[lit-ideas] Re: Are they synonymous?
- From: Robert Paul <rpaul@xxxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:07:54 -0800
Andreas wrote:
I've never heard Mexicans refer to themselves as Hispanics. Latinos,
yes, but not Hispanic.
Most people who have come to Oregon from Mexico seem to use both
terms. (I think the original question was about US local usage, not
about what Mexicans in Mexico call themselves.)
For example, the Oregon Council for Hispanic Advancement
http://www.ocha-nw.org/
says,
'Our Mission
'To provide culturally-specific services to Latino youth to help them
in achieving a higher level of academic success and access to improved
opportunities for jobs and careers.
'Need Statement
'The demand for services to Latino youth and families has never been
greater as a result of an exploding Hispanic population nationally,
and statewide, that continues to grow due to increased birth rates and
a rise in the level of immigration. These trends show the importance
of assuring that the growing Latino population has adequate resources
for educational advancement and workforce development. The lack of
services to the Latino population could have serious implications for
the health of our future economy.'
To me, it seems "Hispanic" is used by US whites as the generic term for
Mexican.
Whites? 'Latino' and 'Hispanic' aren't racial categories, despite what
those who appear on Lou Dobbs' show imply.
But they don't distinguish between Mexicans and Central
Americans. Mexico is part of North America. Central Americans also vary
widely. Guatemalans are very different from Mexicans. I rarely hear
non-Latinos in California say "hispanic". They usually say "Mexican".
Not true up here, where there is an increasing '-----' population.
Robert Paul
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