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Okay. If you don't want to think of it as "race" (and I agree it's not), how about of some sort of Spaniard culture then? Or would you deny there is a culture as well, or that cultures are referenced in the future?

Jean-Luc Picard was obviously very very French. Chekotay (sp?) on Voyager was clearly very into his Amerindian roots. More than enough British accents and citations of British ancestry have made it into the future (Marcus from Babylon 5, just as an example). Scotsmen. Koreans. Etc. etc. etc. It's not just racial identities that have survived but vestiges (and more) of national heritage too.

Actually, I'm Cuban myself (also white), and I'm not particularly thrilled with the term Hispanic either. I just used it for the sake of conversation, and didn't want to be so specific as to say "Spaniard" in any particular sense. My point is, in all future histories you can see ways in which almost all of today's cultures and races have evolved and assimilated and become a part of the future culture. Not really any vestige of Spaniard culture though. We just... disappear. Somehow, I don't think it's meant as any sort of compliment over how well we assimilate.

Interestingly enough, I can't think of any Italians in the future either. Maybe it's not a Hispanic thing specifically, but Mediterranean in general? This wouldn't surprise me at all.

Note - this is not any kind of a "protest". I don't really -care-. I'm not all angry and suggesting boycotts or anything - that's a Democrat thing. I just think it's rather blatant and when other "identity groups" whine about not being represented in SciFi, I think it's an appropriate response to get them to shut up. To date, I have met several blacks who think that even after LaForge and Sisko and several other examples, blacks aren't represented enough. I've never heard them able to cite anyone of any Spanish ancestry though. Considering that "Hispanics" now outnumber blacks of all stripes in this country, I think the snub is a bit more blatant.

Qwinn

There have been a fair number of 'Spics (I was born in Mexico btw, and am a Sephardi Jew-- always wondered if that classifies me as Hispanic) on network tv:

Jimmy Smits character of LA Law Nicholas Tuturro's character on NYPD Blue Torres on ST: Voyager (well, half hispanic and half klingon) the captain character on the Shield the George Lopez show

Actually, I guess Torres is the only pseudo-Spic I can think of in SciFi. Then again, Ivonova is the only Jew I can think of, Bashir from DS9 is the only Arab, Garibaldi from B5 is the only Italian etc. Fact is, Americans like their TV characters bland and mid-American. Too bad.... (though specific nationality characters would make no sense in BSG, because they aren't even earthlings).

Spainaird would imply you are a Spanish citizen. But then people have no problem with saying they are Irish when actually they are third or fourth generation US citizans. I think the term Latino is probably the best term, but I think some take offence to that also.

As far as Hispanic representation in Si Fi, how do you think the Irish feel. Last as I recall the only people with an Irish accent were a bunch of irish phesants being transported in STNG. Typical sterotyped poor druken dirt farmers.