How Do Hispanic People Describe Their Racial Identity?

Being Hispanic means two different things to me, and I find myself to be a pendulum swinging back and forth between them every once in a while. On the one hand, being Hispanic means that people will always assume things about me that may or may not be true. I’m part Mexican, so I must like spicy foods, right? My last name is Fuentes, so I must speak Spanish, right? I’m Hispanic, so I must be destined to be a poor minority for the rest of my life, right? To all of these questions, and more, my answer is a firm “no.” Yet, that’s part of what being Hispanic means for me: Constantly dealing with the ignorant people who can’t help but put people into neat little boxes based on skin color or their ethnicity. When I swing to that side of the topic,

The only racial group that the United States Census calculates and measured as in individual group is the Latino/Hispanic culture. According to the U.S. Census, a Latino/Hispanic individual can be of several nationalities. When we talk about cultural class, we must realize there are a lot of variables that may contribute to the racial group that can stump some individuals on what is deemed to be a Hispanic individual or something distinctive. Around the time period of the twentieth century the census gave the authorization to classify the Hispanic culture within the United States Census. The terminology of Latino/Hispanic has produced a lot of misunderstanding throughout society. In the Forties, our current President Theodore Roosevelt made a contract in which we had made agreements with Mexico. In spite of this, when three migrants were not permitted residency because they were not Caucasian, the president avoided the bylaw and calculated Hispanics and Mexicans as Caucasians, in so doing permitting access and residency to the United States. In the year 2000, Hispanic was thought to be several races. Some of the Hispanic cultures or Subcultures that fall into this category are the Cuban's, Puerto Rican's, central and South American's, Dominican,

In chapter seven of Racial Formation in the Twenty-First Century, the author Tomás Almaguer discusses how the Hispanic and Latino populations in the United States are identified in terms of race and ethnicity. Almaguer mentions how Latinos were initially identified as “white” in government documents mainly due to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. However, soon enough due to the increase of the Latino population in the United States from various Latin American or Hispanic countries, they began to be placed under an ethnicity.

Becoming Mexican: Mexican American and Whiteness In “Becoming Mexican: Mexican American and Whiteness,” author Neil Foley brings to light historical evidence of Mexican-Americans who attempted to assimilate into the white culture on “the backs of blacks.” The article started off by giving us the history of when the U.S. Bureau of the Census created two new ethnic categories of whites: “Hispanic” and “non-Hispanic.” According to the author the Hispanic category was more of “an ethnic rather than racial label, that comprised of Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Panamanians, and other ethnic groups of Latin American descent.” By creating separate ethnic categories Hispanics would no longer be racialized as non-Whites, but were instead able to identify and acknowledge their ethnic heritage without surrendering their “whiteness.”

Clara E. Rodriguez wrote an essay titled, "What It Means To Be Latino". In this essay she explains the difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino. She elaborated on how the term "Hispanic" was created by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1970, to use it as a general term to describe all of the people who came from, or, had parents who came from a Spanish speaking country. Then she states that the term "Latino", is a term considered to be more neutral and racially inclusive by many people in this population, although she made a good point of view, it still failed to describe the more complexity on the meaning of the term Latino.

This article is interesting because it shows the many conflicting view points regarding Hispanic Heritage month. It also tells a story about racial identity. For example, "Cesar Lopez identifies himself as Honduran", but Abraham Espina identifies her as Mexican. No matter what they identify as, they are always put into categories such as Hispanic or Latino. This proves a a dilemma for young Spanish speaking people who are trying to identify themselves and celebrate their heritage. Would it be possible to possible to be more precise with the recognition of Spanish and Latin American heritage? This article makes me wonder about who has the right to put people into groups; is it the government or the people

The Latino/Hispanic class is the only racial grouping calculated individually by the United States Census. According to the U.S. Census, a Latino/Hispanic individual can be of several nationalities. There is an extreme amount of variables in the cultural class, which may puzzle some individuals on what is considered to be a Hispanic person or something different. The census classification of Hispanic became approved about the late 20th century. The term has produced a lot of misunderstanding. In the 40s, Head of state Roosevelt made a contract in which we had made agreements with Mexico. In spite of this, when three migrants were not permitted residency because they were not Caucasian, the president avoided the bylaw and calculated

Race and ethnicity is another important aspect in the nationalism of a nation. In the United States, racial differences are usually based on one’s skin color and physical characteristics as well as one’s origin, and they do not change due to varying classes or cultures (Marger 212). Before the twenty first century, the racial minority were highly discriminated, both socially and economically. But currently, there exist several races in America like the Asians, African Americans, Native Americans and the European Americans. On the other hand, Hispanics are racially assorted and are therefore an ethnic group rather than a race (Marger 133). Language is argued as the sole binder of the Hispanics other than skin color or other physical characteristics. They are in fact of mixed racial ancestry (Arreola 19).

Your book made me aware of being a Hispanic minority in the U.S, I have witnessed what it is to be discriminated because of my color of my skin. For instance, it was explained that diaspora, any group living as a minority among people of the prevailing color, corresponds too many situations at hand. The most compelling evidence is the body faces many hardships and difficulties. Those who are going through the same problems shouldn’t face a more difficult road. Danger is all around the body and experience a lower quality of life because of their color of their skin.

Hispanics or Latinos are defined as a people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish speaking culture. This term “Hispanics” was created by the U.S. federal government in the early 1970’s to refer to Americans born in a Spanish speaking nation or with ancestry to Spanish territories. Hispanics people are vibrant, socializing, and fun loving people. Among various facts associated to this culture is that they have a deep sense of involvement in their family traditions and cultures.

I agree that these two theories are great and I use them also. I would think that with the youth you could also use the systems theory to connect these youth to various systems that could help them as they grow. I’m wondering how you would use these theories with Hispanic youth? For our paper we need to discuss three theories, is there another theory that you would use besides systems? If so, what would you use? I agree that positive, healthy relationships are key to reaching and helping any client, but especially those youth that have a hard time trusting the adults in their life. Sometimes a little positive encouragement can change a persons life. (117)

The concept of identity is complex, however, when an identity is allocated to a group of people it helps to serve as a starting point for solidarity. When studying Latinos, we term them as such with hopes that it will serve for a greater basis for resource access; resources in the political and social world. However, it is important to keep in mind that Latinos are heterogeneous, no one ethnicity is the same leading to difficulties in resource allocation considering just how diverse the Latino community is. The study of Latino identity is fundamental because it is the basis of forms of exclusion, but it also has, nonetheless, been a basis for Latino political solidarity.

Identity is an essential necessity for humans to demonstrate the distinct individual. A person’s identity may take time to develope as the person acquires new interests, influences, and comprehension of the surrounding people. Authors such as Adrienne Rich and Gloria Anzaldua write about the struggles persistent in identity. Rich is identified by her gender and race by other people, while Anzaldua is defined as to what a Mexican American women should be. As a Mexican American, Amelia Mendoza, my best friend, encounters the strains of identity.

Imagine you are a person of mixed Latino race living in the United States and you are preparing to fill out a census form. None the choices accurately display who you are racially. This is a problem for many people of Afro-Latino descent. An Afro-Latino is defined as any person who is of both Latin and African descent. The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) defines Hispanic or Latino as “a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race.” But what about those who are both Black and Latino/Hispanic? In the 2010 Census Bureau report it shows that only 2.5 percent of the 54 million Hispanics living in the United States also identified as Black, but this is likely an undercount. This small percentage are the voices of the Afro-Latino community pushing to be visible and represented in the population. Because of this, census forms should be changed to include Afro-Latino as a race.

As mentioned, Spanish-language music allows the development of self-identity through culture. Moreno adds an interview she had with Jorge Andrés Herrera, an adjunct professor at California State University, Fullerton, who teaches Chicano Studies courses and is a Ph.D. candidate at UCLA, whom is studying the role music plays in shaping Latino identity with an emphasis on the U.S./México border. "When a Latino crosses the border, they automatically start to assimilate culturally and a big part of that assimilation comes in the form of musical tastes and musical preferences which also transform and assimilate to the dominant culture” (Moreno 5). Music helps shape Latino identity by empowering and helping those who have assimilated in the mainstream