Reflection On Latinos

Unfortunately much of the Latino history has been ignored or not written in conventional textbooks, but the reality is that Latinos experienced similar experiences to the ones of African Americans. According to Richard Delgado, “Recent research by reputable historians shows that Latinos, particularly Mexican Americans in the southwest, were lynched in large numbers during roughly the same period when lynching of blacks ran rampart” (583). Moreover, Latinos have also been heavily discriminated within the educational system through segregation. Latinos along with African American were not allowed to attend school with white children and often had schools assigned to them. The purpose of segregating was to, “isolate Mexican American children and to retard their educational process” (Perea 601). Other methods of academically repressing Latinos included retaining them “in first grade for two or three years, which automatically placed them behind their Anglo peers” (Perea 602). Some of the rationale behind segregating children was that stereotypes were prevalent amid educators. Juan F. Perea sites in his article that show that, “teachers viewed their . . . students as lazy and favored Anglo students in . . . leadership roles . . . [that] were necessary to teach Anglos how to control and lead Mexicans” (Perea 602). The previous clearly demonstrates that the educational system sought hinder Latinos in the educational system for the purpose of maintaining a working

Throughout this first chapter of Latino Americans the key points in my opinion were the following. Starting with the origin story of the Americas, the book mentions there might not be a definitive starting point because there “500 nations in North America before a European ship ever dropped anchor off the Eastern Seaboard” (Suarez 3). The book from this point on chronologically starts narrating, first about 55 years before Protestant refugees from Mayflower ever stepped on American soil, a Spanish sailor Pedro Menendez de Aviles forced French protestants from their Florida coast settlement to then stablish St. Augustine. From this point the book continues to tell the stories of Juan de Oñate, from witnessing the founding of Santa Fe, the oldest capital of North America, to exploring more than half a dozen of American states, he is one of the most fundamental conquistadors who is the least

A majority of people here in the United States have felt a touch of the issues, that come with classification of race. Due to this, many men and women of the minority racial groups are put in to sub-groups as a way to “help” give them an identity that can relate to. This idea to separate people by giving them identities is called the Racial Formation Theory. First introduced by Michael Omi and Howard Winant, the theory is a tool that helps build the idea that race is a social contracted tool where your racial status is weighed upon by many factors such as by those social, economic and political origin. By using race a way to build lines and boundaries, this has resulted in causing a rift to grow between the majority and minority

Growing up in a Latino household is hard. My parents only spoke Spanish therefore my first language was Spanish. For the first few years of my life this was not really a problem, I enjoyed life as any normal little girl would. I got to talk to all of my cousins and all of the neighbor’s children. It wasn’t until I got to school that it became real that I was going to learn English. Don’t get me wrong I always knew I had to learn English my parents always talked to me about school and helped me as much as they could. It was also around this same time where I started to understand that it was not only hard for me it was hard for them as well. My parents had to live in this country not knowing the main language spoken.

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.

Today, the Hispanic population has grown tremendously over the years. We have watched the Hispanics community growth rate grow faster than any other racial and ethnic group in the nation. The Hispanic culture and community has populated all around the United States, introducing new traditions and customs. I was traveling to different to city in the States, I notice the wide spread growth of Hispanic communities, For Instance in Miami the Cuban and El Salvadoran culture is heavy populate in the area. In New York the Puerto Rican culture is dominating through out the several boroughs. I have come around town and Hispanics are known for their good food, which tends to have more diverse people try new cultural customs. Hispanic or Latino

The following discussion and statements are done so such that they incorporate the ideas and struggles of the Latino races regarding certain subjects down upon chapter 3 “Latinos in the united states” and chapter 4 “borders, immigration and citizenship”. This discussion is about the oppression that people Latinos and Native Americans and other ethnic groups have gone through. Some points in the discussion are oppression towards Mexican American and Native Americans, how they were treated and the impact they had.

How race determined who was in and who was out. As Dickerson states “if race is real and not just a method for the haves to decide who will be have-nots, then all Europeans immigrants, from Ireland a to Greece, would have been “white” the moment they arrived here. Instead, as documented in David Roediger’s excellent Working Towards Whiteness, they were long considered inferior, nearly subhuman, and certainly not white” (69). This shows how race wasn’t about common culture or history but a concept to decide what race is good enough to be consider “white” or better than others. Even though the Europeans where the same race or color of the other people who considered themselves Americans or “white” they were still discriminated for being different and immigrants like everybody else. But soon they realized that identifying them self as being white gave them some sort of hierarchy. It gave them more class compared to the other races. As Debra Dickerson said, “If you were neither black nor Asian nor Hispanic, eventually you could become white, invested with enforceable civil rights and the right to exploit-and hate-nonwhites” (69). Being identify as white gave the power to have privileges that non-whites will never have since they are not the same color. Non- whites are treated unfairly compared to the white people in many ways. Discrimination not only took place between people of different races but

Latino/Hispanic Americans cover a much wider demographic then believed. Latino/Hispanic Americans consist of; Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Guatemalan American to name a few. Latino/Hispanic Americans are the largest ethnic group in the United States. The Latino/Hispanic culture is very different than ours. Their culture differs in economics, politics, family traditions, family structure, religion, education, language, fashion, art, music, dancing, and food. As natural born Americans in the United States it is important for us to learn about the different cultures migrating into the United States. Many United States citizens have a hard time understanding other cultures; being culturally insensitive is a common theme in the United

The term people of color refers to racial and ethnic groups also known as minorities. Revised from the term colored people, People of color embodies a meaning that socially provides minorities equal value to the once status dominant white population. The difference between using the term colored people and people of color is a bases of identity. “Colored people” identifies specific individuals based on their physical appearance rather than their value as a human being- with the minor importance of physical attributes. Minorities fought to be seen as equals under the law, for instance the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that allowed people of color to be seen past their physical attributes, belief system, and place of origin. People today are still

Hispanic/Latino individuals and families living in the U.S. have faced multiple injustices and inequities in the Latino community such as being victims of deportation operations, Immigration, Economic inequality, and negative stereotypes. Living in an atmosphere full of negative stereotypes affecting the Hispanic population in which they encounter and face countless racial prejudices issues. In some cases it leads to discrimination where the Latino community is being taken advantage of by not speaking the language of English and not being able to defend them because they’re afraid they will be deported. Also, Hispanics tend to not understand people that speak English that are purposely trying to take advantage of Hispanics.

For those who do not identify themselves as part of a minority group, it results very difficult to understand the limits on the questions or the conversations when treating with people from different ethnicity. The main mistake is asking them things that for no reason they should be asked, and furthermore, underestimate or exclude them for no significant cause. The article Things not to say to Latinos is a simple guide and an excellent tool to learn the proper way to approach to lateens in a daily basis and in a work environment. This article summons the experiences of two leading Latinos: Raymond Arroyo and Gilbert Casellas, who in one way or another have been victims of racial discrimination when they have been interrogated with questions

The Old World was based on power and domination. England had created the idea that “white” Europeans are the best race. As many conquer believed in that notion of whiteness, the result of discovering new races such as Native American and blacks were labeled as other. In reality, white is simple a color. Unfortunately, the notion of white race has engendered an idea that white race is prestige, educate, pure, and formal. As a result, segregation is created. The idea of segregation has created a platform for minorities to undermine their culture by comparing the idea of been “white”. The white race ideology has been generated through many years. The white idea came from a place that America despises the most, which it was England. Nevertheless, America has innovated the idea of whiteness toward minorities. Hence, the concept of “othering” in America is for immigrants such as Latinos, who come from Central, and South American, African Americans and Asians. The reason for labeling these groups of people in America as other is because they come from rural part of the world and they are considered “uneducated” individuals. Therefore, “white” Americans considered immigrants and as well African Americans as minorities. Although,

Humans are unique, as we are the only specie to self-divide our populations into groups based upon physical characteristics, the main one being skin color. (1) As the most advanced specie on Earth, we have come to have the most convoluted approach to perceiving people. (2) this approach has permeated our lives to such an extent that even the simple act of filling out paperwork asks one to classify themselves as a particular race. In today's modern world one must ask how we have become controlled by such an abstract thought? (3) To answer this question one must first understand what racism is, its history, the effects on those who suffer from it, and how to eliminate it in the United States. (4)

Race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and socio-economics are all things that have divided us as a society for centuries. For what seems like an eternity, groups of minorities (specifically in the western world) have felt oppression and segregation. They’ve been confined by these labels. These labels that were given to them by others, because of things that were out of their