Hispanic
The other day I was filling out a form for a "becca" (scholarship) and I saw the part of the form that talked out extra benefits for hispanics. For fun I looked up the exact meaning of hispanic. In short the dictionary stated that a hispanic is anyone who speaks a Spanish language dialect with an amount of fluidity in that dialect, who is living en los Estados Unidos. It also mentioned that this has nothing to do with ancestry, and that if a person is of Spanish decent, then they are considered, latino (from latin american countries) or Spanish (if from Spain). Therefore anyone who speaks Spanish with fluency in the States is technically considered hispanic, and therefore legally, can state that they are such on government and other papers. A funny thing to note is that the term hispanic is really only used here in the USA to denote Spanish speaking people, therefore it makes sense that hispanic would really only mean a Spanish speaker living in the states, and not be directly linked to being of a spanish decent. Therefore saying someone is of hispanic decent, which many people use, is actually an incorrect statement.
Ani
3 Answers
According to the OED, as an adjective it means "related to Spain", as Spain used to be called "Hispania". Both as an adjective and a noun, it is a Spanish speaker, and especially from Latin-American descents living in USA. It it funny that the term "Hispanic" refers mostly to those living in America, and it rarely used for those living in the modern "Hispania" (Spain).
In Spanish, "hispánico" means "related to Spain, its people, its culture, and its language (the Spanish language, spoken also in America, of course)". A Latin-American speaker or Spanish dialect is "hispanoamericano" ("hispano" because speaks the language the was born in "Hispania/Spain", and "americano" because it is in America).
The term "Hispanic" has changed from "from Hispania" to "From Latin-American descendants (specially living in America), or Spanish speakers who are normally not from "Hispania"), originally with certain racist or xenophobic overtones. It is funny that in English, 65% of the population of the Americas are not Americans (only those from USA, 35% of the population, and 23% of the land), and those form Hispania are not Hispanic. Even funnier: Hispanic people (from Spain) arrive in this new continent, they call it America, and their inhabitants and descendants "Americans". English people go to America, USA is born, and they decide that the previously known Americans are no longer Americans (only themselves), and that Hispanic people from Hispania are no longer Hispanic, but those from America, who are now also called Latin-Americans. Curious.
** bravo, bravo bravo **
Yes, very strange!
According to the OED, as an adjective it means "related to Spain", as Spain used to be called "Hispania". Both as an adjective and a noun, it is a Spanish speaker, and especially from Latin-American descents living in USA. It it funny that the term "Hispanic" refers mostly to those living in America, and it rarely used for those living in the modern "Hispania" (Spain).
In Spanish, "hispánico" means "related to Spain, its people, its culture, and its language (the Spanish language, spoken also in America, of course)". A Latin-American speaker or Spanish dialect is "hispanoamericano" ("hispano" because speaks the language the was born in "Hispania/Spain", and "americano" because it is in America).
The term "Hispanic" has changed from "from Hispania" to "From Latin-American descendants (specially living in America), or Spanish speakers who are normally not from "Hispania"), originally with certain racist or xenophobic overtones. It is funny that in English, 65% of the population of the Americas are not Americans (only those from USA, 35% of the population, and 23% of the land), and those form Hispania are not Hispanic. Even funnier: Hispanic people (from Spain) arrive in this new continent, they call it America, and their inhabitants and descendants "Americans". English people go to America, USA is born, and they decide that the previously known Americans are no longer Americans (only themselves), and that Hispanic people from Hispania are no longer Hispanic, but those from America, who are now also called Latin-Americans. Curious.
