Thinkies on race

[burntcopper]

Or rather, the perception of it. I work on a multitude of biological and medical journals. Different articles on everything under the sun coming through the system, all of which I skim for formatting errors. However, what's interesting? Occasionally we get articles that have to do with race (tied up in money or living conditions) with

Comments

[minim_calibre]

Hispanic in the US is usually used to refer to Latin American. From the census website: "Hispanic Origin. Persons of Hispanic origin were identified by a question that asked for self-identification of the person's origin or descent. Respondents were asked to select their origin (and the origin of other household members) from a "flash card" listing ethnic origins. Persons of Hispanic origin, in particular, were those who indicated that their origin was Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or some other Hispanic origin. It should be noted that persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race."

[burntcopper]

.... So basically it's completely bloody useless as a biological marker.

[mingmerciless]

So can someone explain the distinction between white and hispanic?

About US$10,000 per annum average salary?

[burntcopper]

:g: Actually this is commonly used as an 'obvious' marker or shorthand for the 'access to decent healthcare' articles.

[svilleficrecs]

As far as I understood it from my ... some liberal arts class on race, Hispanic refers to the racial group that was created from the mix of european, native american, and african that stewed in new world in south and central america (as well as mexico and the caribean after spanish and portuguese colonization). I think. Something like that.

[juleskicks]

I... think it may in large part be geographical, like 'mediterranean'. To me, that's more what it means than a certain ethnicity. From 'Hispaniola', one of the Antilles islands -- which, to me, implies that 'hispanic' refers specifically to Caribbean lands. Not just the islands, but Panama, Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica... the Central American countries.

Definitely a difference, to me, between 'Hispanic' and 'Spanish' -- the former referring to 'Central America' (not really a proper name, really it's the southern part of the North American continent and the bits connecting it to South America) and the Caribbean, and the latter referring to the country in Europe. Some people will get offended if you call them Hispanic, even, and at the perception that it's all the same ethnic group -- much better to just use the country, in my experience.

[mrmrsmith]

I have to agree with you a lil - where I come from 'black' is your average 'negroid' but if the majority of the black population in the US had to move to South Africa they would be considered 'coloured' - term used to denote mixed bred population whose ancestry includes negroid, malaysian and caucasian.

[mrslant]

Halle Berry's mother is a white English woman, as it happens.