Why do Hispanics refer to themselves as Spanish?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach ESOL in Alexandria to primarily Spanish-speaking adults. We once had a discussion about this during one of our sessions. The overwhelming majority said they did not like the term 'Hispanic' and felt it was only accurate in discussing the history of the Spanish conquests. None felt like it was an accurate identifier for modern-day Spanish speakers from the americas; if anything, it was perceived negatively - none of them said they feel particularly 'Spanish' or connected to Spain. Even the Spanish that they speak is quite different to Castilian - they've taken that heritage and morphed it into their own thing and are proud of being Puerto Rican, Honduran, Salvadoran, etc. All preferred the term Latino/a.

Here's the monolingual clueless gringo. Yes, of course there are some regional differences...but Spanish in Latin America is much more similar to that in Spain than American is to British English. And there's a much stronger cultural connection even today.

Just saying.

I'm a linguist who's fluent in both English and Spanish. I'm familiar with regional dialects etc. Can you quantify your statement for me, please? How are English accents/variances less similar than Spanish ones? Sounds like bull to me.

I am also skeptical! My argentine DH sounds like he's speaking a different language when he's talking to porteños (Buenos Aires from birth) than when he's interpreting using a neutral Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about Black Hispanics? Do they call themselves Spanish, Black, Hispanic, Latino, or country of origin?

Black Hispanics? Are you referring to those from African origins who live in Spanish speaking countries and speak the language? Aren't you crossing ethnicity?

Wow the ignorance is strong with this one! Yes, there are black Latinos who were born and raised in Latin America. See, there was this thing in history called the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade. The Spaniards bought over African slaves to work the plantations. The Spaniards also traded slaves with the Brits and French. There are many Latinos of African descent living in many Spanish speaking countries. Also, Latino people refer to ourselves by our country of origin.

I know that in the American media, cinema, and in other outlets you like your Latinos to look like Italians or to have European features. I hate to break it to you, but outside of Argentina and a few other Latin American countries that many Latinos are descendants of African slaves. Does David Ortiz or Celia Cruz register with you? Or did you think that all Latinos resemble Sophia Vergara? For a quick study please watch the entire documentary, "Black in Latin America" to gain some perspective. However, please take the time read some books about the history of Latin America and its people. Also, take the time to read some history books about Spanish colonization. Do you even know what the revolution in Cuba was about? Have you ever read anything about the slave revolts in Latin America? You think all those good Latin dishes, dances, and traditions originated from only Spain? Where did you think Latinos get their dark complexions from? There was a lot of mixing between the Spaniards, Africans, and natives throughout Latin America. I can go on, but you get my point.

I can't for the life of me believe that so many people in the DC area lack basic knowledge about history and Latin America. Please pick up a few history books and travel outside of the U.S. people! Gain some knowledge outside of your stereotypes and closed minds.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I asked my husband, who grew up in Honduras, your question and he immediately asked where you were from. He guessed New York (we are in the Midwest). He thinks he remembers hearing that this is more of a Puerto Rican, Dominican, Spanish speaking island "thing" in the North East. He can't remember where he heard this, but thinks it was in a movie. He's never referred to himself as Spanish. Usually as Honduran, Hispanic, or guess.

Yeah, I also think this is something common to people from only certain Latin-American countries and in certain US regions. I hear it from Dominicans and Puerto Ricans, mostly. I've never heard, say, someone from Costa Rica or Venezuela refer to themselves as Spanish.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach ESOL in Alexandria to primarily Spanish-speaking adults. We once had a discussion about this during one of our sessions. The overwhelming majority said they did not like the term 'Hispanic' and felt it was only accurate in discussing the history of the Spanish conquests. None felt like it was an accurate identifier for modern-day Spanish speakers from the americas; if anything, it was perceived negatively - none of them said they feel particularly 'Spanish' or connected to Spain. Even the Spanish that they speak is quite different to Castilian - they've taken that heritage and morphed it into their own thing and are proud of being Puerto Rican, Honduran, Salvadoran, etc. All preferred the term Latino/a.

Here's the monolingual clueless gringo. Yes, of course there are some regional differences...but Spanish in Latin America is much more similar to that in Spain than American is to British English. And there's a much stronger cultural connection even today.

Just saying.

I'm a linguist who's fluent in both English and Spanish. I'm familiar with regional dialects etc. Can you quantify your statement for me, please? How are English accents/variances less similar than Spanish ones? Sounds like bull to me.

I am also skeptical! My argentine DH sounds like he's speaking a different language when he's talking to porteños (Buenos Aires from birth) than when he's interpreting using a neutral Spanish.

+1. DH has a lot of family in BsAs. Their Spanish sounds completely different than someone from Guatemala or Venezuela.

[Anonymous]

My Peruvian husband has never, nor has any of his family, referred to themselves as Spanish. They use Peruvian and/or hispanic. The other South Americans who I know are from Venezuela, Bolivia and Argentina. Same thing. The reference their country of origin and/or use the word Hispanic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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?

For a so called teacher you sound pretty ignorant. South american is not the same as central american. Also I am a DC native (latina) and lived here the past 30 yrs. There is a very low number of mexicans in this area unless you teach in manassas va. Black people have always called me spanish but I never heard another hispanic refer to themselves as spanish when they were something else. In predominant black schools hispanic kids are called spanish but when latinos refer to other latinos they call each other the country they or their parents are from.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Spanish - from Spain. Whenever I tell people that it makes me Hispanic - they don't believe me. These are educated people too. I have given up.

Whenever I tell people who speak Spanish but are not from Spain (but from another Spanish-speaking country), they seem to think it is cute that I speak Spanish but don't really accept me as being like one of them.

Are you a Charo fan?

No clue who that is.

If your parents never watched charo you are not part of the culture

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is simply a distinction based on language that simplifies how they view themselves. They are not white, nor black, nor do do they all come from the same country or look alike. The one thing that unites them is the language spoken at home.
It is also what differentiates them from other "categories".
As a Colombian, proud of my country and my nationality, I dislike being bundled up as "latina" or "hispanic". I might look like a Venezuelan, but I look very different from a Bolivian or a Uruguayan or a Dominican. The one thing that ties us together is a continent and a language. Yet to others we are all one and the same.
I honestly don't think Spain as a country or as a historic colonizing empire factors in at all. It is simply language.

Yes. This person has it right.

+1. So many of these answers are just off.

I want to add that most people I know are specific (I am Bolivian, Salvadoran, Peruvian), especially when speaking with others who have a sense of the geography. But because so many Americans don't really, and tend to group all the countries together, people help out by simplifying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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.

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?

For a so called teacher you sound pretty ignorant. South american is not the same as central american. Also I am a DC native (latina) and lived here the past 30 yrs. There is a very low number of mexicans in this area unless you teach in manassas va. Black people have always called me spanish but I never heard another hispanic refer to themselves as spanish when they were something else. In predominant black schools hispanic kids are called spanish but when latinos refer to other latinos they call each other the country they or their parents are from.

I think it depends on the age group. My kids attend a predominantly Hispanic elementary school, and their Hispanic friends do say Spanish instead of Hispanic. They also use their parents' country of origin. Maybe as they get older they stop using Spanish and switch to Latino because I've heard my middle schooler's friend say Latina/Latino not Spanish. I don't think I've heard any of them refer to themselves as Hispanic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am Spanish - from Spain. Whenever I tell people that it makes me Hispanic - they don't believe me. These are educated people too. I have given up.

Whenever I tell people who speak Spanish but are not from Spain (but from another Spanish-speaking country), they seem to think it is cute that I speak Spanish but don't really accept me as being like one of them.

Are you a Charo fan?

No clue who that is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to teach ESOL in Alexandria to primarily Spanish-speaking adults. We once had a discussion about this during one of our sessions. The overwhelming majority said they did not like the term 'Hispanic' and felt it was only accurate in discussing the history of the Spanish conquests. None felt like it was an accurate identifier for modern-day Spanish speakers from the americas; if anything, it was perceived negatively - none of them said they feel particularly 'Spanish' or connected to Spain. Even the Spanish that they speak is quite different to Castilian - they've taken that heritage and morphed it into their own thing and are proud of being Puerto Rican, Honduran, Salvadoran, etc. All preferred the term Latino/a.

Here's the monolingual clueless gringo. Yes, of course there are some regional differences...but Spanish in Latin America is much more similar to that in Spain than American is to British English. And there's a much stronger cultural connection even today.

Just saying.

I'm a linguist who's fluent in both English and Spanish. I'm familiar with regional dialects etc. Can you quantify your statement for me, please? How are English accents/variances less similar than Spanish ones? Sounds like bull to me.

I am also skeptical! My argentine DH sounds like he's speaking a different language when he's talking to porteños (Buenos Aires from birth) than when he's interpreting using a neutral Spanish.

+1. DH has a lot of family in BsAs. Their Spanish sounds completely different than someone from Guatemala or Venezuela.

I am a NP, bilingual and a native Spanish speaker, have traveled all over the English and Spanish speaking world, and I agree with the second PP here. Educated Spanish from every Spanish speaking country in the world is extremely similar. Of course accents vary from place to place, as they do in every language--and once you get into the less formally educated populations, they do even more so. Think of how different a rural Scottish accent is to a Queens accent to one from Louisiana!

Is the poster above comparing the Spanish of a middle class Argentine to the Spanish a recent Guatemalan immigrant?? Can you see how little sense that makes?? There is actually very little variety in the Spanish spoken and written from country to country with a small handful of exceptions that are easily understood. Once you get into the territory of analyzing street slang or the very regional dialects among a not very formally educated population, sure things go in many different directions, but it shocking how much they do in English--even just within the US!

To the linguist... I have studied some linguistics but I am definitely not a linguist. I'll give it a shot, BUT comparing apples to apples and oranges to oranges. I think that that there is a much greater variety of phonemes as well as patterns of vocab choices in the English of populations of similar educational and economic backgrounds than there is in the Spanish of peoples of comparable backgrounds. The sounds of Spanish just don't vary all that much.

[Anonymous]

I enjoyed this video about different Spanish accents.
https://youtu.be/VlK-neOypDM