# Why "are you of Hispanic origin" in so many surveys? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 7, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518 "2010-08-07T15:47:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/1 "2010-08-07T15:47:11Z")
I’m taking the 2010 _Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell_ survey, and came across a ubiquitous question which seems present in almost _all_ surveys/census forms I have to take: > [@](#): > > Q-Are you Spanish/Hispanic/Latino? > > Yes: Mexican-American, Mexican, Chicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish/Hispanic/Latino > > No So, why do many surveys focus on Hispanic culture? Why don’t they care if I’m a Slavic white versus a Scandinavian one? Why do they not seem to care if my friend is Korean or Japanese (subtle culture differences, if I recall correctly)? Why do they not care if a Native American comes from an Eastern, Western, or Northern-based tribe? Tripler Curious minds are. . . well, curious. ---
**Author:** ![be\_bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a5b964/32.png) [@be\_bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/be_bright)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/2 "2010-08-07T16:02:00Z")
I’ve always wondered about this, too. I’d assume that there is _some_ sort of significance when the question is education-related (i.e. signing up for a college, or registering on a financial aid site)… And yes, being Korean or being Japanese is very different–in fact, I’d say the culture differences are more than subtle. Same with being Chinese vs. Taiwanese. Still pretty different. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/3 "2010-08-07T16:42:11Z")
Hispanics are a large visible minority in this country, more so than Slavs, and Hispanics as a class still suffer from discrimination, moreso than Slavs. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/4 "2010-08-07T17:39:26Z")
In the analysis of many social surveys in the US, people will be grouped into four or five racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, other, and (depending on the size of the survey) maybe Asian/Pacific Islander. No survey that doesn’t specifically focus on smaller groups will have the sample size to distinguish Korean-Americans or Japanese-Americans or Cherokees or Slavs or whatever. There are specific surveys and organizations that focus more explicitly on certain groups. The Pew Hispanic research center (I think) has surveys that will do more to distinguish between Puerto Ricans and Mexicans and Dominicans or whatever. This is well outside my area of expertise, but I think there are also studies of Asian groups. I don’t personally know of anyone in 2010 who studies the descendants of Slavic or Scandinavian immigrants - they’re pretty well assimilated and I don’t know that there’s much reason to believe that they would be faring differently than the average American. Basically, there’s no theoretical reason to look at some groups, and examining others isn’t practical for reasons of sample size. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tao_s_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/5 "2010-08-07T18:27:23Z")
I hate those surveys. I have some Hispanic ancestory, but my Spanish is terrible, and I was raised by my white mother. Am I Hispanic or not? If you say no then does that mean my paternal grandfather, who was a pretty nice dude, from what little I met of him, doesn’t count? If you say yes, then does that mean my anglo family doesn’t count? The ones who raised me from birth. None of the selections are the right answer. I am of partial Hispanic origin. It’s like that Zen Koan, does a dog have a Buddha nature? If you say yes or if you say no you lose your Buddha nature. The idea is a question with no apparent right answer. However the koan at least has the answer of “mu” (nothing), but wheres the god damn mu selection on this crap? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/6 "2010-08-07T18:44:46Z")
In general, the surveys have always asked about race. This became an issue because some Hispanics consider themselves Caucasian and others consider themselves Black. The solution was to separate “Hispanic” from the race (where it used to be) and ask the question separately. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/7 "2010-08-07T19:49:14Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > The idea is a question with no apparent right answer. However the koan at least has the answer of “mu” (nothing), but wheres the god damn mu selection on this crap? Excellent. Next time someone asks my ethnicity on a form, I’m totally going to answer mu. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2010, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/8 "2010-08-07T23:16:26Z")
I never know what to say when it comes to my daughter. Her father is Mexican, I am American. Getting her registered for school the other day I had to decide whether or not to mark Hispanic. I did but I’m not sure if I should have. She’s fair skinned, although her features otherwise match her father’s. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/9 "2010-08-08T00:51:33Z")
Also interesting to note that folks from Spain are not Hispanic and should not identify themselves as such. Ya’ gotta’ be from this side of the pond to fit the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/10 "2010-08-08T03:50:23Z")
> [@GiantRat](#): > > Also interesting to note that folks from Spain are not Hispanic and should not identify themselves as such. Ya’ gotta’ be from this side of the pond to fit the bill. Absolutely wrong. By U.S. Census standards, Spaniards are definitely Hispanic. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2010, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-you-of-hispanic-origin-in-so-many-surveys/549518/11 "2010-08-08T20:09:24Z")
> [@Nametag](#): > > > [@GiantRat](#): > > > > Also interesting to note that folks from Spain are not Hispanic and should not identify themselves as such. Ya’ gotta’ be from this side of the pond to fit the bill. > > Absolutely wrong. By U.S. Census standards, Spaniards are definitely Hispanic. Consider my ignorance fought. I’m somewhat surprised by this, but I’ve checked it out and you are correct. I was relying on some bad info given to me by a member of our Latino social organization at work. I am assuming that he was himself confusing “Latino” with “hispanic.”