Is Pope Francis Latino?

[cmaD2006]

I thought this sentence in the article was interesting:

 

"Latino is commonly, but not exclusively, used to describe people of Latin American descent in the United States, Pitti said. In Latin America itself, people tend to identify themselves by their native country, such as Argentinian, Panamanian or Mexican."

 

Maybe this is only a concern for people living in the United States.

 

You know ... you're right.  It is a US thing. :)  It just dawned on me that it isn't really a term used outside of the US.

 

Then again it is funny when everyone from Latin America is bunched into the term Latino without people realizing the major cultural differences between countries. 

 

BTW ... I like the term Latino better than Hispanic. :)

[Anastasia13]

You know ... you're right.  It is a US thing. :)  It just dawned on me that it isn't really a term used outside of the US.

 

Then again it is funny when everyone from Latin America is bunched into the term Latino without people realizing the major cultural differences between countries.

 

We do that with other groups too. A dark-skinned Iraqi American and a light Dutch American are all the same under US Law, except if it comes to who can be searched and who can/could travel home easily in past years.

 

Americans also cannot easily distinguish between ethnicity and race. I found an interesting article criticizing a man whose family lived in Africa for 6 generations, who lived in Africa until he was an adult, who grew in African culture, around Africans, for describing himself as African America because he was white. While I understand he may not be aware of the sociopolitical context around that term, denying that he is African American by virtue of being African and American I think highlights the muddiness of society's understanding.

[Era Might]

He'd fit in just fine in Little Havana. Problem solved.

[Era Might]

You also have to realize that many Latin Americans have a cultural history (bias) with Argentina.  And well -- Latinos are a mix of countries. (and someone from Spain would not be considered Latino but European, and Argentina is culturally and financially between the two).  This is part of the reason why the discussion will come up.  It has to.

 

Shortly before Francis was elected I was talking to someone from Central America and brought up Argentina as a more well-off country in Latin America, and he pooh-poohed them for thinking they're the best and they're not all that great. I don't know what the deal was, maybe it's a soccer thing lol.

[Anastasia13]

 I don't know what the deal was, maybe it's a soccer thing lol.

Futball, not soccer. :soccer:

[StMichael]

These terms really were put into wide use in the early 1970's by our political parties.

 

I will say that in the 1990's it became widely used as marketing segments and now is specifically pandered too.

 

Latino vs Hispanic.

 

Hispanic means a historical link to Spain. Many countries in South America were colonized by the Spanish, so that is part of the reference. The origin of the name is simple, where Spain is today (as well as Portugal) was the ancient Hispania which was under Roman rule. So if you are hispanic, you have a connection to Spain, Portugal, etc.

 

The US started using "Hispanic" in 1970 (the census) and defines it as anyone that self-identifies their origin from the empires of Spain or Portugal (Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, South or Central America).

 

Latino is simply a direct reference to the region of Latin America, which covers the same area as the Hispanic definition but does not always mean any blood line to Spain or Portugal.

 

Latin Europe is another term that has nothing to do with above, as its reference is to those countries that where Latin was spoken and Roman Catholicism was prevalent. Italy and France would be in this context as would Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Austria (those European countries that belonged to the Holy Roman empire).

 

As for Pope Francis, he is 1st generation as I believe both his parents were born in Italy and appear to be part of the European immigration of the early part of the 20th Century to both the US and South America (Argentina apparently has a climate that is on par with southern Italy, especially for farmers of the time).

 

And as I wrap this up, does it really matter? Sadly, we self identify based on how we are segmented via marketing. 

 

 

You know ... you're right.  It is a US thing. :)  It just dawned on me that it isn't really a term used outside of the US.

 

Then again it is funny when everyone from Latin America is bunched into the term Latino without people realizing the major cultural differences between countries. 

 

BTW ... I like the term Latino better than Hispanic.  :)

 

[Mercy me]

He'd fit in just fine in Little Havana. Problem solved.

 

But they speak Cuban Spanish there.  Argentine and Cuban Spanish are very different.  There are times when I have to pay attention to Cuban Spanish in order to understand the nuance. The cultures dramatically different. And of course the food, Argentine meat is the best in the world!  No bias from me, a former resident of BA.

[Anastasia13]

But they speak Cuban Spanish there.  Argentine and Cuban Spanish are very different.  There are times when I have to pay attention to Cuban Spanish in order to understand the nuance. The cultures dramatically different. And of course the food, Argentine meat is the best in the world!  No bias from me, a former resident of BA.

 

BA?

[Paddington]

I know this guy (he's a magician) and he said that the joke I thought of is inappropriate to post here. :(

[ithinkjesusiscool]

are we now supposed to start a debate whether those born in USA are real Americans or not? Are we to say that only the indigenous people of USA should be called Americans?

And the real Latinos are those who have both Spanish and Latin American ancestors if I got the right information...The pope is a pope and that's what matters to me....but I do love this debate.

[Tab'le De'Bah-Rye]

My thoughts exactly. Why does it matter? Do we (i.e., the media) really have nothing better to talk about? Shouldn't we be batting around ideas about how to solve the poverty problem, cure AIDS, etc.?

 

Why should aids have a cure? Isn't it a consequence of promiscurity/sin.

[Gabriela]

Why should aids have a cure? Isn't it a consequence of promiscurity/sin.

 

Because people suffer from it, and God called us to alleviate others' suffering. Think: If we cured AIDS, all those people with AIDS could live longer and have more opportunity to repent.

 

Not to mention, sometimes it's the consequence of going to the dentist.

[Mercy me]

BA?

 

Buenos Aires, Argentina