Looky what I found, because you got me all riled up....
I did some searching on the net and found a seemingly unrelated article. If you read through to the end, you will find a nugget that expresses my answer to your question.
"Will: This is a highly controversial and sensitive issue.
I did a research paper last year (for a sensitivity training seminar I gave
to young aspiring Latinas) that yielded the following article published in
Unity First News.
"Hispano"? "Latino"? What is it in a Name?
Rita Gonz?lez for Unity First News, September 1998
There has been great controversy over the "correct" terminology to refer to the ethnic group comprised of mainly Spanish speaking individuals, thus we tend to generalize under one particular nomenclature. While proper for the purpose of achieving effective communication, appropriately generalizing is a major challenge. Many resent the act of generalization, but oftentimes it is a necessary evil. Generalizing serves both a practical purpose and a conceptual purpose. The first enables us to communicate more clearly; the later enables us to make comparisons and contrasts in order to gain insight. Now, For the practical purpose of communication, how do we appropriately generalize, while maintaining a "politically correct" posture? What is it in a name anyway? Why the "big deal"?
First of all, we must recognize that when we refer to individuals of Spanish speaking background, either born in such a country or descendents of, we are not speaking necessarily of one unified people:
1. There is not one but many such countries and cultures in the United States, unique in their own right.
2. There are many of such individuals residing in the United States, either recently arrived or whose ancestry in the continent pre-dates British influence and/or U.S. citizenry. (In the 1300's the Aztecs had been trading fur and other items with "Native Americans"; Juan Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida in 1513; the city of St. Augustine, oldest permanent settlement in the U.S. was founded in 1565 by Pedro M?ndez Avil?s (fifty-five years before the pilgrims set out from England in the Mayflower! ).
3. Although "unified" by language and historic roots, regional differences abound in the Spanish language, influenced by pre-Columbus natives: Maya, Aztec, Inca, Arawac, Carib, Ciboney, other.
4. Non-Spaniard immigrants greatly influenced regional cultural evolution, traditions and language (hence the Italian influence in Argentina, French, British, Dutch and African influence in the Caribbean, Asian in Central America, etc.).
Because of their very distinct histories and ancestries, many individuals feel uncomfortable being referred to by a generic term - "Latino" or "Hispanic". "Hispanic" is the term of choice of the United States Government, a choice of term originated by Census Bureau. "Hispanic" defines the population in terms of its Iberian ancestry. The term "Latino" is the term of choice by the actual population, as it refers to the root of the language - Latin. It can also have broad applicability, inclusive of Brazilian, Portuguese and (sometimes) Italian descent.
Now what? We have established that generalization is important for communication. As an enabler, "Latino" has broader applicability and is better suited for use in non-government . "Hispanic" is the preferred term of "Government Language": "Hispanic Heritage Month", "Hispanic Employment Program". Neither term is intended to be pejorative; they are simply mechanisms for enabling communication. However, if you are dealing with individuals of such ethnic background (employees, employers, customers or neighbors), as a rule of thumb:
1. Listen to how people refer to themselves.
2. Individuals will normally refer to themselves in accordance with their country of origin: "Mexicano (a - denotes gender, female)", "Cubano(a,)", "Puertorrique?o (a)", "Dominicano (a)".
3. When in doubt, ask.
4. If you need to generalize, keep the conversation in context and be sensitive to innuendoes or associating negative connotations to a specific group (stereotyping) .
How you generalize or how you refer to someone is more than semantics or political correctness. And it is certainly more than just a name. When you address someone using the appropriate name or title, you are acknowledging their culture, identity, and personal accomplishments. You achieve respect for individuality, a trait that should not be overlooked in achieving effective communication. As food for thought, hold the same amount of consideration for others as you would have afforded to yourself, should you be traveling abroad?
RITA M. GONZALEZ"
end of quote..........
