I read Miguel’s post Kids nowadays need to learn some history.
It struck a nerve with me because it touched on an issue that had bothered me for a while.
It is time that we get rid of the Latino/Latina/Latinx demographic. It is racist and it makes no sense. The new census designation of “non-white Hispanic” is nearly as bad.
What does it mean? According to the US Census, almost nothing.
“Hispanic or Latino” refers to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of
race.
So they could be full blooded white European of noble Spanish (meaning from Spain) heritage, which means they shade DNA with the French and German. Remember King Charles II of Spain was a Habsburg. He was such a Hubsburg that his parents, grandparents, and great grandparents were Habsburgs too.
Not to mention a lot of people in Spain have Arabic or North African heritage form the time of the Moorish Empire.
Latino could also mean that a person who is genetically related to the Pueblo, Navajo, Anasazi or any of the other tribes that lived in the American South West. If there were north of the border they would be Native Americans, but because in the 1800’s they were south of an arbitrary border, they are now Latino.
That of course doesn’t include the people who are of native Central or South American heritage, who are genetically Inca, Aztec, Olmec, native Caribbean Islanders, or anything else.
Then there are the many more people who are a mix of native tribe, European, and possibly freed or runaway African slaves.
The problem is the Left has decided that Latino/Latina is a identity group in the POC umbrella. This means benefiting from identity politics victim cred.
My best fried was born in America to Venezuelan immigrant parents and is bilingual. That makes him Latino.
He has a family coat of Arms that he can trace all the way back to Spain on one side and Monaco on the other. His grandfather lived in a Villa on the French Riviera until he passed.
My poor oppressed Latino buddy who white Liberals condescend to thinking that he’s the offspring of Mexican migrants (be was born in Oklahoma because his parents were in the educated people Oil Industry, not picking lettuce).
There is no unifying Latino/Latina experience. Hell, even the language is totally different. Try watching an Argentinian and a Puerto Rican have a conversation. It’s like watching a person speaking Partisan French try to talk to someone speaking Haitian Creole. Deep South American English is closer to Cockney than some of the colonial Spanish or French dialects to each other.
This demographic breakdown could be anything of any native American, European, or African ethnicity, socioeconomic, or cultural background.
Latino/Latina can really be nothing more than “I called my grandmother Abuelita so I deserve Social Justice victim status.”
Granted the Census definition of white is just as bad.
“White” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples
of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa. It includes people who indicated their race(s) as “White” or reported entries such as Irish, German, Italian, Lebanese, Arab, Moroccan, or Caucasian.
But nobody on college campuses or in politics is really rushing to identify as white if they have one drop of anything else in them.
These demographic breakdowns are so bad, so pointless, it is time to get rid of them. They mean practically nothing except for their ability to isolate people into groups and fight.
More years ago than I care to remember, I dated a woman whose family descended from the original Spanish settlers in New Mexico, complete huge land grants. Raven black hair, pale blue eyes, and white skin, she made sure that you knew her ancestry was Spanish, not Mexican. So yeah, “Hispanic” as a race, is a meaningless construct. But then “race” as a means of differentiating people is also a meaningless construct (except for physical descriptions).
“she made sure that you knew her ancestry was Spanish, not Mexican.”
Oh yes. You best be sure who are the ancestors or you may get popped in the mouth.
Just don’t call any Spanish Speaker an Argentinian, just to be safe. Nobody likes Argentinians.
Thats why in the old days when you arrived here(leagally!!!) and went thru Ellis island and past the tests, you became an AMERICAN, PERIOD…… its where E Pluribus Unum comes from, out of many becomes ONE, AMERICAN. I judge you by your charactor and actions,thats it. We the People need to return to that.
Nuke Road Warrior: “But then “race” as a means of differentiating people is also a meaningless construct (except for physical descriptions).”
Race is a “meaningless construct”? Really? Then riddle me this: why do African-Americans, who are something like 15% of the total population, make up 80% of the NBA and 75% of the NFL? That’s one hell of a “meaningless construct.”
Clearly by that definition “hispanic” is not a race. It’s an origin designation at best. I’m not sure how to justify applying the label “racist” to that.
A better argument is that any government distinction or labeling by race or national origin (which these tags are) is illegal and indeed unconstitutional.
I never answer any form that asks that question, and I urge everyone to do the same. If there is a “prefer not to say” box, I check that. Otherwise, I leave blank. If everybody did the same, maybe they would stop asking.
Given that all paleontological and anthropological evidence points to Homo sapiens sapiens having originated in Eastern Africa – and none of these forms every declaring how many generations back I’m supposed to stop counting at – I have decided I’m going to label myself as having “African ancestry” whenever asked.
So me some form of objective, empirical, and falsifiable test to distinguish “white” from “black” or “brown,” and I’ll be happy to change my point of view. But until then, all the sciences can tell me is that I’m an H. sapiens, you’re an H. sapiens, and that guy is an H. sapiens. We just have inconsequential (and mostly subjective) differences in our cosmetic appearance.
I’m Cuban and do not consider myself hispanic. I am as white a any white man. It is all bullshit.
See? Takes one Cuban to come over and screw the guisado. 😀
When you read the US Constitution and Bill of Rights ‘using the historical contextual root definition of words selected by the authors’…..it becomes very understandable that…where ever your heritage originally came from, you agree and are persuaded 100% to leave all of that….here’s the truth….Citizenship-Allegiance of your former national identity…behind in order to take up, a new citizenship identity of a USA Citizenship—you’re NEW citizenship status.
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Meanwhile back at your “Ranch of Personality” you conduct yourself out of respect to your forefathers of your personal heritage as one who is from…..(in my case) Scotland. You’ll be able to understand my family heritage by the food I cook, the mannerisms I broadcast, the idioms and sayings I use and yes, the beer I drink….which all pays respect and tribute to my Scottish great grandfather who came to the USA for better work opportunities AND a far better state of citizenship.
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I personally do NOT want to have the Italians stop being Italians….cause I don’t want to lose their contribution to the overall personality of the USA Citizenry. Same goes for all varieties of heritages represented by people who left behind their citizenship of their families’ homelands for an American Citizenship.
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By all means, bring your cultural heritage with you intact, and celebrate the intelligence of your forefather for coming to the USA in order to ……join in the effort of contribution to the greatest construct of government ever known to human history. Indeed, it was a STEP UP…to take up citizenship in America.
I love how all the other check-boxes are “Races” but “Hispanic” is a “Culture”….apparently the ONLY culture…and a culture made up of the cultures of other countries that couldn’t be more different.
Here’s a cool fact, I worked with an Argentinian, she had an Italian Last name because, like the current pope, her family emigrated from Italy ages ago.
One common slur for “Italian” is “Guinea” implying that due to the Moorish Occupation they are more African than European…..AKA not “White”.
So what is my friend? The appropriate answer is “Who Cares”?