Hispanic. Please, people, remember: Hispanics are people ethnically related to people of the Caribbean islands which were known as Hispaniola when it was part of Spain, like Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, etc. Please learn your geography/history.
Mexico was part of Spain, but was never part of the region referred to as Hispaniola, and was never totally subjugated to Spanish rule, despite what the Spanish may have thought.
Thank you.
Hilariously, you’re utterly wrong.
It actually comes from the word Hispania (Spain), which derives from the Latin Hispanicus. Hispanic refers to anything of the language, culture or folks with Spanish descent.
No, “Hispanic” does not derive from the name for the island. “Hispanic” refers Spanish-speaking Latin Americans. Mexicans may prefer to be called latino, and I’ll respect that, but it’s not incorrect to call them Hispanics.
Folks who call all white-skinned people “Caucasian”–when that word is only accurate when referring to the inhabitants of Caucasus region–should be beaten over the head for being so stupid and ignorant.
It makes me feel so superior to be able to nitpick over something as trivial as this.
And don’t get me started on the American Indians.:mad:
:rolleyes:
Well then, I guess you can reclassify me as a Sonoramojavian; Just don’t call me Cracker…
Anyone else feel misclassified?
“Caucasian” is a term used to denote a racial distinction, i.e., whatever it is that makes Caucasians Caucasian - not just skin color, but physical characteristics. “Hispanic” distinguishes one culture from all others, irrespective of race. That is, hispanics can be white, black, “yellow”, mulatto, etc.
Reminds me of how a former professor and good friend of mine used to joke in class that he was the only “true” Caucasian in the room-he’s Russian and he grew up in the Caucasian Mountains.
Hey, nisobar! You aren’t aware, then, of the Spanish name for Hispaniola, are you?
And Mexican.
Here’s a good explanation from dictionary.com
nisosbar, please explain how being “Latin” is different from being “Hispanic”. Also explain why the difference should matter to normal, everyday people.
Thanks, chula.
So I guess all the Mexican people where I went to school who called themselves Hispanic were … wrong? About their own heritage/adjectival description?
Tsk. And pots shouldn’t call the kettle black. You are incorrect. Hispaniola refers to A Caribbean island, specifically the island that contains the Dominican Republic and Haiti ( which, of course, was part of the francophone world and not Spanish at all for the better part of its history ). The correct general term for somebody from that island ( which nobody uses, as Dominican and Haitian are far more culturally and politically descriptive ) would be Hispaniolan, not Hispanic, which as mentioned comes from the word Hispania, not Hispaniola.
[quoteMexico was part of Spain, but was never part of the region referred to as Hispaniola, and was never totally subjugated to Spanish rule, despite what the Spanish may have thought.[/quote]
Nonsense. Spain may not have exercised centralized control over every single indigenous group, all of the time. But they didn’t need to and didn’t necessarily seek to. For all intensive purposes Mexico was subjugated enough as to make no difference.
It kind of runs (in my experience in South Texas and Central Texas) like Black/African American.
If I have a friend who’s offended by Black, I say African American. Most Bla-er, African Americans I know don’t CARE. And it’s not like I use the word much, except in:
“Hey, that guy over there, I know him!”
“Which?”
“The guy in the cable-knit sweater.”
“I can’t see him.”
“He’s talking to the lady in the white boots.”
“Can’t see…”
“sigh The black guy?”
“OHHHH!”
African American, despite years spent in the 80s and 90s (twenty total 
) never really made its way into my day-to-day speech.
Latino/Hispanic, same thing almost. Chicano/a too. Most of the kids I knew in high school (the ‘Hispanic’ ones at least) didn’t much care, but generally preferred Chicano/a. They didn’t, IIRC, think much of Latino/a one way or the other, but few people really hated Hispanic. I just learned to say Chicano/a all the time. Slipped back into Hispanic once in a while, but mostly I find Chicano/a to be a little more natural.
It likely helps that, by all appearances, I’m a Chicana. Got the honey-colored skin, the curly dark hair, the big brown eyes, the Stereotypical Latina Physique (5 and a half and stacked, howyadoin’?)…To the point where I speak in Spanish to the checkout lady at my work cafeteria and one Chicana in my high school home ec. class looked at my baby pictures (complete with White!Mom and White!Dad) and said, in tones of utter disbelief, “You’re WHITE?!”
If my Spanish was better, I could probably pass…
Are you talking to yourself?
Tamerlane: That’s the first time I’ve ever seen the expression “intensive purposes.” Usually I see (and hear) “intents and purposes.”
Little Plastic Ninja: What about “La Raza?”
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