why many people in USA thinks that "Latino" is a Race?

Question

my parents are from Lebanon but i was born in Mexico and i speak spanish so im latino.

Mexican:
http://eur.news1.yimg.com/eur.yimg.com/xp/corazon/20051021/16/1669942176.jpg
Mexican:
http://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/k/fotos/kalimba_2.jpg
Peruvian:
http://u.univision.com/contentroot/uol/art/images/noticias/lat/2007/01/070111_fujimori_3.jpg
Mexican:
http://www.vogue.de/imperia/dw/axium/images/1/2/3/3122/MDimage1_0_0.jpg
Argentina:
http://content.missuniverse.com/delegates/2006/images/main/AR.jpg
Brazilian:
http://www.style.com/style/view/14/13/100121314.jpg
Panama:
http://www.elcuara.com/spaw/images/lib5/Harry-Decameron.jpg
Mexican:
http://perso.orange.fr/brazilianfever/Gabriel%20Soto/Gabriel%20Soto.jpg

Answer 1

Maybe it"s ignorance:"Latino" is a culture.It has its roots in the Latin Language So: South Americans, Spaniards,Portuguese,French and Mexicans are "latinos"

Answer 2

Yeah, kinda bugs me too. But well, I guess it's cause you were born in Latin America, and usually people tend to generalize things, cause they're ignorant or lazy...or both, so there you go, all of a sudden the uniqueness and cultural richness is lost, and suddenly Mexico and Argentina are the same!
Also, some people from the Us or even Europe, likes the idea of you know, the stereotypical latin (really religious and abnormally passionate)
Actually the correct race for people living in Latin America is the HISPANIC race. Just as Eurpoean (except for spain and I think the slavic countries) and North Americans are caucasian.

Answer 3

The problem is, what does "Latino" really mean? It's like so many of the race and culture related terms flying around through human history, it doesn't really have a universal definition. Let me turn this around: how would YOU define Latino? As one who has grown up in Mexican culture? What about a person who was born in the US of Mexican descent but takes part in solely US culture, perhaps does not even speak Spanish. However, if that person wanted to be considered a "Latino", I imagine the rest of us would be expected to consider them so.

It's really a label you put on yourself, so don't be too insulted if people can't figure out what you're thinking! It's like in the deaf community: according to many in the community, you can be "Deaf", which means you take part in deaf culture, even if you are not, strictly speaking, "deaf", even if you hear perfectly well.

What I'm saying is that all of these labels are applied either rather arbitrarily (if you're applying them to others), or all but invisibly (if you're applying them to yourself). My advice is don't worry about it too much, use a label like Latino if you want to, don't if you don't, and above all cut other people a little slack. 99% of us are doing the best we can to keep up.

Answer 4

According to the American government, from your description, you would be of a middle eastern race by virtue of your heritage, but your nationality would be Mexican.

Where you are from, can be different from your "race".

For most Americans, race doesn't really matter because we're from all over the world. My own ancestors were...

American, English, French, Irish, Welsh, Scottish, Russian, Italian, Israeli, Ukranian, German, Swedish, Austrian, Belgian.

I'm sure there's gotta' be more in there somewhere, but we're all citizens of the world anyway. Just people. d:)

Answer 5

Dan Quayle's to blame. When Bush Sr. asked him where he'd like to go on a state visit, he said he wanted to go to Latin America, because he had Latin in college.

Answer 6

OH WOW, if that's what the guys in Panama look like, take me there now!!! YUMMY!

Answer 7

ignorancia

Answer 8

because they are all the sheep of the world
i am that one dude who guides them

Answer 9

it is race, culture in usa

Answer 10

I believe it is a race!!! :)