In Latino Heritage: Our Stories, we read about the voice of an “invisible people” that is often times forgotten in the American media due to the constant talk of race relations between African Americans and Whites. There was also a comment posted on this story which says that the concept of a “Latino Identity” is a myth because there is no way to group all Spanish Americans into one category. Of course, making one all-encompassing “Latino Heritage” idea is difficult because we have all been raised in completely different ways, but it is absolutely not fair to say it is a myth. At the same time, it is a bit of an exaggeration to say that we are “ignored” – Hispanics are the fastest growing minority in the U.S. The “Latino” experience in the United States varies according to country of origin, socio-economic status, and across generations living in the United States, but there is something that binds us together. Whether it is culture, language, or religion, there is something to be said for the similarities that transcend all the millions of differences between a Mexican-American from Albuquerque and a Cuban-American from Miami.
Most of the discrimination that Latinos face in the U.S. goes back to the basic issue that affects African-Americans: skin color and race. Sometimes we are grouped with African Americans as “minorities” while other times we are divided up into “white-Hispanic” and “non-white Hispanic.” Other times, on some surveys, we must identify ourselves by the country of our origin. Each of these classifications is telling of the way in which Latinos are viewed in the United States. Latinos are often times identifiable by their name, accent, or customs, but many times they are not. When they are not it is because they are “white”, they speak English perfectly and have successfully been able to assimilate into the American culture. As a first generation American, born of Cuban parents, I enjoy the look of surprise I receive from people when I tell them that my parents are Cuban and that I spoke Spanish before English. I can move in and out of the American culture and the Hispanic culture. This ability to assimilate but never lose the heritage of our parents and grandparents is what makes the Latino experience unique. Hispanics hold on very tightly to their culture, family, religion, language, and customs so that us first generation Americans cannot forget where we came from so easily. Although we have each had completely different experiences growing up as part of a “minority” in the U.S., the story of the first generation American of Hispanic decent is more similar than we think.
The fact still remain that only a slight cultural and ra diminishing Catholic Church are nothing but a veneer shared by all Spanish-American regardless of origin.
However the Heritage that prevails is each one’s national origin not the so-called Latino Heritage.
The rest of you statments are totally correct although you seem to mix the Western “Hispanos” of Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado descendats of the original Spanish settlers and that were under the Mexican Republic for only about 20 years far and away from that influence with the Mexicn-Americans two different peoples who share many things but are different in fact in many places in the “Hispano” environment the spanish they speak is clooser to the 16th century Spanish than to Mexican Spanish, this spuld be of interest to you and anyone interested in US Hispanica.
Said J. Reyes-Montblanc,
On October 13, 2008 at 8:24 pm:
George Patsourakos
This is a good article on Latino heritage in the United States; however, the article only mentions Spanish-Americans, with no mention of Portuguese-Americans. We need to keep in mind that Brazil — a Portuguese-speaking country in South America — is larger than all of the other South American countries combined. Consequently, when we speak of Latinos or Hispanics in the United States, we need to remember to include Portuguese-Americans as well as Spanish-Americans. It is commendable that the author of this article — a first-generation American born of Cuban parents — has assimilated into American culture without losing many of his Hispanic traditions. Unfortunately, Hispanic-Americans often want to retain their Hispanic culture as their primary culture — using English as a second language is a good example of this — with American culture being secondary. I believe that this priority is wrong, since it stifles the social and economic growth of these Hispanic-Americans, in addition to pervading an air of ungratefulness in enjoying everything the United States has to offer them!
Said George Patsourakos,
On October 13, 2008 at 4:57 pm: