Who Constitute The Hispanics?
Who Constitute the Hispanics?
The term ‘Hispanic’ recognizes people whose cultural ancestry lies first in Spain and then in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America which comprises of Mexico, Central America and most of South America except Brazil, and several Caribbean nations. The term gained wide spread prominence only after the 1960s. (Jorge Iber, 2005:6). Spanish and Portuguese explorers and settlers began to arrive in America in the early 1500s. With the intermingling of different communities over the years, most of the Hispanics living in the United States are of mixed heritage. In social research, the definition of any ethnic or racial group always tends to be problematic. Although they are all referred to as a whole, the Hispanics are not a homogenous ethnic or racial group as is perceived by people across the world. The term in itself could be a suitable label for people who do not comprehend the intricacies of this varied population. Despite these romanticised notions of a common identity and political cohesion, first generation immigrants never used to identify themselves as Hispanics. They have always perceived of themselves as Cubans, Mexicans, …show more content…
Yet another crucial demographic change over the years is the national scattering of the Hispanic people. While the Hispanic community was largely concentrated in cities such as Texas, California, Chicago etc, over the years there has been a lot of geographic mobility across the country. The Hispanic population is also largely known for their youthful population which comprises a major chunk. The presence of the Hispanics in the US is no new phenomenon, but their growing political, cultural and economic prominence has created an awareness of their impact on the future course of the
The term ‘Hispanic’ recognizes people whose cultural ancestry lies first in Spain and then in the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America which comprises of Mexico, Central America and most of South America except Brazil, and several Caribbean nations. The term gained wide spread prominence only after the 1960s. (Jorge Iber, 2005:6). Spanish and Portuguese explorers and settlers began to arrive in America in the early 1500s. With the intermingling of different communities over the years, most of the Hispanics living in the United States are of mixed heritage. In social research, the definition of any ethnic or racial group always tends to be problematic. Although they are all referred to as a whole, the Hispanics are not a homogenous ethnic or racial group as is perceived by people across the world. The term in itself could be a suitable label for people who do not comprehend the intricacies of this varied population. Despite these romanticised notions of a common identity and political cohesion, first generation immigrants never used to identify themselves as Hispanics. They have always perceived of themselves as Cubans, Mexicans, …show more content…
Yet another crucial demographic change over the years is the national scattering of the Hispanic people. While the Hispanic community was largely concentrated in cities such as Texas, California, Chicago etc, over the years there has been a lot of geographic mobility across the country. The Hispanic population is also largely known for their youthful population which comprises a major chunk. The presence of the Hispanics in the US is no new phenomenon, but their growing political, cultural and economic prominence has created an awareness of their impact on the future course of the