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vincentML -> RE: What the heck IS a Latino/Hispanic? (6/27/2010 7:52:22 PM)
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quote:
ORIGINAL: mefisto69
Latino is a political (U.S.) term developed by the government to classify groups of people. The word"Latino" stems from Latin. - bastardized american english. Ancient Latin is the base of all Romance languages: Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and yes - Romanian. "Hispanic" is a more recent American bastardized term that stems from the original name given to the "new world" by the Spaniards, which was Hispanola. (~ over the n).
Keep in mind that all of the Caribbean, nearly All of settled South America and almost HALF of what is now the U.S., was settled and under the inept control of Spain for nearly 300 years. All of the descendants of the indigenous people still harbor resentment toward Spain for what happened. It wasn't the Kings and Queens that did the damage - it was the vicious politicians and priests put in charge that committed the atrocities in their lust for power and gold. There are ongoing disputes between countries over their forms of government, world status, ethnic diversity. Spain Still looks down on all the 'other'
Spanish speakers as inferior because they adapted foreign words Long before Spain allowed the "PURE" language to be corrupted with modernity. It's an odd situation that won't be resolved any time soon. Here's another anomaly: in Europe, Spaniards are considered to be 'white' people. Here in the US? ..... those 'other' illegal aliens.
Actually, the Dominican Friars protested vehemently against the Spanish exploitation of los indios early in the 16th Century. Perhaps their most eloquent spokesman was Bartoleome de las Casas a plantation owner and colonial official who was so shocked by the Spanish brutality he became a priest and wrote a contemporaneous account of what he witnessed. Las Casas was a true human rights advocate for the indigenous people. He sailed with Columbus on the second or third voyage. Returned to Rome, became a priest, and spent most of the rest of his life ministering to los indios.
Here is a sample of what he wrote (in translation of course)
Bartolome De Las Casas - The Devastation of the Indies: A Brief Account (1542)
The Indies were discovered in the year one thousand four hundred and ninety two. In the following year a great many Spaniards went there with the intention of settling the land. Thus, forty-nine years have passed since the first settlers penetrated the land, the first so-claimed being the large and most happy isle called Hispaniola, which is six hundred leagues in circumference.
... And of all the infinite universe of humanity, these people are the most guileless, the most devoid of wickedness and duplicity, the most obedient and faithful to their native masters and to the Spanish Christians whom they serve. They are by nature the most humble, patient, and peaceable, holding no grudges, free from embroilments, neither excitable nor quarrelsome. These people are the most devoid of rancors, hatreds, or desire for vengeance of any people in the world. And because they are so weak and complaisant, they are less able to endure heavy labor and soon die of no matter what malady.
... Yet into this sheepfold, into this land of meek outcasts there came some Spaniards who immediately behaved like ravening wild beasts, wolves, tigers, or lions that had been starved for many days. And Spaniards have behaved in no other way during the past forty years, down to the present time, for they are still acting like ravening beasts, killing, terrorizing, afflicting, torturing, and destroying the native peoples, doing all this with the strangest and most varied new methods of cruelty, never seen or heard of before, and to such a degree that this Island of Hispaniola, once so populous (having a population that I estimated to be more than three millions), has now a population of barely two hundred persons.
<SNIP>
... We can estimate very surely and truthfully that in the forty years that have passed, with the infernal actions of the Christians, there have been unjustly slain more than twelve million men, women, and children. In truth, I believe without trying to deceive myself that the number of the slain is more like fifteen million.
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