What is a hispanic? Brazilians and Hatians don't see themselves as hispanic.?

Question

Why are all immigrants from south of the Rio Grand considered hispanic instead of from whatever nation they are from. They put themselves into subcategories just like Eropeans( Italian, Romanian). They are also separated in many racial groups ( black, white, and indian). These racial groups don't like eachother. Have you heard what lightskinned hispanics think about darkskinned hispanics? Its not good.

Answer 1

Brazilians and Haitian don't speak Spanish, for starters. Neither was a former colony of Spain. Therefore, they wouldn't share the "Hispanic" background.

Answer 2

I agree with everything you say until the part where it says "these racial groups don't like each other." Hispanic countries are not America, they are not the ones with the long and sad history of slavery and how a Civil War came out of it. In Latin America everyone is looked at the same regardless of color, and you can actually give yourself the pleasure of nicknaming someone based on his color and he won't get offended about it. Color it's just a physical feature for us, like having a big nose is the same as having sking that's too dark or too light. Color is not an issue there, but social classes are. This can be greatly seen in that we do not have derogatory terms for a certain color in Spanish, ***** is black, blanco is white, and indio is brown. In my home contry's drivers license they don't ask you what "race" you are, they ask you your skin tone.

Answer 3

You can find "Hispanic" people of all colors and races.
It´s an American standard to call us all "Latino" or Hispanic".
Of course we use subcategories, just as European immigrants settled in what is now the U.S., they settled everywhere else in the continent.
Separation between races does not work evenly in Latin America, you have countries like Brazil where most everyone comes from mixed races, and countries like Argentina or Chile were most people did not mix with other races.
It is true that what you call "light skinned" Hispanics (although they may be as white as someone from Sweden) discriminate against darker people, but it is not a standard of judgment that is accepted by majorities.
In most of Latin America money and education is what really counts, in fact you can see families that come from mixed races where brothers may have different skin, eyes and hair color. (coming from the same father and mother)
We are just different from you with different standards and different values.
Not better, not worse, just different.

Answer 4

That is because the Portuguese colonized Brazil and the French colonized Haiti.Racism isn't as bad in Latin America as it is in the USA.The 3 main ethnic groups in Latin America are black,white,and,Indian. As far as what I've seen in my lifetime,they get along okay. As far as skin color goes,I know a couple of Brazilian sisters,one is black,the other one is white.They call each other whitey and blackie,but it's not in a derogatory way.For example there is this Mexican cartoon,Memin Pinguin (it was on the stamps).Black leaders in the USA almost had heart attacks. But Memin wasn't intended to be derogatory.

Answer 5

All Spanish-speaking people from Mexico down to South America are considered as Hispanic. They are people that are nationalities of former Spanish colonies.

Answer 6

I believe Hispanic means of Spanish descent.
Blacks used to feel that way about each other too.
Why do people put so much value on the lightness of skin.

Answer 7

Im an almost pale hispanic just like the rest of the family and yes it is true tht ppl talk like tht.

Its wierd ...also ppl r like offended to be confused for a mexican if they r rele spainards or puertoricans..eghhh

Answer 8

It wasn't our idea. The Chicano movement in the 60's wanted it so they could get a part of the diversity benefits by being recognized as a minority.

We don't care what they are called. Just let us know what it is when everyone agrees on it.

Answer 9

better to say most from south of the rio grande are latinos. spanish is the language in most latino countries, thus hispanic, but in brazil the language is portuguese and in haiti it is french!

Answer 10

Hispanics - an American citizen or resident of Spanish or Latin-American descent.

Latinos - a person of Latin-American or Spanish-speaking descent .