Before 1970, the US Census Bureau classified Mexican, Cuban and Puerto Rican immigrants as whites. Each community of Latin American origin would go by their nationality and by the region where they lived in the United States. But all that changed in the seventies, as activists began lobbying the US Census Bureau to create a broad, national category that included all these communities. The result was the creation of the term “Hispanic”, first introduced in the US Census in 1970.
Then it was up to Spanish-language media to get the word out. The network that would later become Univision released this series of ads calling on “Hispanics” to fill out the 1980 Census. The ads feature “Hispanic” sports stars and… Big Bird:
By the 1990s, Univision was creating the images and sounds associated to Hispanics in the US. The 1990 Census ads feature the likes of Tito Puente and Celia Cruz telling Hispanics to fill out el censo:
Maria Hinojosa interviews author and scholar G. Cristina Mora about origins of the term, the people who crafted it, and what it actually means to be Hispanic in the United States today.
Videos courtesy of Univision Communications and the Univision News library in Miami, Florida.
Photo courtesy of El Telecote archive on Found SF
Hispanic refers to people whose origins are in Spain ! It isn’t a race
No, that would be Spainish or Spainards… Hispanic is the culmination of Latin speaking cultures… Or its a term derrived from “The land of Rabbits” in ancient Roman. However I doubt the Romans called the people there Hispanics…
I really dislike this term, also latino, latina…but will use them when rushed in conversation…
I really dislike this term, also latino, latina…but will use them when rushed in conversation…
I saw Celia Cruz in one of the ads. Certainly she wasn’t listed as White?
Dictator Rafael Trujillo (Ruling from 1930 – 1961 , in the Dominican Republic, celebrated the concept of la Hispanidad (Spanishness), Hispanic blue blood. However, when a person’s skin left no doubt as to their Black heritage, a concept of “Indianness” was quickly created to explain that Dominican’s complexion. Thus, a Dominican whose skin color is midway between a mulatto and a Black is identified as being of Indian origin. Countless dubious studies were conducted to prove this “Indianness” of the Dominican people through analysis of blood types, facial features and varying dental patterns. Sounds like another famous dictator. Progress is calling yourself what you are/call us what we are. Stop being lazy.
From NYT Article –
Ana Celia Zentella, a linguistics professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, traced the origins of the word Hispanic to “Hispania,” a Phoenician word for “land of rabbits” that was used by the Romans during their conquest of the area that includes modern-day Spain. She uses Latino among others like herself, and Hispanic on grant proposals, but has found a growing push for Latino, which sometimes, she says, smacks of political correctness.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/15/weekinreview/ideas-trends-what-s-the-problem-with-hispanic-just-ask-a-latino.html
Dictator Rafael Trujillo (Ruling from 1930 – 1961 , in the Dominican Republic, celebrated the concept of la Hispanidad (Spanishness), Hispanic blue blood. However, when a person’s skin left no doubt as to their Black heritage, a concept of “Indianness” was quickly created to explain that Dominican’s complexion. Thus, a Dominican whose skin color is midway between a mulatto and a Black is identified as being of Indian origin. Countless dubious studies were conducted to prove this “Indianness” of the Dominican people through analysis of blood types, facial features and varying dental patterns. Sounds like another famous dictator. Progress is calling yourself what you are/call us what we are. Stop being lazy.
From NYT Article –
Ana Celia Zentella, a linguistics professor at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, traced the origins of the word Hispanic to “Hispania,” a Phoenician word for “land of rabbits” that was used by the Romans during their conquest of the area that includes modern-day Spain. She uses Latino among others like herself, and Hispanic on grant proposals, but has found a growing push for Latino, which sometimes, she says, smacks of political correctness.
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/15/weekinreview/ideas-trends-what-s-the-problem-with-hispanic-just-ask-a-latino.html
Latino is nothing but wrongly used. Latinos in all cases are Cultures that had emerged from the Roman Empire, which was created in Rome which is part of the Lacio region or Latium in Latin. The languages that emerged from the Latin are, among many other, Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese, Romanian… Basically because all those territories formed the Roman Empire. US did it very wrong by putting all South and Centro Americans in the same basket as all this wonderful countries don’t create a race and have a very different features and cultures among them, and they are actually nothing different than a mix races after Spanish & Portuguese colonization and mix with aborigines. The second and biggest mistake is to use the word Latino to refer the same, as Latinos perse are the Italians, Spanish, Portuguese and French people which cultures really were created using the Latin Language as a basis of their culture. I would not even use Hispanic as there is people that are not really happy with the fact that they have Spanish ancestors or actually many have never been touched by Spanish blood in their family although they have taken the language. I’m from Spain and I would be happy if they refer themselves as Hispanic but I understand the fact that all the countries got their independence with the intention of creating their own culture and history.
As a Mexican American, who is Spanish, Indigenous (Apache and Ute) and little Portuguese and a Little Greek, I like a “Latino”. Latino is inclusive! I am activist for all Latinos and the greater picture! The term “Hispanic” is being used as race! Latino is masculine of Latin. There is Latin Europe and there is Latin America. Here is the reasons that can be proven factually why “Hispanic” must be removed from the U.S. Census and changed to “Latino”:
1.) When the Spanish arrived in the Islands (Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba), South America, Central America, and Southwestern United States, the Spanish brought with them Slaves and servants from Greece, Turkey, Portugal, and there is more.
2.) The country of Uruguay the Spanish wed the Italians and Germans, and say good-bye in a mean way to the Indigneous of Uruguay.
3.) Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez, the Explorer Diaz or Dias, and the last name of “Silva” like my grandfather (a Mexican American) are not Spanish, they are Portuguese surnames.
4.) The Italians settled in and around Mexico City, 200 years ago, and what happened?
5.) Then there is the history of Cinco De Mayo, the Mexicans had a war with France. These Mexican surnames are not Spanish: Blea and Gurule’ they are French.
6.) Then there is the history of Mexican American fighting side by side the Sam Patricios (the fightin’ Irish), and there were weddings.
7.) In July of 1971, Nixon wanted to be dirty and get himself reelected so, who decided to conquer and divide the Mexican American electorate or constituency by having a C.C.C.O.S. in July of 1971, verified with the Nixon Library. He invited only one Civil Rights activist, and rest were figure heads to market the term “Hispanic”. He knew he get reelected with the Cuban and Dominican Republic community, but not the Mexican American community. So, he divided Mexicans by Business (Hispanic Chamber of Commerce), Hispanic Bar Association, and organizations like NSHMBA were supposedly given money to prop this term “Hispanic”.
8.) Hispanic oppresses Mexican Americans, anyone of Spanish, and anyone from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Domincan Republic, South America, Central America, and the South Western United States. You are telling Mexican Americans to forget what we are, and for you to forget your history, geography and culture. It is because of Civil Rights present day activists, and past activists Mexican American activists that there is opportunity, But, what to extent to oppress all of us, by not allowing the truth of Civil Rights and saying “Hispanic” is race and not ethnicity.
9.) I will fight for all Latinos and the greater picture! I am not oppressed and I will not call myself a “Hispanic”. I am the one who fights for Cuban, Puerto Rican, Dominican Republic, South Americans, Central Americans, and Mexican Americans to have Civil Rights! Viva LOS LATINOS! Viva Humanity! Paz, amor, y entiendo! I raised on tamales and call my grandmother abuela!
Both Latinos and Hispanics are from Europe, has been and will always will be.The first ships were Hispanic and the captain Columbus was the first Latino., the people here were never either Hispanic nor Latino.
In Florida, It’s no longer defined exclusively by the Cuban Diaspora. We have witnessed migration from all points of the compass that through this diversity we create vibrancy. We could do a lot worse than this becoming the model for America in the 21st Century. I will always prefer cosmopolitan over parochial.
The term Hispanic was adopted by the United States government in the early 1970s during the administration of Richard Nixon after the Hispanic members of an interdepartmental Ad Hoc Committee to develop racial and ethnic definitions recommended that a universal term encompassing all Hispanic subgroups—including Central and South Americans—be adopted. As the 1970 census did not include a question on Hispanic origin on all census forms—instead relying on a sample of the population via an extended form (“Is this person’s origin or descent: Mexican; Puerto Rican; Cuban; Central or South American; Other Spanish; or None of these”)—the members of the Ad Hoc Committee wanted a common designation to better track the social and economic progress of the group vis-à-vis the general population. The designation has since been used in local and federal employment, mass media, academia, and business market research. It has been used in the U.S. Census since 1980. Because of the popularity of “Latino” in the western portion of the United States, the government adopted this term as well in 1997, and used it in the 2000 census.
Great!! Finally someone said it!!
Did anyone else notice how they created the same commercials for the two “classes” of Hispanics/Latinos? One is Mexican/ Mexican-influenced (including most of Central America). The other is Caribbean / Caribbean influenced (including portions of northern South America).
The term Hispañus Latin later Hispanos became the term for colonists living in the Americas of Spanish descent. The term Hispanic was adopted as a form of recognition early on by the United States to identify Spanish Colonists and Territory in North America. Nevada, California, Arizona, Tejas, Colorado, Florida, etc etc were once habitated by Hispanic Colonist. Later the term was adopted to identify the population within what is now the territorial United States. So technically San Francisco, Los Angeles, etc etc those were Hispanic cities founded by Spanish Colonists. The videos all they show is the push of the Hispanic – Latin American communities to fill up a census so our voice could be heard. We wanted government participation at a greater scale because we were growing in numbers through birth and recent immigration. Hispanos coming from all over the Americas. Befor the 90’s dot com computer revolution the only way to get demographics in the United States was by filling up a card. By gosh we wanted to be counted in such hence the efforts in Spanish media. Now they utilize birth certificate records and tax data to develop demographic data. There is no need anymore to fill out a card but from the 1990’s back that is how the U.S. Got their data. Courtesy of a history buff .
To add to the discussion most Hispanos are not racist we like sleeping with everyone hence there are White, Black, Asian, Meditteranean, Indian Hispanics everywhere. We are all beautiful and come in different favors. Like a unique flower put into the middle of a yard by destiny what really connects us all Is the language which is “Spanish” . Funny we are writing this in English lol VIVA USA
I don’t understand the word “Latino” used to denominate the Spanish mixed with Native population and culture in the American continent. Latino: word and culture, relating to the Italian region of Lazio (were Latin language originated) The Spanish language is a Lartin language, just like French is. How come French Canadians don’t want to call themselves Latinos too?
Nobody cares, nobody knows.
There was no invention, merely recognition.
This is fascinating. I talk about this each semester in my cultural diversity undergraduate college class. The same thing happened with the creation of “Asians”.
Meanwhile, I will judge people on the content of their character and not by what they are labeled.
Soy Chicana! BAM!
A rose by any other name is still a rose. I tell people what I’d like to be called. At the end of the day they going to call me what they want.
Leave it to the US. They’ll get it wrong every time.
Hispanics and Latinos are indeed just Spanish speaking white people this can be proven by DNA and the simple fact that the dialects differ slightly from the aboriginal indigenous peoples because of their lack of ability to pronounce certain words properly. Latinos/Hispanics were taught the dialect by the Moors, they did not even have a dialect to speak before then. You’ve got to do your history, white people used tricknowledgy to get you to give up your aboriginal indigenous status of “White” if you are of African decent or if you are a native. White people/Latinos/Hispanics are not aboriginal indigenous to any land, nor are they native because they’re born out of Caucasian blood from either mixing or rape. If your ancestors come out of the Americas and were dark skinned aborigines then you are not Latin/Hispanic cause you were born out of the land. This is very a important issue cause the white man of today will try to tell you that these lands are different. When in fact these lands were once all connected and we were once all the same color variation minus the pale people we call white/Hispanic/Latin/pale Arab today.
I also always wondered if Latino or Hispanic is based upon region, shared language and customs….why the MILLIONS of francophone people of African descent in Haiti, Cote D’Ivoire, Senegal, Mali, Guadeloupe, Martinique, etc….why those folks aren’t their own race or ethnicity, like Hispanics? Oh….I know why…..
Most people of Latin American Origin are mixed, and to call us white or black or force us into a single “racial” category is in accurate. Hispanic, as some one said here only touchs the Spanish part of our identity, but we are more than Spanish, so even that is an in accurate term. Latino/a, although some still do not like it, in my opinion refers to a region of the world Latin America. I am more comfortable with that term than Hispanic, because whoever you find in Latin America, is who contributed to my culture and identity, as well as my bio-genetic make-up.
And many forget, that when Spanish came, the arrived here after 800 years of Moorish accupation of the Iberian Penisula, and you there was some mixing going on.
We are a people of a diverse mixture, a people with a complex history, where many attempts to classify us into one box, just does not work.
Somos Xicano!
Problem is no one liked being called Hispanic and those of Spain considered themselves Europeans not Hispanics
Some of yall need to READ. There’s a book called “They Came Before Columbus” you should check out. Some of yall assimilation is showing. And to the idiot who said the guitar, drums, and piano are of European invention…Dude seriously? Stop worshiping the Neanderthal cave dwellers man! We ALL are descendents of great civilizations that were civilized and modern before the 1st white person wiped the woad off their face and came out the cave. Don’t fall for the bs.
Yes in the 1960’s and before we were considerd “white” by U.S. govermnent…I believe that we were considerd “Indian” by texas, and By California, up till 1938, i think we were just referred to as Mexican.In the U>S> chicano activist did not try to lump all with origins in Latin America as “Hispanic” but rather pushed for and got, at least in california, goverment, hospitals, schools, etc…to use the terms “Chicano” or “Mexican-American”. Cuban – American conservatives in conjuction with republicans got the federal goverment, in late 1970’s, to refer to all with what the U>S> considerd people of Latin American origen as “Hispanics”. In Los Angeles Hispanic was not a common term used by Chicanos/Mexicanos/Mexican-Americans. The Times magazine on its front cover in 1980 declared the 1980’s as the decade of the “Hispanic” …….it was also a decleration that the “system ( goverment/media) would now refer to us with that new “incorrect term”. In time many “RAZA” also began to use that term. The L.A. Times refused to use the word “Chicano”. Those of us who were part of the Chicano Movement fought with the LA Times who over and over would declear us “Hispanics” in there news reporting. However when Ex-Chief of L.A. county sherrif department, Lee Baca, was being considerd for that post, the Times broke there own rules and refered to him as a “Chicano” hmmm…..
What the hell is “Hispanics!” Its not a race…another made up word.
It’s a damn mess. I choose either mixed or other.
http://youtu.be/GBt5rMD2aDc
Here you go best explanation ever
I work in law inforcement and when we work with an Hispanic person their category does not excist so they are white is this correct or am I missing something
The census use to use the term Spanish-speakers of Central & South America. I guess that was too much of a hand-full, so they decided to coin an easier term. Unfortunately, the new terms, Hispanics” or “Latinos” are not very descriptive or accurate either.
Here in South America, we do use the term “latino” but with a totally different meaning than in the US. Here “latino” mean “latin”, it’s an adjective relating to the latin culture, to the Roman Empire, its language, laws and institutions. When we say we are a “latino culture” that what we mean.
That’s probably crazy for Americans to hear, because Latin America is not considered “western”, but we do consider ourselves to be western – our languages are derived from latin, our laws are derived from Roman Law, etc…
Here in South America, we do use the term “latino” but with a totally different meaning than in the US. Here “latino” means “latin”, it’s an adjective relating to the latin culture, to the Roman Empire, its language, laws and institutions. When we say we are a “latino culture” that what we mean.
Just don’t call anyone from Spain, Hispanic.
US Census definition “…a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race”
Everybody in the US can claim to be Hispanic. As long as the person thinks it is a possibility that at some time in the prior 0 to 40,000 years someone in their family tree had an origin from the locations mentioned or “Spanish Culture”, then legally you are Hispanic.
For those that disagree, truly what kind of test or limiting factor would you put into place that would say that person A whose great, great, great great great great great great grandparent may have an origin (who knows for sure) in the regions and Spanish culture is not Hispanic, but person B whose great great great great grandparent may have such an origin is Hispanic? Is there a DNA test that would work?
Also, in this day and age where the US govt would like to see a person’s feelings determine whether they are male, female or something else instead of biology (science) who’s to say that feelings can not determine racial and/or ethnic makeup. Especially for college and job applications.
All the better to divide us.
This category was created so that the Caucasian race wouldn’t look so depleted in numbers in the U. S. Just as Asains, and Arabs are instructed to mark white when migrating to the U. S. They’re more minorities combined than they’re Caucasians, it’s called trying to remain the majority when in all reality they aren’t we are, stop letting the division continue.
I will never mark the “Hispanic” box or the “Latino” box. This is an attempt at the “racialization” of people who come from Spanish-speaking countries. It serves to marginalize and isolate people from Spanish-speaking countries from the rest of the U.S. population. As a white (European descent) U.S. citizen who happened to have been born in Cuba, I do not see why I should have to self-identify as somehow different than any other member of the white race in this country. For that matter, why should a Black U.S. citizen who happened to be born in a Spanish-speaking country have to self-identify as different from other Black Americans? The same for those of indigenous / Native American background. The result of the “Hispanic” and “Latino” labels is disempowerment, invisibility, and perpetual “foreignness”. It is frustrating that some people from Spanish-speaking countries actually believe it is to their advantage to identify as such. They are sadly mistaken. Do you ever see representation in the English-speaking media? It’s rare — the “Hispanics” have been segregated to the Spanish media. Separate is never equal folks.