Racial terminology (part 2)
MrDeuce
Illinois
These questions are primarily directed at Hispanic TUSCLers. If you prefer scrambled eggs with catsup to huevos rancheros or think Taco Bell is Mexican food, I don't much care what you have to say on this subject.
Do Hispanics in the U.S. care whether Anglos call them Hispanic or Latino? If they're Mexican, do they favor either of these terms over Mexican or Chicano? Do Hispanics who look white think of themselves as white, or does this change as they live here longer? There is some statistical evidence that U.S. Latinos who have been here for more than ten years have an increased tendency to choose Caucasian rather than Latino as their racial/ethnic classification on, for example, census forms.
One more question: Do Latinos see Ted Cruz as one of them, even though he's a Baptist and a conservative?
Do Hispanics in the U.S. care whether Anglos call them Hispanic or Latino? If they're Mexican, do they favor either of these terms over Mexican or Chicano? Do Hispanics who look white think of themselves as white, or does this change as they live here longer? There is some statistical evidence that U.S. Latinos who have been here for more than ten years have an increased tendency to choose Caucasian rather than Latino as their racial/ethnic classification on, for example, census forms.
One more question: Do Latinos see Ted Cruz as one of them, even though he's a Baptist and a conservative?
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16 comments
Ted Cruz was born in Calgary, Alberta. He is a freakin' Canuck. I take no pride in claiming him as a natural citizen of the greatest land on this planet.
Sadly, it is true. His birth certificate said it is so. Canada is not an asshole-free country for all its other estimable qualities.
The father of Ted Cruz is a Cuban and lived in Canada for several years running his own seismic company in Calgary. In truth, Cruz Sr. was sort of a competitor of mine in the 1970s but I did not know the man. Birthplace of Cruz' mother is unknown to me.
I know that your constitution has language barring non native born Americans from becoming POTUS but that prevision has been breached in the past when Chester Arthur became POTUS upon the assassination of Garfield. Arthur was born in southern Quebec in a village very close to the Vermont border.
'Native born' seems to have a very loose meaning.
"Natural born" does not require birth on US soil. Otherwise, several million children of military members would not be citizens, and they clearly are.
The wording is 'natural born' and not 'native born', is it? I understand the different shades of meaning. Why mention this in your constitution in the first place, georg? Surely citizenship would be sufficient rather than place of birth or place of birth of the prospective president's parents?
Thank you for the history/civics/politics lesson, Professor Microdong.
Hasn't really worked out that way, if that was the intent. Virtually every president since the turn of the 20th century has worked to erode freedom and limit liberty. Arguably even before that.
In either case it's preferrable to misidentifying a Cuban vs a Mexican vs a Puerto Rican vs. whatever, THAT raises hackles.
Re: natural born citizens, another point when the nation was being founded, they wanted to prevent some European from carpetbagging. The requirement is that the person be natural-born citzen, or have been a citizen at the time of founding, and have resided for 14 years -- which the last two combined would have meant the first eligibles in 1789 would have to have resided through the entire Revolution.
John McCain was born in Panama but is native born under the same rule.
I am a Caribbean born Hispanic and I'm more used to the term Hispanic although I'm fine being called Latino – it seems to me the term Latino is often used more relating to Mexicans which are the largest Latino population in the U.S.
Hispanic/Latino is probably akin to Anglo/Caucasian – most people probably don't know the difference and probably use the terms interchangeably.
There are Caribbean Hispanics; South American Hispanics; and Central American Hispanics; it seems people from different regions use one term more than the other.
I am 45 y/o and immigrated to the U.S. when I was 9 – I was raised in a Spanish-speaking household and with typical Hispanic customs – so I identify myself as a Hispanic and not Caucasian – even though I'm often told that I look more white or European than I do Hispanic.
For 2nd generation Hispanics; i.e. those born and raised in the U.S. but of Hispanic parents; they may see themselves more as American or Caucasian than Hispanic.