Do you agree with the use of the term Hispanic as an all-encompassing identity for peoples of Latin American descent? Do you prefer it to be replaced by more specific identities based on national origins? If so, explain why. If not, what problems do you have with the term?
In your essay, you should discuss the meanings and uses of the category Hispanic in U.S. politics, from the time it was introduced to measure the U.S. population of Spanish and Latin American descent, to its current use as a pan-ethnic identity. You should describe the origins of the term as an official minority designation approved by the US Congress, recount the attempts to measure the Hispanic population in the US censuses (1980, 1990, and 2000), and discuss the differences in self-identification between foreign-born and US-born Hispanics.
You should reflect on what is at stake in the current use of the Hispanic identity as both a racial and an ethnic category and on the challenges the Hispanic category faces to solidify its status as a pan-ethnic identity fostering cross-cultural solidarity among different Latino communities.
In your essay, use and/or explain the meaning of the following keywords: Hispanicity / Minority designation / Censuses / Self-identification / Self-translation / Spanish and Spanglish / Reactive Ethnicity / Pan-ethnic Identity.
Make reference to Defining Hispanicity and Defining the Situation.”
INSTRUCTIONS:
Structure your essay as follows:
one introductory paragraph where you mention your personal take on the current use of the term Hispanic and what is at stake on the history of the term (it was introduced as a legal fiction to designate a new minority group; yet now it is used as a pan-ethnic identity by the children of immigrants.)
one paragraph where you describe the origins of the term as an official minority designation approved by the US Congress, and recount the attempts to measure the Hispanic population in the US censuses (1980, 1990, and 2000.)
one paragraph where you discuss the differences in self-identification between foreign-born and US-born Hispanics, and explain why the children of immigrants tend to self-define as Hispanics more than their parents. Reflect on the use of the Hispanic identity as both a racial and an ethnic category.
one concluding paragraph where you summarize your main points and comment on the challenges the Hispanic category faces to solidify its status as a pan-ethnic identity fostering cross-cultural solidarity among different Latino communities.
Make reference to Defining Hispanicity and Defining the Situation.
