# The meaning/implication of the term "Hispanic" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162 "2015-10-01T17:53:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/21 "2015-10-02T01:13:32Z")
> [@Robert163](#): > > This is he description I have heard also, that there is some anti-Spanish sentiment (against the country of Spain) spanning form the colonial era. To call a a someone from Central/South America “Hispanic” would be akin to calling someone from the USA British or English. Or an Anglo? ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/22 "2015-10-02T01:23:15Z")
> [@syncrolecyne](#): > > I’ve often argued that the U.S concept of Hispanic is akin to classifying British, Irish, Anglo-Canadians/Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, and perhaps English-speaking Indians, Nigerians, and South Africans as “Britannic.” Well, yeah. Is it so strange to think that countries and peoples linked by language and history and (some) elements of thusly-derived culture be grouped together? That they might have a wealth of common interests, so to speak. 😉 > [@nicky](#): > > The coworker is basically right, in that " southern hemisphere spanish speakers heritage day " makes a lot more sense than “entire spanish speaking world heritage day” (It’s a month.) So call it Latino Heritage Month, if excluding Spaniards (and Spanish-descent Filipinos, and a few other odd folks) is important. ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/23 "2015-10-02T02:38:23Z")
> [@syncrolecyne](#): > > I’ve often argued that the U.S concept of Hispanic is akin to classifying British, Irish, Anglo-Canadians/Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, and perhaps English-speaking Indians, Nigerians, and South Africans as “Britannic.”… This sort of thing arguably does happen in the US for some other immigrant ethnicities. For example, Cajuns are not considered quite the same as French people who just arrived from Europe. The same thing happens with respect to Germans - if a German citizen from Berlin gets a US immigration visa and moves to Pennsylvania, they don’t automatically become “Pennsylvania Dutch”, because PA Dutch people are generally considered to be the descendants of ethnic Germans who settled the US east coast in the 18th and 19th centuries and formed a unique hybrid culture. Put that hex sign down, sir, you don’t know how to use it. Likewise, someone can’t just pack their bags in Belfast, move to West Virginia, and expect to be immediately accepted into the Scots-Irish Appalachian Hillbilly community. The real Hillbillies left Ulster 200 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/24 "2015-10-02T02:56:35Z")
> [@syncrolecyne](#): > > I’ve often argued that the U.S concept of Hispanic is akin to classifying British, Irish, Anglo-Canadians/Americans, Australians, New Zealanders, Jamaicans, Trinidadians, and perhaps English-speaking Indians, Nigerians, and South Africans as “Britannic.” That’s basically what “[Anglosphere](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglosphere)” means. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/25 "2015-10-02T04:05:33Z")
> [@nicky](#): > > The coworker is basically right, in that " southern hemisphere spanish speakers heritage day " makes a lot more sense than “entire spanish speaking world heritage day” Why? An Italian-Argentinian, an Afro-Cuban, or a highland Bolivian don’t have much more in common with each other than they do with someone from Spain. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/26 "2015-10-02T05:29:53Z")
The thing is, though , isn’t “Hispanic” a uniquely American term? If we want to include people from Spain, I guess it’s our prerogative, but I’ve never met a person from Spain who considered himself “Hispanic”. It would seem to me that it’s rather odd to insist that a label be applied to people who prefer not to be included in that label. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 9:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/27 "2015-10-02T09:00:49Z")
I was always taught it as the old word for Latino, from before we started using their own name. I also concur that no Filipino I’ve talked to considers themselves Hispanic. Spain I don’t know about, I do believe Nava does. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/28 "2015-10-02T09:40:08Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > No. Regardless of the technical meanings of the words, “Hispanic” in common use refers to Spanish-speaking countries in the Americas and the Caribbean. Only in the Americas, I think. Anywhere else, it means Spanish-speaking or of Spanish cultural heritage. And if it’s the heritage you’re celebrating, how can you exclude its source, however painful the history of its political influence may be? ---
**Author:** ![nicky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f0a364/32.png) [@nicky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicky)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/29 "2015-10-02T18:17:42Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > Why? An Italian-Argentinian, an Afro-Cuban, or a highland Bolivian don’t have much more in common with each other than they do with someone from Spain. Yeah, so dont have Hispanic heritage month, have Mexican week, etc ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/30 "2015-10-02T22:18:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > The thing is, though , isn’t “Hispanic” a uniquely American term? If we want to include people from Spain, I guess it’s our prerogative, but I’ve never met a person from Spain who considered himself “Hispanic”. It would seem to me that it’s rather odd to insist that a label be applied to people who prefer not to be included in that label. Well, I’ll repeat what I said above: The term wasn’t implemented for the sake of those to whom it refers. The term was implemented by the majority to refer to those whom it perceives as different in some way. What exactly that perceived difference may be is the issue which has gotten muddled, partly because of the terminology itself. Until we admit that, this thread is just going to go around in circles forever. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162/31 "2015-10-03T03:06:05Z")
> [@Dr.TimBeck5436](#): > > Most people would include spain just of the basics if you look at the word hiSPANIc. It practiclly has the word in there. Heh, it’s not just that it’s “practically” in the name - that’s what the name _is_. **TriPolar** ’s Wiki cite mentions it: Hispania was the Latin name for the region that now contains modern Spain. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-meaning-implication-of-the-term-hispanic/733162.md?page=1)