[normy]

It's just interesting that a person living in Spain could be very white w/ blond hair but speak Spanish and be Hispanic and a person from Arizona could be red skinned with no European blood but speak Spanish and be considered Hispanic and a black guy with mostly African blood from the Dominican and speaks Spanish is Hispanic.

A white man from England who speaks English is English and a white man from Australia who speaks English is Australian and a white man from the US who speaks English is American. A black man from the US who speaks English is American (or black or African-American). A yellow man from Japan who speaks English is American (or Japanese American) A black man from Nigeria who speaks English is Nigerian.

I guess what I am trying to understand is that many Hispanics who are obviously American seem to sympathize or defend the illegals from Mexico. Is the allegiance to Mexico or to the common language? One of my best friends dad is Mexican (American 100%) and his mom Korean (I think dad met mom from army days). He doesn't speak Spanish except the broken Spanish he learned from the guys on his crew. Would he be considered Hispanic by Hispanic guys?

[hispanichoosier]

I guess what I am trying to understand is that many Hispanics who are obviously American seem to sympathize or defend the illegals from Mexico. Is the allegiance to Mexico or to the common language?

I don't think it's based on allegiance to a particular country or to a common language. I think the reason for sympathy with illegal aliens is mostly economic. Employers--be they Hispanic or not--want to be able to pay low wages for manual labor (e.g. yard work, roofing). Illegal aliens make this possible.

Those who are not employers yet are Hispanic have often come into contact with hard-working illegal aliens who they believe are more "deserving" of the American dream than many native-born Americans. For example, is there any question that illegal aliens who cut grass and trim trees for 10 hours a day are more diligent in work than are many in the inner city whose aspiration is to be on "Disability" or in rural areas who cook up meth? After all, being an illegal alien is a status offense--like truancy--whereas it takes a slothful intent to make one's goal in life to be on Disability.

One of my best friends dad is Mexican (American 100%) and his mom Korean (I think dad met mom from army days). He doesn't speak Spanish except the broken Spanish he learned from the guys on his crew. Would he be considered Hispanic by Hispanic guys?

I'd consider him Hispanic by ethnicity, regardless of his ability to speak Spanish. I don't know about other guys. It's not so much a racial thing as it is ethnic and geographical: If you come from an area originally colonized by Spain or Portugal (i.e. the nations on the Iberian Peninsula), I'd consider you Hispanic regardless of race. Note that under my definition, if your Australian is born in Mexico to Australian parents, I'd still consider him Hispanic. Moreover, Filipinos would be considered Hispanic under my definition as well, even though they are often classed as "Pacific/Asian Islanders" by federal, state, and local governments.