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xssve -> RE: "White Hispanic" (3/30/2012 10:22:19 AM)
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The Spanish, are uh, Spanish, i.e., Romance speaking Europeans, and have always been considered White as far as I know (Visigoths), although probably not White enough for WASPS, and for the most part, suffer under the additional burden of being Catholic, a somewhat less acute and painfully neurotic sense of modesty, listening to different music, and eating a lot of spicy food.
But the Spanish, are 'White" as compared to the Inido's or native Americans, which is where the confusion sets in - the Spanish had like a dozen different categories depending on how much of the inevitable admixture between Spanish and Meso-American was present, Mestizo, probably being the most common, half and half, I think, although I'm not an expert on Spanish castes systems.
Currently, I believe Hispanic is the least controversial term, encompassing both the original Spanish (and Portuguese) settlers and the various ecculturated Meso-Americans who speak Spanish or Portuguese - Latin culture, in short, and it's safe to use around either as far as I know, and more broadly acceptable than "Mexican", especially around here where the Descendents of the Spanish colonists still refer to themselves as Spanish, and speak a form of Castillian so pure they they don't even speak it in Spain anymore.
You don't want to call them "Mexicans", but Hispanic is acceptable, as is Latino, most of the time, although it's also used by more nationalistic Hispanics to describe themselves, and people are more likely to be testy about it in East LA for example.
i.e., if you see a lot of heavily tattooed gentlemen longing against Low riders, chances are good they are "Latino", but should not be insulted if you call them "Hispanic".
In any case, as I say, Hispanic broadly refers to Hispanic culture, music, food, cultural attitudes, etc., which are somewhat distinct from Anglo-Saxon, or WASP culture we typically think of when we say "White", which has been largely appropriated by neo-Puritan race baiting Protestant Anglo-Saxons, which probably might more accurately referred to as APS's, given that the melanin levels of ones epidermis has largely ceased to be of significant value in predicting any particular set of distinctive cultural values over the spectrum.
I am, for example, of French-Norwegian descent, neither of which are cultures particularly known for their modesty (naked schmaked), which aligns me more with Latinos (not that they go around naked, but they do have and express a healthy admiration for the human body, which I'm vastly more comfortable with than with self conscious pasties, which goes double for outright neurotically erotophobic neo-Puritans who I suspect are not entirely sane), and I've become addicted to spicy food - still not into Ranchero, although I've acquired a taste for Salsa, both for eating and for dancing.
Anyway, Zimmerman, if I had to categorize him from a distance, looks Latino, but has a German last name, so German Spanish, which does not, as far as I know, denote any particular cultural identity, but from his body language I would deduce more Latino of the hoodie variety himself.
Although, for all I know, he could be Cuban, Guatemalan, Brazilian, or even Samoan. Like many others, probably just mostly confused, and seems to be leaning towards the anti-African camp, which seems to encompass a certain percentage of European culture in the broadest sense, and which makes it no less pathetic and embarrassing insofar as it often masquerades as a "cultural value", but it is also conceivable his dislike of African-Americans might be a hoodie thing, as it often is, to the glee of White trash hoodies, otherwise known as Rednecks.
It's hard to tell 'em apart on that basis actually, although predictably, it does engender a certain degree of justifiable paranoia on the part of African Americans, whom almost nobody identifies with other than Rap fans and ghetto bootied babes of all cultures.
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