 |
|
|
 Vallarta Living | May 2007 
How Do You Define "Latino"
 dailynews.com
Q: I wonder if you can help me understand something. How do you define "Latino"? My daughter-in-law is the child of a Spanish mother and a Mexican father. She claims that she is a Hispanic person and not a Latino. Further, she claims that I, a child of Italian immigrants, am the Latino!
I thought all people from Mexico, Central America, South America and certain Caribbean islands were considered Latino. But a Cuban friend insists that she, too, is not a Latino.
I am confused. Can you provide any insight as to just who is a Latino and who isn't?
LILY: To me, defining "Latino" is like arguing about the definition of sea blue vs. aqua blue. We receive occasional questions regarding this issue and, to be quite honest, there is no real answer. It's really up to each individual on how you define the word "Latino." Heck, some people don't even like the word. Others use Hispanic or Mexican-American or Mexican or Tex-Mex or Chicano or Centro-Americano or ... see what I mean?
If your daughter-in-law considers herself to be Latina, then so be it. If she doesn't, that's OK, too. What really matters is that you recognize your life has history, and no matter how unique each history lesson is, we all belong to the human race. What good are a bunch of labels? Be whatever you want to be. As for your daughter-in-law, gently remind her that, just as you can't tell her what she is, she has no right to insist on what you are.
CATHERINE: "Latino" is used interchangeably with "Hispanic." These words have become loaded labels, sources of pride or malicious verbal attacks. Some people prefer one term over the other, but really they mean the same thing: someone who comes from Latin America. Neither term defines a person's race, as you can be of any race and still be from a Latin country. Labels and socially acceptable titles are consistently changing. Enjoy who you are today.
DANNY: Technically, historically and politically, all three of you are Latinas, so neither of you is totally right nor totally wrong.
Italians are categorized as Romance-speaking Europeans along with the Spanish, French and other Latin people. The French fashioned the concept of "Latin America" in the mid-1800s in an effort to legitimize a political agenda in Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. And our own government's decision to officially use "Latino" interchangeably with the word "Hispanic" has further complicated the issue.
The inference of the word "Latino" is not without quarrel, but it nevertheless categorizes you, your daughter-in-law and even preys on your Cuban friend. You are free to choose your own cultural tag and leave others to do the same. Or maybe we can all just try to get along without the labeling. |
| |
|
Vallarta Weddings
Tell a Friend
Site Map
Print this Page
Email Us