Guest Column
Are You Latino?
Are You Latino?
By Juan Vargas
“You speak the language, you know the culture, you look Latino, but you are
not Latino.--You are American.” These are the words that my friend (and
coworker) from Latin America said to me just out of the blue! She meant no
harm or insult. All she was doing was pointing out that there were some
cultural differences between my co-workers in Latin America and me. She
mentioned that my mannerisms, the way I communicated and carried myself, and
my thought process were not Latin-American. She went on to say that I would
never be viewed (in Latin America) as a Latino by my peers.
She was partially right. I am American, I feel American, and I am proud to
be American. I also know that my communication style is distinct from that
of my Latin-American coworkers. When I visit Latin America, I almost always
get questions regarding my nationality/ethnicity a few minutes after meeting
someone new; I guess I greet differently.
Where my friend is wrong is that I am Latino. My friend failed to realize
that there is a distinct Latino culture that is completely American. She
failed to realize that there are several generations of us Latinos that have
been born and raised in the United States. And that we have manage to retain
the Spanish language and the culture of our
parents/grandparents/great-grandparents. Better yet, we have not only
retained the culture of our “ antepasados”, we have infused it with the
aspects of the Anglo culture. We have created our very own Latino culture
that is truly and distinctly American. And it’s a great feeling!
What do you think?
________________________________________
Juan Vargas was born and raised in the USA. By day, he works in the chemical
industry as an environmental specialist. By night, he likes to write
articles detailing his many experiences growing up Bilingual/Bicultural in
the USA. Visit his Web page found at
www.juavpublications.com Contact Juan at:
juav@earthlink.net
Below is a response to Juan’s article , "Are You Latino", that was sent by
David P. Flores.
Ameritinos: The Identity Crisis Within
“Ameritinos” are defined as Latinos who are born in the United States and
are American citizens by birth but whose heritage is rooted in foreign
countries such as Mexico, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean countries, Central
America, South America, and Spain. Many Ameritinos are fighting an identity
crisis that is tearing them apart. This is a complex problem that involves
the Latino or Hispanic culture, personal identity, religious, and social
aspects. The problem encompasses all phases of the Ameritinos’ life.
To illustrate one aspect of the problem, I was born in the US but my parents
came from Mexico. My skin color is light brown, ‘morenito’, and I spoke
Spanish before I spoke English. In grade school, I was told that I should
speak only English. If the teachers heard me speaking Spanish, I would be
punished. Obviously I was young and confused. Everybody at home spoke
Spanish. In fact, I understood the Spanish better than the English
language, and I could not figure out why it was bad or inferior.
The problem can also manifest itself with teenagers in high school. I know a
light brown complexion Ameritino student in high school who had many
problems in school because she did not know how to behave socially. She
wanted to be part of a group who accepted her for what she was. Because she
was American she wanted to be accepted by the white girls. So she dyed her
hair blonde, and got some blue contact lenses to look more like them.
However, because of her skin color and Hispanic heritage she was rejected by
the white girls. When she turned to the other Hispanic girls for acceptance,
she was turned down by them because she looked and acted like a white girl.
This can create an inferiority complex which can lead to big social
problems.
How is an Ameritino supposed to behave? In my case I am an American citizen
with all my rights as one, but I look Mexican and speak Spanish as well as
English. I pledge allegiance to the American flag and respect all of the
laws of the country and state. If I am call to serve in the military, I will
do so with honor to defend my country, the United States. I am comfortable
being an American and enjoying all the privileges America has to offer. I
want to be a good citizen and have a positive impact on my county, the USA.
I am not a citizen of Mexico and therefore, I am not a Mexican--If I were a
Mexican citizen, I would be proud to be one. I worked in Mexico and it is a
beautiful country that is slowly becoming more democratic.-- However, I want
to maintain my Hispanic heritage alive. I want to be accepted by the white
community as well as the brown community. I want to eat apple pie and ‘tres
leches’ cake. I want to watch football and ‘futbol.’ I want to listen to
rock and roll as well as ‘mariache’ music. I want to eat a hamburger and
fries today and ‘tamales’ tomorrow. I don’t want my Hispanic culture to fade
and lose it completely. My heritage is my roots and it gives me a unique
identity. I did not grow from a tree, but I do have a family tree where I
can trace my origins.
My friend Juan told me we are a multi-culture group of people searching for
identity and I believe it’s true. We are comfortable with the white man’s
way of life in America, but we also want to maintain our Hispanic heritage.
If we go to Mexico to visit or do business we feel out of place with them.
In fact, in my travels to Mexico I discover that most of Mexicans did not
accept me or liked me. To them I was American and I should return as soon as
possible to the US. In the US, some white people do not accept me because I
look Mexican and they want me to return to Mexico. I am in a quandary. Many
times in my business transactions in the US, I feel like the seller looks at
the person instead of his needs. He quickly forms opinions as to his
financial status, credit allowance, and income capabilities. I have had
several experiences where a salesman questions my financial status before he
knew me. This ambiguous identity position leads me to ask a very important
question “Who am I?”
The reality is that I am neither white nor Mexican; I am a multi-culture
American Latino, Ameritino, with a uniqueness that encompasses both
cultures. I believe that the Ameritino culture is still evolving and
becoming more important and better defined every year. This unique culture
is a hybrid of the white and the brown culture. As a hybrid it takes the
best of either and synergistically blends it to become an improved culture.
The US currently has about 40 million Hispanics and that population segment
continues to grow along with the Ameritino culture. The business and the
political arenas can no longer ignore the cultural impact of the Ameritino.
It is more correct to describe it as cultures, because of the origin of the
Ameritino. Did he come from South America, Puerto Rico, Mexico, or El
Salvador? I believe that all of these subcultures will eventually blend into
one unique Ameritino culture accepted by the Hispanics and the white
population. This unique culture will impact the white culture, and
eventually become blended with it. It is safe to say that the white culture
is already accepting some areas of the Ameritino culture.
David P. Flores
February 26, 2007
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