I'm white and I date a Hispanic women, why do people consider this an interracial relationship?

Question

I'm a white American of Dutch descent and she is Latin American of Argentine descent. She has brown hair, light skin, green eyes, and sharp facial features that Caucasians generally have, in other words she looks like a regular Caucasian women. But for some reason when I tell some people that I'm dating an women from Argentina they think its an interracial relationship when IMO I don't think it is. Correct me if I’m wrong but isn’t Argentina populated mostly by people who migrated there from Germany, Italy, and France which are all white countries? So really, we may be of different cultures but not race, I’m I correct?

Answer 1

You are right. It shouldn't be considered an interracial relationship. The thing is Hispanic does not indicate a race so saying she is hispanic will not tell you what race she is. If she was a non-white hispanic, you would be in an interracial relationship.

Hispanics are white, black, native or combination of the three (this is the usual mixture). You are absolutely correct in saying that you are dating a white person because she is from Argentina. Argentinians are usually descendents of Europeans, thus making them white. These are the same white descendents seen in Austrailia, South Africa, Europe and (yes) the United States. However, these whites all came from the UK and speak English. The only difference in hispanics is that they came from the former colonies of Spain, so they speak Spanish.

ALL black people in the Americas came from Africa (most from the slave trade). All white people came from Europe (most from colonization). Then there are the native Americans that lived here indigenously before they were exploited by the colonists.

Therefore, the flaw in comparing white and hispanics is that most people have some stereotypical look on what hispanics look like when the term hispanic refers to the country they came from (Spanish-speaking remnants of the Spanish colonization). I know a lot of Black Hispanic Dominicans (descendants of Africans) or White Hispanic Argentinians (descendants of Europeans) or a combination of natives and (the real immigrants) whites and blacks (even though black typically didnt have a choice).

So the flaw is the built in racism seen in the world where Hispanics are one type of people.

Answer 2

Why do you care what other people think. I do believe that they are correct in the fact that it IS an interracial relationship but who cares if those women make you happy. If you want to be correct, tell them that we (your white friends) are all decendants from one original (if you believe in evolution) BLACK prehistoric man, as evidenced by Dr. Leaky and 'lucy'. If you believe in creation, then tell them that the catholic church acknowledges that Jesus was described in the bible (olive skin, wooly hair, etc) as looking more like the women that you date than a white person. This should MAKE them never want to bring up that topic again !

Answer 3

Because the Census have Hispanics as a race category. So stupid. A person of a European ethnic group and a white Hispanic is not a mixed couple.

Answer 4

I would say because they are uneducated and grossly misinformed. Hispanics are a linguistic-cultural group and not a race just as Americans are not a race. Hispanics can be of any of the 3 major races and any color just like we Americans can. Caucasians can range from very white to very dark, but most persons think we are just white. You two are from the same race, but different cultures and ethnic groups.

Answer 5

I think that you and this girl are from different ethnic groups:

"An ethnic group is a human population whose members identify with each other, usually on the basis of a presumed common genealogy or ancestry (Smith, 1986). Ethnic groups are also usually united by certain common cultural, behavioral, linguistic and ritualistic or religious traits."

Even if Argentineans were populated by European immigrants they share the same genealogy than the rest of South America, because they have Native People in common, such as Mapuches, or Onas..

You and this girl are however of the same race:

"The term race distinguishes one population of an animal species (including human) from another of the same subspecies. "

So I think calling it a interracial relationship would be definitely erred.

I would say Multi-cultural, because your cultural and ethnic backgrounds are certainly different.

Answer 6

Almost all of us have some kind of interracial background in our family history, even if we have not bothered to construct a genealogical history and may not know if it.

I believe your situation would be more appropriately described as an inter-country or inter-social relationship

Answer 7

Whites and Latinos are different races. Believe me I know. I'm both. Welsh and English one side. Hispanic New Mexican and Native American on the other. Yes there are similarities. Like a common humanity. But also differences. You both interact differently with people for starters. Argentina also has a lot of native Argentinians too. Even if she has some European descent that you mentioned she still will be different. Latin America is a whole different world then the U.S. Just get used to it. I used to live in Paraguay. I love Latin American culture. They are a lot friendlier then a lot of Americans. That's for sure.

Answer 8

You are correct mostly. There may be a bit of pre-columbian there but so what? Many are ignorant of the historical realities of other nations such as Latin America.

Answer 9

You are correct, there is but ONE race, the human race with a lot of different cultures with-in. Enjoy each other and learn from each other. Good luck.

Answer 10

while bizi poz is right...but in all reality you are dating interracially, im latino and black, but physically I appear to be a black woman, just have the spice that comes with both sides. You are in an interracial relationship my dear, when I date latino men, its considered the same thing. And I date interracially, white, latino, just the way that it is, my attraction. But because of the way that I look and the man white,latino, etc looks, its interracial. People don't go into you are black of cuban and dominican descent, and he is puerto rican therefore you guys are not interracial, individual minds don't process that way, and you shouldnt really care whether they do or not.
Who cares what other people think, as long as the both of you are happy thats all that should matter.There should be no reason that you are explaining anything to anyone, as long as you love her or its growing and you both are happy thats all that matters. If you are concerned with it, then there is a problem, when there shouldnt be one at all. You are both human, feelings have grown and you are together, thats all that matters.