[Victoria Delsoul]

Realisticly, the whole "Hispanic" label doesn't work, in that a European of Spain, a Spanish-speaking Mexican of pure Mayan ancestry, a Portugese-speaking Brazilian of mixed Black/Indian ancestry and a native-language-Indian straight out of the Amazon jungle would all be classified as "Hispanic"

What a mess isn't it? Let me just say, that a Brazilian speaking Portuguese isn't Hispanic but Latin. Someone born in Spain is a Spaniard or Spanish. The Spaniards didn't colonize the jungle so a native-language-Indian straight out the Amazon jungle is called an Amazonian Indian and belongs to a tribe, which by the way there are quite a few in the jungles of South America. The conquistadors weren't interested in this area and left it alone. As far as they were concerned, it contained no gold nor was it fit for raising sugar cane.

I prefer the Spaniards' racial classification, which are still being used to this day throughout Latin speaking countries.

From Polybius' post #68

During the Spanish Colonial period, racial classifications were as follows:

Blanco = White

Peninsular = White born in Spain

Criollo = White born in the colonies. The Peninsular had political rights that a Criollo did not. Thus, the Criollo son of a Peninsular father and mother had less legal rights than his parents. The purpose was to maintain a Spanish grip on the Colonies. The effect was rebellion against the Madre Patria.

Negro = Black

Mulato =Negro + Blanco cross

Indio = MesoAmerican Indian

Mestizo = Indio + Blanco cross

Cholo = Mestizo + Indio cross

Zambo = Negro + Indio cross

Chino = Zambo + Indio cross

Chino Asiatico = Oriental

Grifo = Zambo + Mulato cross

That's the basic breakdown. If you wanted to get really picky about it, you used this racial classification system

The current U.S. racial system is as follows: If you have a Spanish surname, you are of the so-called Hispanic "Race".

This of course, makes as much sense as declaring that if you have an English name, be it Andrew Jackson or Jesse Jackson, you are of the so-called Gringo "Race".

Then again, Daisy Fuentes, the Cuban American bombshell does have a striking family resemblance to fellow Cuban "El Duque" Hernandez and Mexican Cesar Chavez.

Hmmm, I don't know about Daisy Fuentes, El Duque and Cesar Chavez, LOL! I think there is more similarity between Daisy and Cameron Diaz whose father is a Cuban-American.

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[FITZ]

I prefer the Spaniards' racial classification, which are still being used to this day throughout Latin speaking countries.

As far as racial classifications, that would be more accurate but I very much doubt that Indians or Mestisos are more predisposed to crime. I think some of the browner Mexicans can be the most honest and least criminal ---it just depends on what someone believes and other factors. I live near a mostly hispanic city that is one safest cities in the US but at the same time near a mostly hispanic city that is the most dangerous in all of Mexico. I don't think "browness" has anything to do with criminality.