Social Question

josie's avatar

If George Zimmerman is a "White Hispanic", what are the color descriptions for the other Hispanics?

Asked by josie (30934points) July 15th, 2013

Until this recent trial, I never saw a color modifier applied to the ethnic group called Hispanic. Leave it to the American press to give me one more thing to be confused about.

Not that isn’t already confusing. Hispanic comes from Hispania which is a word that used to mean the entire Iberian peninsula, which is where Spain is in case you skipped geography.
These days, though, I think the word gets tossed around less about Spain, and more about indigenous Mexican people like the Nahuatl, and many others.

Either way, if he is Hispanic (Spanish), he is European and Caucasian. So the modifier is redundant.

But if he has biological roots in the indigenous people from Central and South Americans (his skin is not pink like mine, plus his mom is from Peru), then he is no more white than Native Americans.

So what is the defining characteristic of this whole new ethnic group, the “White Hispanics”? Will there be a new box to check on college applications and government jobs? Are “White Hispanics” evil racists, while the “Other Hispanics” are sympathetic victims.

Will we need boxes that say “Brown Hispanics”, or “Red Hispanics”? When the Chinese set up shop in Central America, will we have to add “Yellow Hispanics”?

Observing members: 0 Composing members: 0

7 Answers

DominicX's avatar

It’s just a testament to the fact that his dad is European and his mom is Peruvian, i.e. half-white, half-Hispanic, thus “white Hispanic”. It’s not a great term, but it does make sense. The term “Hispanic” isn’t great either, but hell, none of the terms are. As a student of Latin, the term “Latin America” drives me nuts. What about Quebec? They speak a Latin-based language and it’s part of America, so it should be “Latin America” too…

bkcunningham's avatar

It is a BS phrase that was used after the MSM portrayed the incident as a white on black killing and then realized Zimmerman wasn’t white. Instead of saying they made a mistake, they made up a phrase.

Cupcake's avatar

Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. So it can be used within the context of any race – White, Hispanic; Black, Hispanic; Asian, Hispanic. It’s negative can be used in the same context – White, Non-Hispanic; Black, Non-Hispanic; Asian, Non-Hispanic.

It’s not a BS phrase. And Zimmerman is white. That is his race. His ethnicity is Hispanic.

gondwanalon's avatar

I get it. So Obama is a White African American.

phaedryx's avatar

@gondwanalon I think he might be a white non-Hispanic black

flutherother's avatar

Beige
Brown
Olive
Slate
Lavender
Harvest moon
Puce
In ascending order of social acceptability.

Answer this question

Login

or

Join

to answer.
Your answer will be saved while you login or join.

Have a question? Ask Fluther!

What do you know more about?
or
Knowledge Networking @ Fluther