My mothers is from costa rica is mixed with Spanish from Spain,German or possibly Portugese,and Arb from Saudi Arabia.My fathers side is from NYC is mixed with Spanish from Barcelona (Catalonian people)Spain and French.I have no african blood in me and no indian blood in me that i know of or close to nill since all costa rica's natives went up to the mountains so spanish could not enslave them prefering never to come back down again.So that makes me a light olive skin complection?My passport says i am white.Hispanic is also not a race in my opinion but an ethnic backround and i do Not speak the launguage or know much about the culture.My Irish hubby thinks that because my mom is from costa rican our kids should be labeled hispanic or half hispanic for school purposes to gain benifits? I find it insulting because i consider myself a mixed american not hispanic?Am i wrong do i just go with it?
2007-06-26 01:31:06 · 14 answers · asked by Jenny I 1 in Family & Relationships ➔ Marriage & Divorce
P.S I am from N.J born and bred.
2007-06-26 01:33:35 · update #1
Well, you really could do either. It depends on what you want to identify them as!
Either way they still have many spanish races in their blood and they are also still american.
2007-06-26 01:35:12 · answer #1 · answered by Sen 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your kids are White people. Costa Ricans like you said are pure Whites except for some blacks and natives in remote areas. But the Costa Ricans in the Central Valley are pretty much White people descendants of Spaniards. There is some Indian blood in the Costa Rican White population but not nearly as much as with Mexicans and Guatemalans and Salvadorans. and your dad is a pure Spaniard. So you are White and since your kids father is Irish they are also White. But for school purposes they should probably put hispanic because they can because technically hispanic is an ethnicity not a race. Your kids will benefit from it.
2015-01-05 18:58:38 · answer #2 · answered by Anon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You & your kids were born in the US. Yes hispanic is not a race. Since both side of the family is from a Latin heritage you are considered from a Latin decendent. There is no such thing as a mixed American. History 101: Costa Rican people are from Central America, & other Latin countries are from South America or North America. Being born in the US makes you an American Citizen therefore you have an american passport, but your are still from latin heritage. Be proud as we all came to america for a better life.
2007-06-26 04:18:23 · answer #3 · answered by beliz 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your mother is 1/2, your father is 1/2 makes you 1/4 Spanish. You married an Irish man so your children are 1/8 Hispanic. What's next? He's gonna want to use the Handicap parking cause your cadet is asthmatic?
2007-06-26 01:38:47 · answer #4 · answered by Jane Marple 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a similar problem as a kid. My parents identified me as Native American, although I have a LOT of other races mixed in there. They said the same thing - it would get me benefits. But when I got ready to apply for colleges I refused to fill out the race part because (1) I thought it was irrelevant, and (2) it was insulting to me that they would think I needed extra help/scholarships/other benefits that others didn't get just because of my race.
Eventually your children will decide for themselves. Until then, you almost never HAVE to fill out race on anything. Just leave it blank
2007-06-26 01:36:52 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Eh, they might want to use the benefits. I'm partially of Native decent, but personally, I don't consider myself even a non-status native. I was never part of that environment. My mother thinks I should call myself native. I think it's silly. I'm just a suburban white kid with that mixed DNA that all 'white kids' have. Big deal.
Your husband wants to take advantage of the system. Good. Fine, but when your kids reach the age that they can decide, they'll fill out the forms their way. I do think it's sort of silly and maybe insulting, but I accept the world and all it's flaws, god knows I'm flawed when it comes to racial issues myself. Your children will decide for themselves what to put on college applications and the like. Myself? I don't put native. I put not applicable. I'd rather not say.
Sometimes though, I wouldn't mind native status and the privileges that come with it, but it's not my culture, it's only a small part of my DNA.
2007-06-26 01:38:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Wouldn't it be great if we didn't have to put labels on anyone? No reason to be embarrassed about it. Most americans are a mish mash of heritage unless you are a native american. I say if you can make it work for you, instead of against you, use the system. No shame in being part hispanic, and it could help you financially, so go for it...
2007-06-26 01:37:59 · answer #7 · answered by Flex 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Your children and yourselves are American, plain and simple. It doesn't matter where your ancestors came from. And what possible benefits does your husband think your kids would have by a label especially a racial label? That is ludicrous. Stick to your guns and put American on your passport as well.
2007-06-26 01:39:30 · answer #8 · answered by dawnb 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like your husband wants to work the system. You don't have to agree with him. If your passports say your are Caucasian then you kids should be Caucasian also. Unless their father is something other than a white boy!!!
2007-06-26 01:38:39 · answer #9 · answered by tender loving dyke 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think you should discuss this over with him. From my point of view right now, it sounds like your older relatives are hispanic and mixed in and somehow you're not. Neither is your husband right. For my opinion, don't say he's hispanic
2007-06-26 01:35:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
why would your husband want to "label" the kids anything?
and I agree with you...Hispanic is an ethnicity not a race.
2007-06-26 01:34:19 · answer #11 · answered by nermil 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋