The Basics- Empirical Approach
DEFINITION - The terms "Hispanic" or "Latino" refer to persons who trace their origin or descent to Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Spanish speaking Central and South America countries, and other Spanish cultures. Origin can be considered as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before their arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race.
Trying to graph the “race” of the United States is an ever changing problem. One of the most difficult minorities to map is the Latino population. To combat this issue, prior to the 2000 census, there was a movement to remove “race” altogether from the ballot. A compromised was reached and the option of “multiracial” was added to the options (Staples 1). As we discussed in class, the idea of race is hard to describe because it is not a biological difference simply based on skin color as some people may believe. This advancement adds yet another problem to mapping the Latino Population. Due to illegal immigration, children of illegals and citizens who simply do not partake in the census or fill it out incorrectly, the Latino population is misrepresented.
According to the 2010 census data of the United States, Latinos are the largest minority present. Latinos currently compose 16.3% of the American population which translates to roughly 48.4 million people. This number will only multiply as Latinos continue to be the fastest growing minority, with a 3.1% yearly increase. At the current growth rate, Latinos will compose 30% of the nation's overall population by 2050. Interestingly, from 1990 to 2010 the Latino population in the United States has done more than double, so 2050 could hold a much higher presented than predicted. America already holds the number two spot in respect to Latino population, only Mexico has a population (111 million) larger than the U.S.'s. These numbers all represent a major issue of the demographic change that has and will continue to take place in the United States.
So how is this number growing so rapidly? For starters, one in four new born are of Latino ancestry. 2008 data shows that 66% of America's Latino population was of Mexican decent, 9% were of Puerto Rican and the remainder were a mixture of other South and Central American countries. A large majority of the Latino population remains in the southern states, but many cities to the north are starting to see a large influx of Latino immigrants. To put this into perspective, 47% of the overall Latino population lived in either California or Texas while 14 other states had a Latino population over a half million. Predictions for future population growth show that these states along with many others will continue to see increases in their Latino populations.
Critical Theory
While the Hispanic/Latino population has typically been homogenized, it is important to understand how this identity is portrayed in, interacts with, and is constituted of larger social and cultural experiences. Below, we identify how this identity may be positioned within higher education, politics, cultural experiences, and geography.
Higher Education
As the population of identified Hispanic/Latino citizens grows in the United States, the place of Latino Studies within higher education is debated. It is an effort to “institutionalize the study of…group experiences” and give a legitimate voice to the increasing numbers of Latino students. The initial attempts at establishing Latino Studies programs were titled “’Chicano Studies’ or ‘Puerto Rican Studies,’ corresponding directly to the vocal, spirited, and politically grounded struggles of the Chicano and Puerto Rican communities for justice and liberation” (Flores, p. 210). This reflects the diversity to be found in the group defined by the umbrella-term “Latino” and how for many people, this identity can be centered on national identity or very specific cultural experiences. To create a program proposing to address issues and educate on the experiences of Latino people is almost in a way legitimizing the term and its use in homogenizing a vast group of people and respecting the cultural hegemony in which the identity was created. However, identities are constructed through their place in larger social discourse and the influence of “feminist, post-colonial, and race theories” have allowed for a recognition that the identity labeled “Hispanic/Latino” is much more complex than initially recognized (p. 213). The globalization of our economies and cultures has blurred the initial foundation of Latino Studies in creating a “reinterpretation of the concept of nation” and therefore, a reinterpretation of the concept of Latino (p. 215). The challenge in crafting Latino Studies lies in respecting and acknowledging all the experiences of ‘Latino’ people while paying close attention to the ways this identity has been shaped, examining the “real or constitutive unities within and among the Latino population” (p. 914). The creation of these programs asserts an authoritative position within society to study and explain the Hispanic/Latino identity.
Music
In his article Latin Holidays: Mexican Americans, Latin Music, and Cultural Identity in Postwar Los Angeles, Anthony Macias cites music as one of the major tools through which Mexican Americans assert their identity. One major concern of Mexican Americans in this time period was to ensure that were “not [to be] treated merely as cheap labor or, worse yet, as ‘Negroes’”(65). They found that there were many places across the city were “Latin” nights were becoming more frequent, along with events that young people who were looking for the same environment could gather together. In a sense, their “place” was just beginning to come together as a social structure, and they simultaneously worked to create it. This article draws upon sources which identify various night clubs and concert venues where this novel type of music and dance were being explored at the time. Many locations were not catered specifically to Mexican Americans, and they ended up being more of a blend of people from a range of races and ethnic backgrounds from “Spanish” to “Latin” to “Mexican”. While this new sense of “place” perhaps is not a direct copy of what this group experienced in Mexico, they were able to “add[ed] their own distinct spin to [existing] styles”(73) of music and dance, which empowered them as a group, and ultimately helped them to achieve their goal of avoiding the “Anglo-imposed ‘commodity identity’ in which Mexicans were seen merely as cheap labor”(78). They made the most of their situation by blurring lines between different identity groups and creating a place where their new identity could flourish.
Politics
As with most demographics today, the Hispanic voting population has a small turn out in relation to their population size. Although this is the case, both Republicans and Democrats have acknowledged the large untapped voting population they make up. As of 2008, Hispanic Americans made up the largest minority group, 15.4% of the United States entire population, and this number has only continued to grow. Another statistic to show the drastic change in the growing Hispanic population can be shown by the decrease in Non-Hispanic White's overall make up of America's population. In 2000, Non-Hispanic Whites made up 70% of the United States total population, but in 2010 this number has dropped to 63.7%. The change in the under eighteen years old population is much more extreme in this context. One out of every five k-12 students are of Hispanic descent as well as one out of every four newborns. This information clearly shows an overall change in the makeup of the American population.
So how do we handle this inevitable change? Republicans are fortunate that the Hispanic population does not come out in full force when election season comes around. Barack Obama received eighty percent of the minority vote in the last presidential election. Of this number, two-thirds were of the Hispanic population. Hot topics such as immigration reform and healthcare are keys to the Democrats retaining these votes. By having more relaxed and universal laws proposed on these popular issues, the Democrats have helped to seal the Hispanic vote. Both political parties continue to try and fight for the minority vote, but as of 2008 it is clear the Democrats are increasing their advantage over the Republicans.
Below is a video that shows the lack of connection between the Hispanic community and the Republican party.
Geography
In their article, Latino immigrants and the renegotiation of place and belonging in small town America (2008), Nelson and Hiemstra employ critical theory to examine and compare the creation and maintenance of the Latin American identity through two case studies of immigrant/non-immigrant relations in Leadville, Colorado and Woodburn, Oregon. Both of these small communities have a 50% or above Latino population but the structures of these town created two separate outcomes of identity.
In Leadville, CO, the sociospatial structure is maintained in a way that separates immigrant Latinos from their non-immigrant counterparts. Latino immigrants occupy space on the outskirts of Leadville and use public spaces at different times (usually at night) than non-immigrants. Nelson and Hiemstra have found that these "parallel communities" created by geographically separating immigrants from non-immigrants allow for residents to maintain images of immigrants created by the national media (p. 324). The authors have found that increasingly society-wide discourse that stresses the "illegality" of immigrants gives non-immigrants a publicly acceptable narrative to justify the exclusion of immigrants as well as functioning to make these immigrants feel like they themselves can never belong (p. 325). As Mexican-Americans in Leadville see the presence of immigrants as a threat to their own belonging, any chance of a unified Latino identity in this particular case study is shattered.
Nelson and Hiemstra saw a different outcome of the creation of identity in Woodburn, OR. Immigrants, largely working in the migrant farming industry, have been able to better assimilate into the Latino community, and have gained and maintained the support of Mexican-Americans in Woodburn. The acceptance of immigrants in this community can largely be attributed to the popular Chicano solidarity movements of the 1970s, and immigrants are not seen as a threat to the Latino-American identity (p. 329). The support garnered from these groups allows for immigrants to have a stronger and unified voice to negotiate their own "place" in this community. The Latino community in Woodburn has created a unified identity and sense of place and belonging, regardless of issues of citizenship (p. 333).
So What?
These four examples provide only a small view into the ways in which Hispanic/Latino identity is manipulated by larger social forces and is one interpretation through the lens of scholarly research. Identified Hispanic/Latino people are constantly interacting with society in ways to mediate tensions associated with immigration, and assert a presence among higher arenas of education and politics which help combat cultural stereotypes. What we see is that defining oneself as Hispanic/Latino positions oneself along an interesting intersection of society, where historically defined conceptions carry baggage which makes integration and inclusion in the United States a constant process of mediation and struggle.
Constructivist
Our group was interested in understanding how Latinos understood their cultural identity. To that end, we created a short survey and reached out to Ohio University's international community. Unfortunately, our survey only had a 50% response rate, but the answers we received still provided valuable insights. Respondents indicated that being from Latin American countries was key to their identities. One respondent noted that her country (Colombia) featured many different cultural identities based on what area a person was from--a notion not so alien for those of us from the United States.
Respondents stated that differences between cultures continue to cause problems for them. One mentioned that in Latin American countries, it was normal to kiss someone on the cheek when greeting them, but here when she leans it, almost reflexively, the American will put his or her hand out for shaking. It reminds her that she is somewhere else. Similarly, another mentioned being less aware of American's "bubble" or personal zone. She indicated that on more than one occasion she had violated it and had to remind herself where she was.
Respondents stated that their time abroad made them more Latin American. That is, the more they were away, the more they identified with others from their home region. The first respondent indicated she had many more Latin American friends than she thought she would just because it was easier to connect with them because even if their culture was unique, there were enough shared qualities to make connections easier. Another respondent reported she always felt a little alien at home, but the more time away she spends the more "Costena" (person from the coast) she feels.
All this suggests that our core identity is pretty fixed. While we may feel one way while at home in our "safe" place, when we travel abroad, we take our place with us in the form of our attitudes and mores. We use these cultural aspects to present ourselves to others and to make connections with people who share similar cultural traits. This American Life once featured a pair of women, one rich and the other poor. Both married Americans and had immigrated to the USA from Russia. While neither would have been friends with the other in their native land, their shared culture brought them together. Initially they didn't exactly hit it off, but in the end, shared culture won out and they became friends.
Conclusion
Latin Americans are the fastest growing part of the US populace. Latin families hold onto their unique identities, but there are also forces pulling them away from their traditions into the broader "American" culture. It's difficult to know at this point how that will be achieved or how successful it can even be. Latin Americans are very proud of their heritage and culture. It will be up to members of this community to decide how "American" they choose to be and what identity they create for themselves in the 21st century.
References:
Flores, J. (1997). Latino studies: New contexts, new concepts. Harvard Educational Review. 67(2).
U.S. Census Bureau; Census 2010, Hispanic Americans by the numbers, generated by Census Bureau, ;(3 May 2011).
Staples, Brent. "On Race and the Census." New York Times. Late Edition.Final (2007): 1-2. Print.
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