From 1810 to 1821, Spain lost seven of its Latin American colonies: Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The countries began to declare their independence from Spain thirty-four years after the United States declared its independence from England in 1776. The imposed social structures by Spain on its colonies always placed the indigenous people on the bottom rung, and the wealth of the land was extracted and sent to Spain. The ruling class was the expatriates. The people were treated as slaves and revolted to reclaim their land and their dignity.
The people in Latin America came to be called Hispanics because they spoke Spanish. It was a reference that the people of held in distain because it tied them to Spain. The term Hispanic is used for any people that come from a Spanish speaking country. Hispanicus in Latin means Spanish. Brazil is not labeled Hispanic, because the main language there is Portuguese. The United States now uses the term in reference to anyone who speaks Spanish as a first language. Because Hispanic makes a connection to Spain’s colonization of the countries, many persons whose origins are in Latin America prefer to use their nationality for identification, e.g., Colombian, Mexican, Puerto Rican. In his writing, a Latin American author used the term Latino. This term referred to countries in Latin America and included Brazil; Spain was not considered a part of this group designation. As the feminist movement grew in the United States, there was an objection to the use of Latino because it is a masculine word form and implicitly excludes women. In the twenty-first century, Latinx is sometimes used because it is gender neutral. Some Mexican Americans, who are civil rights activists, prefer the designation of Chicano.
People of Latin American descent are 18% of the population of the United States and have contributed much to its growth and achievement. We celebrate them and their culture September 15th-October 15th!
Reflections
Be aware of the struggle of Hispanic/Latin American people in the United States:
https://www.history.com/news/the-brutal-history-of-anti-latino-discrimination-in -america
Famous Hispanic/Latino/Latinx Persons:
Lin-Manual Miranda, creator of musical, Hamilton
The Honorable Sonia Sotomyor, U.S. Supreme Court Judge
Ellen Ochata, space astronaut
Delores Huerta, 90-year-old, labor rights activist
Jennifer Lopez, actress, entrepreneur
Caesar Chavez, farm labor activist
Julian Castro, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (President Obama)
Joaquin Castro, U.S. House of Representatives, Texas
Marco Rubio, U.S. Senator, Florida
Call Grub hub and order some a Latin American meal.
Go online to find Latin American food. Yelp.com has a great listing and many have takeout and delivery.
Search online for Hispanic Heritage events in your city, suburb, or town to attend during this month.
Dorothy Watson Tatem, D. Min., ACC
Senior Associates
Next Step Associates, LLC
Cassandra W. Jones, Ed.D.
CEO & President
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