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Are They Chicano, Latino or Hispanic?
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makeup existed and continue to exist
today. Due to strong indigenous influ
.
_
. . .
i j
“C ubans.” T h e poll also revealed
i.
a cultural
birthday, the event signified
that m em bers o f these groups d o not
the start o f the process that m ade
now if thev
they had missed I the defining
Hispanic elem ent in their cultures. His­
of C olum bus Day as an invasion rightly
the region’s culture tends to celebrate its
the opinion o f other Hispanics, how­
was in vogue T his term has its roots in
the Chicano civil rights m ovem ent of
identify them selves as on e com m u­
nity, see them selves as being similar
panics who denounce the celebration
ences in M exico and Central America,
H ispanic culture what it is today. In
A few years ago, the term “Chicano”
culturally and politically, or have
ever, that sam e process ruined the
do so, but they cannot deny that they
aboriginal heritage. However, countries
m uch contact with individuals from
also carry in their veins the heritage of
located in the cone o f South America,
potential for an indigenous culture
the 1960s. It was adopted by m any
all Latin American cultures is their
panics can be of any race. In the 1990
individuals, the term “Latino" is gain­
bond in the blood, traditions, and lan
has its roots in the Chicano civil rights
tions from Europe, have a more Euro­
pean orientation. A nd African influ­
alien Spanish one. Thus, am ong som e
“Chicano" was in vogue. T his term
the other groups.
The fact remains, however, that His­
Spain T he com m on denominator in
which have experienced major migra­
and instead im posed on the region an
M exican -A m erican s w ho th o u g h t
ence is m ost evident in the music and
census, most Hispanics chose “white"
by m any M exican-A m ericans who
custom s o f the Caribbean nations.
when answering the race question. How­
ing favor over “H ispanic" because it
im plies that Latin Am erica has a dis
guage inherited from Spain.
m ovem entofth e 1960s. It was adopted
ever, of those who checked “other race,
tinctive indigenous culture rather than
cil for the H um anities for allowing us
98 percent also claimed Hispanic origin
being just a stepchild o f Spain.
T h e Spanish conifuistadores, con­
to reprint an article from “N osotros -
T h e H ispan ic People of O regon.”
sum ed by greed, brought carnage and
“N osotros” is a collection o f essays
versary o f C olum bus’s fateful voyage,
untold misery to the peoples they con­
and recollections, t «pies of the book
furious debates ensued about what
quered. But modern M exico and Peru
are available for purchase through the
them selves - posed to a sam ple of
the event signified to H ispanic self-
would never have existed as they are
organization. Call 1-800-735-0543.
H ispanics in a 1990 poll - elicited
originally coined by the French in the
several answers. A m on g other things,
id e n tity , a n d fissu re s
1800s. T hey wanted to increase their
around this topic were im ­
influence by appealing to the language
th e p o ll r ev e a le d that M ex ica n s,
Puerto Ricans, and Cubans strongly
kinship they thought existed between
identify with their own national -
H ispanic com m unity. 1 o
France and a region where two major
R om ance languages (Portuguese and
origin groups and want to be called
those w ho are proud to
“M exican s,” “P uerto R ican s,” and
consider C olum bus Day
By Carlos Blanco
thought “C hicano” better described
W hen these racially m ixed H is­
their unique experience and reality in
panics m igrate to the United States,
our national o b sessio n with labels
the United States. A ccording to som e,
the term originally had a m ildly pejo­
rative significance in M exico. T oday it
is less popular.
T he term “Latin A m erican” was
and classifications creates great con­
fusion. T h e question o f what they call
on the ethnicity question.
In 1992, the year o f the 500,h anni­
Special thanks to the Oregon Coun­
m ediately evident in the
jfflHEDYSCHooi
P McMenamins vt
Spanish) were spoken.
T he term “Hispanic" was first offi­
cially used by the U.S. governm ent to
classify individuals for purposes o f the
SEPTEMBER
1970 census. T h e term includes people
o f M exican, Puerto Rican, Cuban,
Central Am erican, South Am erican,
and other Spanish culture or origin.
T o grasp this issue, one has to
The Henry Cooper Blues Band
understand that Latin Am erica was
CD Release Party • Thursday, September 2 at 7pm
colonized in m uch the sam e m anner
as the United States. W hen the En­
glish were settling the thirteen colo­
Alisa Wolfe Band
nies, albeit at the expense of N ative
Thursday, September 9 at 7pm
Am ericans, the Spanish were doing
Evening with an Author
m uch the sam e thing in regions to the
Featuring Joanna Rose
with a Deli Buffet and Edgefield Wines
Wednesday, September 15 at 7pm
$35 per person • 21 and over
west and south and both were exploit
ing Africans.
Later, m any im m igrants from all
over the world arrived, both to the
English-speaking north and the Span­
Battle of the Bands: Round 3
ish speaking south. T hu s, the A m eri­
can continents - English and Spanish
Steve Bradley vs. The X Angels
Thursday, September 16 at 7pm
speaking - are constituted of nations
com posed o f other nations. However,
a major difference is that in the Span­
John Coltrane’s Birthday Bash
ish colonies, Caucasians, blacks, and
N ative Am ericans intermarried m ore
freely than in the English colonies.
Photo by Armando “Mito” Cabamlla/ Straight Shooting
W ith in th e S p a n ish c o lo n ie s ,
though, differences in the population’s
A Profile o f H ispanic Oregonians
A Decade of Hispanic Growth - Not counting the added imp«» of the region's annual quarter of a million migmni
the Oregon WashinJLn ldaho permanent resident Hispuiic population and buying power has grown by some 10,000 person.
Historical Tribute featuring
Saxophonist Brian Dickerson
Thursday, September 23 at 7pm
Birthday Cake and Sweet Potato Pie
A n Evening in Autumn
Music by Chatta Addy • Thursday, September 30,6pm
McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd • Portland, Oregon • 249-3983
All ages welcome unless noted • No cover charge unless noted
2 - 3 - aenrratMm CalXnua Hispan.cs continues 3 - Very high birth rate, among NW Hbparnc newlyw«k
Buying Power - N O a L lu d in g the migrant., H ispoik Oregonian, in the Portland Metropolitan Area have over half abillton
call 503/452 1022.