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Why Are Italian-Americans Not Considered Latin(o)s?
Self | December 23, 2016 | PJ-Comix

Posted on 12/23/2016 9:00:01 AM PST by PJ-Comix

One thing that has always amused me is why Italian-Americans are not considered Latins or Latinos (which also means "Latin" in Italian). To get an idea of how absurd this is, Italians (or their ancestors) were the original Latins. On top of that Italians are definitely more Latin than the residents of many countries considered to be populated by Latinos. An example is Mexico where folks entirely Indian or Mestizo are considered Latino in this country but Italian-Americans are not.

I'm figuring this has strictly to do with affirmative action programs. Still, it is amusing that the original Latin people are not considered "Latino" in the USA.

p.s. Are people whose ancestors are all from Spain considered "Latino?" If so this makes the fact that Italian-Americans are not considered Latin(o) even more absurd.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Humor
KEYWORDS: italians; latino
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I started thinking a lot about this a few years ago because a friend of Italian background was married to a Peruvian of mostly Indian descent. And yet she would be considered "Latina" but he wouldn't be referred to as "Latino" despite the fact he was actually much more Latin than his wife.
1 posted on 12/23/2016 9:00:01 AM PST by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix

I believe it has to do with heritage tied to Latin America, which Spain and Portugal have but Italy (despite Columbus) does not. I suspect that a fellow from Madrid, Spin would not regard himself as Latino, either. I may be corrected.


2 posted on 12/23/2016 9:03:44 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics.)
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To: PJ-Comix

Because they assimilated?


3 posted on 12/23/2016 9:05:33 AM PST by tiki
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To: PJ-Comix
My grandfather was born in Santander, a port city on the northern coast of Spain. You'd never think by looking at him that he was "Hispanic" in the American sense.
4 posted on 12/23/2016 9:05:39 AM PST by COBOL2Java (1 Tim 2:1-3)
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To: Dr. Sivana

So can an Italian be considered Latino only by being born in Argentina and then immigrating to the USA? Then magically he is considered Latin (or Latino) while his fellow Italians born in the USA are not?


5 posted on 12/23/2016 9:06:44 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Glenn Beck is one Blood Bucket shy of the Funny Farm)
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To: PJ-Comix

At our local high school, one friend’s Chinese-German son is considered “white,” while another friend’s Swedish-Argentine (blond) daughter is considered “latino.”

Its the ridiculousness of the fascist left’s racial politics and metrics.


6 posted on 12/23/2016 9:08:20 AM PST by PGR88
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To: PJ-Comix

Because they are White Europeans, and have no value for identity politics.


7 posted on 12/23/2016 9:08:26 AM PST by cdcdawg
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To: PJ-Comix

Not only that, but people who immigrated from Spain have been told by gov’t bureaucrats that they aren’t “Hispanic”. Seriously!


8 posted on 12/23/2016 9:08:50 AM PST by Campion (Halten Sie sich unbedingt an die Lehre!)
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To: PJ-Comix
Are people whose ancestors are all from Spain considered "Latino?"

There is still debate about that.

By many accounts Spaniards who never made it to Latin America are white Europeans.

People from Argentina or Peru all of whose ancestors come from Spain or Italy are considered Latino in the United States, but white in South America.

There is also debate about whether Brazilians qualify as Hispanic or Latino.

9 posted on 12/23/2016 9:09:24 AM PST by x
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To: PJ-Comix

The liberal race baiters don’t mean Latin per se. They mean the hordes of do nothings who want something .


10 posted on 12/23/2016 9:10:14 AM PST by SkyPilot ("I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6)
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To: PJ-Comix

I call them Latini(s). A political description where no people have no heritage of Latin. More Indian Thant European ecept for the actors in Univision.


11 posted on 12/23/2016 9:10:34 AM PST by keving (We get the government to vote)
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To: PJ-Comix

I can understand why Italians are not considered Latinos - since they do not speak Spanish and are not from Latin America - but it is interesting how Spaniards are sometimes lumped in with Latinos even though not from Latin America and Brazilians too even though they don’t speak Spanish. Sometimes. Other times Brazilians are said not to be Latinos just as Leftists sometimes say Cubans are not really Latinos (because so many of them are conservatives and light skinned).


12 posted on 12/23/2016 9:10:54 AM PST by vladimir998 (Apparently I'm still living in your head rent free. At least now it isn't empty.)
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To: tiki
Because they assimilated?

I knew a Californio woman of pure Spanish upper class background yet I believe according to the statistics she would be considered "Latina."

13 posted on 12/23/2016 9:10:57 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Glenn Beck is one Blood Bucket shy of the Funny Farm)
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To: PJ-Comix

It is just this kind of free thinking that is ruining our country.

Report to the nearest reeducation facility.

Please check your white privilege at the door. \sss


14 posted on 12/23/2016 9:11:13 AM PST by logitech
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To: PJ-Comix
Good question.

On all forms that ask race, I now put down Native American, since I was born here.

Indians are just the First Immigrants.

15 posted on 12/23/2016 9:12:20 AM PST by aMorePerfectUnion
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To: aMorePerfectUnion

Asians are honorary whites. Billy Jeff was black.


16 posted on 12/23/2016 9:13:50 AM PST by DIRTYSECRET (urope. Why do they put up with this.)
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To: Dr. Sivana

A guy like Keith Hernandez has never referred to himself as Latino. His dad’s family came from Spain. Same with Lou Piniella. You don’t see the Portuguese from Provincetoen or New Bedford referring to their community as Latino. I believe you are correct that it involve central and south America and , to keep their racial props, mixed blood of native and European


17 posted on 12/23/2016 9:14:28 AM PST by xkaydet65
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To: PJ-Comix

Argentina’s population is over 60% of Italian heritage. I am would think an Italian-Argentinian would qualify as a Latin-American in this county.


18 posted on 12/23/2016 9:14:35 AM PST by Spaghetti Man
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To: PJ-Comix

Latino = Latin American so I’m guessing you have to have some indigenous Central/South American ancestry to qualify. But intriguing question!


19 posted on 12/23/2016 9:16:53 AM PST by Menehune56 ("Let them hate so long as they fear" (Oderint Dum Metuant), Lucius Accius (170 BC - 86 BC))
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To: aMorePerfectUnion
Indians are just the First Immigrants.

Moctezuma upon first seeing Spanish horses: WOW! I wish we would have had those animals.

Hernando Cortez: Well, you did have them originally but then you ATE ALL THE DAMN HORSES!!!

Moctezuma: So how come you have horses?

Cortez: Because a few escaped your dinner plates by trotting across the land connection to Siberia. As for the rest, you ATE ALL THE DAMN HORSES!!!

20 posted on 12/23/2016 9:19:24 AM PST by PJ-Comix (Glenn Beck is one Blood Bucket shy of the Funny Farm)
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