is important that prior to people debating or arguing that they truly identify their own culture or heritage historical origins. This will allow them to have a better understanding of where they come from prior to deciding what term they want to use to refer to him or herself. People will always need to identify whom they are, where they come from. It happens not only in race but also in religion. It is just a matter of people becoming more educated on their own origins and less preoccupied with the idea that one single term such as Hispanic or Latino could refer to them and people from very different cultures.

References
Diane Urbani Deseret, M. N. (2003, Jul 07). For many in Utah, 'Hispanic' fits poorly. Deseret News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/351141228?accountid=35812
Diaz, J. (2004, Jan 25). Latino? Hispanic? Which is it? Spanish speakers are divided and often confused. Boston Globe. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/404883408?accountid=35812
Gracia, J. J. E. (2000). Hispanic/Latino Identity: A Philosophical Perspective. Maiden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

Similar Documents

Free Essay

Cultural Diversity

...CULTURAL DIVERSITY Cultural Diversity in Professions Chamberlain College In promoting a better understanding and importance of cultural, ethnic, and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting. It is important to be able to communicate and govern fairly in an ever and rapidly changing environment of diverse cultural personalities, morals, and gender identity. Diversity shows a desire to be empathetic to all individuals without showing favoritism or condescension. Many argue that diverse populations are more open to change and acceptance. They create more of an open and unbiased perception within the workplace. By having said that, it is easy to assume this country will become more diverse, and we will have to adapt to the different ways of life. With my experience, the healthcare field has adapted to the ever and changing societies of the world. I work at a major County hospital as a nurse; there are several units that consist of so many different types of people. Your typical, predictable patient is no longer that! There are so many traditions that involve many different cultures in those particular units. We are to be aware and recognize every aspect of cultural competence. For example, when providing care for a Muslim patient, we must remember that the gender is very specific of who can provide care. Though not ideal, the husbands of Muslim women do not permit male caregivers to care for their wives. Also, we have to be culturally competent...

Words: 905 - Pages: 4

Premium Essay

Hunger of Memory

...Hunger of Memory: The Education of Richard Rodríguez Hunger of Memory is an autobiography of the writer Richard Rodríguez and his transition from youth to manhood told through a series of recollected stories. The premise of his writing was centered mainly on his struggle to maintain both his Mexican heritage and closeness to his Spanish-speaking family, while at the same time being assimilated into American culture and obtaining an advanced education. Within the book Richard Rodríguez illustrates his contempt for affirmative action and bilingual education, two practices that had directly burdened his life while growing up. One of his main conflicts was grounded in his own family unintentionally being pulled away from him by losing the most important medium of relation, their language. Through his narrative, Richard Rodríguez makes a convincing argument against the implementation of affirmative action, even as one who stood to benefit from the program. When he was very young, Richard Rodríguez immigrated to the United States with his family to live in a predominantly white-Anglo, middle class neighborhood in Sacramento, California. Rodríguez’s parents were poor, but what money they could scrape together they used to send their children to the local Roman Catholic elementary school, Sacred Heart. Rodríguez knew less than 50 words of English at the start of his attendance in school, leading him to be introverted and shy in class. He rarely spoke, and finally...

Words: 2046 - Pages: 9

Premium Essay

Personal Narrative: My Limoncillo Tree

...latino background and a proud hispanic heritage. These two factors that make me who I am also determined what everyone else saw. Growing up I would spend a lot of time in the Dominican Republic, Annual trips was a common thing for me. Oh how I love it there. The sweet smells of ocean breeze, The exotic fruit and and fowler's , best most of the one thing that keeps going back is my Abuela's Limoncillo tree. Everyday I would wake up and run outside to my abuela Limoncillo tree. I was allowed to take one a day and that was...

Words: 550 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Teen Lesson Plan

...CHMN 387-D02 LUO STUDENT NEEDS ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT Target Group – New Life Fellowship Youth group Assessment Date- 4-27-14 1. General Age Group Characteristics Age Level - 14 - 17 Gender  Males Only  Females Only  Mixed Group Physical High energy Developing bodies Cognitive Better reasoning and critical thinking Psychosocial Adventuresome Seeking autonomy and personal identity Spiritual Re-evaluate and personalize faith 2. Characteristics of the Ministry Setting  Kind of Group (Indicate the agency and type of ministry in which the teaching Is to take place.): This is the regular youth Sunday school at New Life Fellowship.  Size of Group (Indicate the number of students who are anticipated or attend regularly.): There are normally 3-5 teens age 14 – 17. 2 boys and 3 girls.  Social-cultural Characteristics of Group (type of community, ethnicity, types of employment, economic level, community size): All of these teens are from rural Wyoming. All middle class. 3 White and 2 Hispanic.  Spiritual Maturity Level of Students: All have been attending church regularly for years and would be considered spiritually mature for their age group. 3. Specific Group Characteristics  Interests: Horseback riding, 4H shooting sports,  Abilities: Animal care and gardening. Lesson plan Target group – Teen Sunday school class Passage – Ephesians 4:11-16 Cross-references – Matt. 28:16-20...

Words: 595 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Managing Culture Diversity in Hopitality

...UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones 12-2008 Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry Yi Gong University of Nevada, Las Vegas Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/thesesdissertations Part of the Hospitality Administration and Management Commons Repository Citation Gong, Yi, "Managing cultural diversity in hospitality industry" (2008). UNLV Theses/Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones. Paper 480. This Professional Paper is brought to you for free and open access by Digital Scholarship@UNLV. It has been accepted for inclusion in UNLV Theses/ Dissertations/Professional Papers/Capstones by an authorized administrator of Digital Scholarship@UNLV. For more information, please contact digitalscholarship@unlv.nevada.edu. 1 MANAGING CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY by Yi Gong Bachelor of Science China Chongqing University 1998 A professional paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science in Hotel Administration William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration Graduate College University of Nevada, Las Vegas December 2008 2 ABSTRACT Managing Cultural Diversity in Hospitality Industry By Yi Gong Gail Sammons, Committee Chair Professor of Hotel Management University of Nevada, Las Vegas Cultural diversity has become a major issue in the hospitality industry of the United States. This paper focuses on analyzing the change faces and...

Words: 14706 - Pages: 59

Premium Essay

Invisible Visible Lens

...The Invisible/Visible Lens It wasn’t until more recent years that I became aware of two aspects of my identity that I never noticed but others clearly saw when they looked at me. Those two aspects are my race and my gender. Of course I have always known that I am a female and I am white, but I never knew that those two labels could possibly define my value to the world around me. In this paper I plan to discuss how being a female impacts my life in different ways then it could others and how the color of my skin alters the path I will take in life. First, I would like to draw on the article by Betsy Lucal, What It Takes To Be Gendered Me. She mentions how gender has been socially constructed into our everyday lives and how we “do” gender....

Words: 934 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Discrimination

...unemployed white underclass used to work in the automotive industry and made decent money. The automotive industries were not located in the cities, but in rural towns like Duluth, Minnesota and Portland, Maine. There was no reason for blue collar class people of Lakeside to attend school. Their education level did not exceed the tenth grade. With no extended education, it made the white underclass underemployed. Parents told their sons to not waste their time with school and come to work in the automotive industry as young as 14 to 15 years old. The girls were told to go to college to find a husband (Lecture). Today, American car parts are being manufactured overseas. In Flint, Michigan the majority of people made parts and worked on the assembly line. It went from fifty people working on the assembly line to just having three people making sure the machines were working properly (Lecture). The economy once driven by industry is now lead by technology. The parts that were made in the white underclass’s town were now being outsourced due to cheaper labor. Chrysler dealership was notorious for their layoffs of over thousands of employees. The race riots of 1960’started due to lack of jobs and economic distress. The white underclasses are individuals who are welfare dependent, labor, and school dropouts. The urban census...

Words: 3190 - Pages: 13

Free Essay

American History X

...The Society We Face Everyday As a Hispanic, I suppose I should expect or, be prepared, rather, for racism and discrimination. Thankfully, I have not experienced either. Yet, our world is not perfect: things take place that we rather not know about, but ignoring the problem seems to only make matters worse. The movie “American History X” is an admirable alterable attempt to inform us about these types of malicious ignorance that plague our society. The impeccable acting, artistic cinematography, occasional adrenaline-pumping score, and slightly faulted, though award-worthy script, all combine to create an over all exceptional film. American History X should not be immediately dismissed as an archetypal account of a controversial issue, it provides much more that what an audience would expect from a movie of this nature: it is an innovative drama about the unfortunate consequences of racism in a family that is surprisingly yet, frightening realistic it. The racial identity that plays in to American History X also plays out to what the authors of Omi and Winant describe in there novel “Racial Formation and plays into act with Michael Rogin, “The Sword Became a Flashing Vision”: D.W. Griffith’s Birth of a Nation. Finally, the film shows that it is not just the white neo-racists who are fools to be involved in this, but that all racism is foolish. Through these methods, the film shows the viewer, extremely convincingly, that hatred and racism will destroy a person and those around...

Words: 2252 - Pages: 10

Free Essay

Transforming National Identity

...Transforming National Identity Colonization and rule are recurrent themes in world history, and many different civilizations have made various contributions to our world culture – ports of trade, sites of religion, and even forms of national identity and nationalism. Antonino “Matatag” Guevara y Mendoza speaks his personal experiences and resulting opinions in History of One of the Initiators of the Filipino Revolution of his fight alongside fellow Filipino revolutionaries for independence against Spanish rule. Mendoza’s military pursuits and motivational contributions as a soldier and organizer in the Filipino Revolution help to demonstrate the ultimate transformation of the Philippines and its sense of national identity. Although Spain made its positive socio-economic influences such as promoting Roman Catholic religion, improving economic development, and organizing rule, Mendoza’s journey with the growing organization and bonding culture of the Filipino country and community to fight for independence prove that the journey of the Filipino Revolution still brought this greater transformation of national identity in Philippine history. With issues such as continued control by the US and gaining no initial recognition from the Spanish and the US after the Philippine Declaration of Independence, the immediate aftermath of the Revolution may not have necessarily correspond to their desired goals of establishing independence as a nation. However, the path towards the...

Words: 2561 - Pages: 11

Premium Essay

Anything Relevant

...Business School in ASEAN Region | |MARTIN de TOURS SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS’ MISSION | |Shaping Graduates toward Global Business Excellence | |ASSUMPTION UNIVERSITY’S UNIQUENESS | |An International Catholic University | |IDENTITY OF AU STUDENTS | |Ethics, English Proficiency, Entrepreneurial Spirit | |COURSE ORGANIZATION | |Course Title: |MKT2280 Principles of Marketing | |Credits: |3 Credits ...

Words: 4075 - Pages: 17

Free Essay

Forever

...Philippine Halo-Halo: The Mangyans of Mindoro 20 February 2009 (lecture to Museum Volunteers Philippines, Manila) Presented by Lolita Delgado Fansler, President, Mangyan Heritage Center You once were passing this way It's not long since you've been here Your footprints are still around (Hanunuo-Mangyan ambahan) On this page: I. Statistics II. Mangyan contributions III. Uniqueness of each Mangyan group IV. Commonalities among the Mangyan groups V. Volunteers needed! I. Statistics 370 Million indigenous peoples (IPs) in the world, comprising 4% of total world population but 96% of its cultural diversity 12 Million IPs in the Philippines, 13% of its 90 million total population 110 IP Groups in the Philippines Mindoro is the 7th largest island in the Philippines 100,000+ Mangyans in Mindoro, 10% of the total population of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, 70% animists and 30% Christians 8 distinct Mangyan groups inhabit the central mountainous regions of Mindoro, from north to south. II. Mangyan contributions Hanunuo and Buhid Scripts – Together with the Tagbanwa and Palaw'an scripts from Palawan, these four pre-Hispanic scripts were declared National Cultural Treasures in 1997, and inscribed in the Memory of the World Registers of UNESCO in 1999. Like RP neighbors, these are Indic-derived ancient scripts. Ambahan - A rhythmic poetic expression with any number of seven-syllable lines and rhyming end-syllables. Often chanted without musical accompaniment...

Words: 1555 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Globalization

...often-discussed but seldom-defined phenomenon. In my opinion it can be defined as interconnectedness on a global level, which usually means that something in one part of the world can impact upon the rest of the world. Additionally, it is all those processes by which people of the world are incorporated into one single society and impact countries and individuals in an uneven manner. There are various categories of globalization and they could be economic, cultural, technological and also social. However, this essay’s main focus is on identifying three social issues that arose because of globalization and discuss how they have affected the quality of life of the people in the Caribbean. These issues include; poverty, migration and culture and identity. To begin, (Ritzer, 2011) stated that, “globalization is the spread of worldwide practices, relations, consciousness, and organization of social life.” This implies that globalization is the driving force within society, which allow for the sharing of common goals and values for both social life, financial and political aspects as well. This helps move society from an obsolete to technological way of thinking. (UNDP, 1997) posits that “globalization encapsulates both a description and a prescription. The description is the widening and deepening of international flows of trade, finance and information in a single, integrated global market. The prescription is to liberalize national and global markets in the belief that free flows of trade...

Words: 3813 - Pages: 16

Premium Essay

Miss Mitchell

...This is a protected document. Please enter your student or faculty username and password. Username: Password: Log In Need assistance logging in? Contact Technical Support. Doc ID: 1009-0001-1993-00001994 Toll Free: 877.428.8447 M-F, 6am MST or Sat-Sun, 7am-12am MST Find us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter! F I F T H E D I T I O N An Introduction to Multicultural Education James A. Banks University of Washington, Seattle Boston Columbus Indianapolis New York San Francisco Upper Saddle River Amsterdam Cape Town Dubai London Madrid Milan Munich Paris Montreal Toronto Delhi Mexico City São Paulo Sydney Hong Kong Seoul Singapore Taipei Tokyo ISBN 1-269-53060-7 An Introduction to Multicultural Education, Fifth Edition, by James A. Banks. Published by Pearson. Copyright © 2014 by Pearson Education, Inc. Vice President/Editorial Director: Jeffery Johnston Executive Editor: Linda Bishop Editorial Assistant: Laura Marenghi Senior Marketing Manager: Darcy Betts Production Editor: Karen Mason Production Project Manager: Elizabeth Gale Napolitano Manager, Central Design: Jayne Conte Cover Designer: Laura Gardner Cover Art: “Sea and Sky” (013) 2003 © Marvin Oliver Artist Full Service Project Manager: Niraj Bhatt, Aptara® , Inc. Composition: Aptara® , Inc. Printer/Binder/Cover Printer: Courier Westford Text Font: ITC Stone Serif Std 10/12 Text Credits: Page 11, Stiglitz excerpt: From Stiglitz, J.E. (2012). The price...

Words: 78362 - Pages: 314

Premium Essay

Drake Bully

...Participant 1 Background The first participant for the study is a male. He is 11 years old and Hispanic. He is 5 ft. 5 inches and about 90-95 pounds. He comes from a family of five and is the middle child. He has an older 14 year old brother and a 7 year old brother. The student comes from a strong Roman Catholic background. His parents are very involved with the church, and I noted when they discipline him they often use religion in their reasoning. The parents are from Mexico, they are agricultural workers. The kids have always been migrating with their parents to follow the seasons in the crops. This is the second year they have remained in the central valley in the small town of Easton, California just 15-18 miles south from Fresno. The...

Words: 3727 - Pages: 15

Premium Essay

Effects of Religion

...An Introductory Note by V.V. Raman We are multi-dimensional creatures. Even as biological entities we have several layers of existence: physical, intellectual, psychological, emotional, and yes, spiritual too. By the last I mean an inner experience and longing to be connected with the Cosmos. This longing expresses itself in a variety of ways, in most instances as a religious call. Evolutionary biologists and cultural psychologists may explain this away in the paradigms that are satisfactory for understanding the observed world. For practitioners, however, religious yearning derives from an external intangible source that is not directly amenable to empirical verification. If there can be neutrinos and dark energy that defy easy detection even through powerful and sophisticated instruments, one could argue, why can’t there be other intangibles whose existence is beyond meters and scopes? The matter continues to be debated, but this is not our concern here. No matter what the source, this heart-felt beckoning and fulfilling framework almost defines the religious person’s existence. There are many in our group who are religious persons. Religion informs and inspires the values and visions that are part of one’s existence. It provides a backdrop for one’s life, present and future, terrestrial and beyond, real and visualized. The spiritual yearning has taken concrete forms in human history as different religions with deep historical, geographical cultural links. Though...

Words: 4841 - Pages: 20