Why do Hispanics refer to themselves as Spanish?
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Anonymous
Ok, but citizens of the U.S. Don't use the term American as a racial designation. Hispanic kids refer to their classmates as being White, Black, or Spanish. I find it odd that they don't seem to realize that Spanish is a nationality that describes someone from Spain. It's not a racial designation. |
Anonymous
Yes they were speaking in English. |
Anonymous
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I think this is a troll post.
Most people from Spanish speaking countries refer to themselves as Mexican, Honduran, Salvadoran, Peruvian, etc. They'll tell you that white/Asian/black/whatever Americans are the ones who lump them together as latinos or hispanics. It's our label, not their label. |
Anonymous
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I am not Spanish but I have a good friend who moved here from the Dominican Republic and told me the term "Hispanic" was something he had never heard until moving to the US, and that it is not commonly used among Latino/as.
The literal meaning of the term "Hispanic" is of or pertaining to Spain/Iberia so your students are not massively deviating in using "Spanish" to describe themselves. They are words with the same root, and clearly one is their preferred term. White, non-Spanish speaking Americans would likely recognize the term "Hispanic" to mean someone who speaks Spanish (but may have a skin tone just as white, if not whiter). So "Hispanic" is a racial designation as is "Latino." "Spanish" seems to me to fit within this category. Clearly these kids are aware that they are not from Spain. |
Anonymous
My sister is a redhead and she has never said she is Irish. I'm not from the North East, but I would assume that the Jersey Shore kids who are referring to themselves as Italian are indeed of Italian descent. I guess it's possible that kids from Guatemala call themselves Spanish out of kinship for the Spanish settlers that settled Central America, although that seems like a stretch to me. After all Americans don't refer to themselves as English. I am hoping that someone of Mexican/Central American descent can answer this question for me. |
Anonymous
I assure you this is not a troll post. Go sub at some schools along Route 1 and you will hear kids of Central American descent calling themselves Spanish. Are you trying to claim that they don't? I realize that Hispanics/Latinas don't refer to themselves as Hispanic/Latina (indeed that is what this post is about). I would not find it odd at all if they did refer to themselves as Mexican, Honduran, Salvadoran, etc., But they don't. They call themselves Spanish instead. I find that weird. |
Anonymous
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I have never heard my Mexican friends say they are "Spanish" (I went to school that was like 50% Hispanic). My DH from South America is Latino but largely Italian and never says he is Spanish.
Perhaps they claim Spanish because they are trying to sound European, which is more acceptable to bigots, who are super vocal with the hate. |
Anonymous
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Latin American societies are highly racially and class structured. There is a premium placed on European ancestry and features. People commonly point out that they are Spanish to differentiate themselves from the native peoples and to indicate that they are a rung higher on the pecking order. Look at Latin American television - the broadcasters, actors, etc all look like they came right from Madrid. You see few native people represented.
This is true of the Philippines as well. |
Anonymous
To put it another way, I find it strange that someone from Guatemala would call themselves Spanish instead of Hispanic, Latino or Guatemalan. Most people describe themselves by either their nationality or race. A person from Guatemala has Guatemalan nationality and would be considered Hispanic/Latino racially. Spanish is not a race and it is not the appropriate nationality for someone from Guatemala. |
Anonymous
OP here. That's interesting. These kids were all from Central American backgrounds. Maybe Referring to oneself as Spanish is more a Central American phenomena instead of Mexican? |
Anonymous
I grew up in an area with a lot of Phillipinos and I never heard them refer to themselves as Spanish. |
Anonymous
It's a bitttttttt different, idiot... (NP) |
Anonymous
When I hear that is more slang for "do you speak Spanish". I have a few Hispanic friend and when we order food, they deal with the pause, and the person will assume they speak Spanish, then... Oh I'm not Spanish. But when actually asked say, my family is from Cuba, peru, etc. Hispanics is too long ... Spanish is short. Latino is also quick. Spoken language is not exact,we shorten everything. |
Anonymous
Hey OP- I'll give you a helpful response instead of the usual DCUM bs you're currently having lobbed at you. I grew up in the DC area and we called all the kids who spoke Spanish, or were from South America "Spanish." Since then I've lived in Texas and the west coast. In Texas, I found white people (the ones I knew) tended to refer to all south americans as "mexicans" and the south americans themselves often called themselves "latins" (which seems like the most fitting/correct name). On the west coast I felt like Hispanics called themselves "latinos". I feel like it's kind of regional thing that varies on how people want to identify themselves and the concentration in each area. For example in Texas the vast, vast majority of Hispanics you meet are Mexican, hence many others being labelled as such if they speak Spanish, and the Hispanics there not really minding being lumped in with Mexicans. They would probably be offended in LA where each different country tends to hold onto their group/core identity more. My anecdotal experiences, but it is interesting, isn't it? |
Anonymous
Ok, but Americans who live abroad don't refer to themselves as English. |