Things 'to' Say to Latino Coworkers

It's good to see a magazine like yours trying to help all peoples negotiate the treacherous waters of race and ethnicity. I just waned to comment on one point that E Alvarez made in an otherwise excellent series of observations. "I realize that being able to blend in with other Caucasian Americans is an asset??" What about the other kinds of Americans? And are we talking here about "white privilege?" A lot of Latinos seem to buy the idea that American=white=human. Have you ever been asked: Where are you from? And when you say: "I'm from whatever US state you were born in, but "unfortunately" you are not white, then you are asked: Where are you really from? But if you flipped that question to the "American", then he looks baffled: Can't you see I am an American? Good for E. Alvarez that he can blend in and enjoy the privileges that come with being perceived as white. Thnak you and keep up the excellent work. Don Quijote de la Panza!!

Many Indigenous/Native American organizations state that of the 37 million labeled Hispanic/Latino in the last U.S. census 75 - 95 percent are Indigenous. A language does not define an etnnic or cultural group of people. Ever wonder why the majority of us in the "Americas" were not called Indigenous Hispanic/Latino/African/European, etc...? Instead of first Hispanic/Latino...African...etc? I have always considered myself Indigenous...not Hispanic or Latino...I find it offensive to invalidate my long Indigenous heritage since the arrival of the Spaniard Hispanic/Latino, who have dominated most the Americas where Spanish predominates. Look at our faces...do you see mainly Hernan Cortez or Indigenous? Which is the dominant gene features? What about our food, dance-rhythm-music, frame of reference?

Raul is a white from Chile.

If you have an Hispanic accent, then you'll probably be considered Hispanic. If you don't have an accent, then your looks determine how people place you into a category.

As this article points out, people may look at you and assume WRONGLY!!

But I agree with Clyde--I never ask about what someone's ethnicity is. They will say something if they want to.

In my 23 years in the pharmaceutical industry, one of the greatest rewards for me has been the ability to learn about the cultures of the people that have crossed my path, with a particularly strong interest in Latin America. I have never danced around this question; I will usually ask, "Where are you from originally?" at what seems to be the right moment. If the employee gives a US city as an answer, I'll talk with them a little about that city and then ask, "What is your heritage?" or something similar. Fortunately, my intentions are almost never misunderstood, because the employee usually senses that I genuinely want to know about the culture that they call their own. If there's any chance that my intentions might be misunderstood, I will be quick to follow up with a more detailed question such as "Where in Puerto Rico is your family from?" In my case, it helps that I chair the Latin employee network at my company and that my wife is Colombian. However, if I didn't feel secure in my general knowledge of the particular part of the world that the employee happens to be from, I would be more careful so as not to say anything that could be perceived an unenlightened or insensitive. Instead I would ask them to talk about their place of origin so that I can learn something new.

This article is more confusing than enlightening. The reason? The persons quoted make the mistaken assumption on several occasions that all Hispanics are part of a separate race.

"Performance is performance whether you're Latino or African American or white."

"That's why I'm there, and not some white woman who couldn't do that."

"That goes more to a courtesy issue, not so much a race issue."

Fact is, Latino or Hispanic is not a race. No one in the U.S. would assume every person named Johnson is part of the same race. Why make that assumption when someone's name is Jimenez?

Interestingly, there are more people of sub-Saharan African (AKA black) ancestry in Latin America than in the United States. Afro-Cuban salsa legend Celia Cruz is a notable example. And as a host of white Hispanic celebrities from Andy Garcia to Alexis Bleidel will attest, Hispanics can be Caucasian as well.

Let's celebrate the true diversity of our nation. That's not done by lumping all people with a Spanish surname into a monolithic racial bloc.

I have a Spanish surname and I appear as other Caucasian Americans. Hispanics do not automatically assume I can speak Spanish and assume my ancestry is from anywhere other than Spain. Why do many people expect a person with a Spanish surname to have a tan? I wonder how many jobs I was passed over for when they saw my surname, never mind the fact that I was born in the USA and so were both of my parents. My hair is medium brown and I have brown eyes, but freckle rather than tan. While riding the bus or train, it is nice to be able to understand the Spanish conversations taking place around me, while the speaks are unaware I understand, until I chuckle at a joke they tell, and reveal myself. I wished I was darker haired, tanned, but I realized that being able to blend in with other Caucasian Americans is an asset and being bilingual is an even bigger asset. I still get asked if I am from Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rico, among others. Hispanics come in skin tones, hair colors, shapes and sizes, not just dark or tanned. I often correct people who refer to the cleaning crew staff as Spanish, whereas they usually self identify as Central American or mention a country by name. When our office was being evacuated due to a hurricane warning, the announcements were in English, I wonder what some of the cleaning crew thought if they were unable to understand the instructions. All Hispanic people should make sure their children learn Spanish, even if they cannot, the same is true for people who adopt a child from South or Central America. Each child should be taught the culture of their ancestry and the language of their biological parents, not just that of the adoptive parents. The children will seek out what they were not raised with and the company of others like themselves. Adoptive parents need to understand the pull of genetics and not deprive the children of their language and cultural heritage. In the precious generation, parents thought to protect their children from discrimination by not teaching their children to speak Spanish, how wrong they were, it is a shame to see some left out because they are not bilingual or are not drawn to Latino music and cuisine. Bilingual children grasp languages concepts quicker than their monolingual counterparts.

Zayda really hit the nail on the head with this article! As a Hispanic woman, I can relate to much, if not all, of what was stated. It is my opinion that we as hispanics just need to know, and try to understand, that this kind of behavior, and, perhaps ignorance of our culture will continue. It's how we handle it that will truly make a statment. I'm very, very proud to be a Puertorican woman. Thanks to my parents, that even for the fact that I was raised in the USA since I was two, they taught me how to cherish my culture. I, in turn, tried to do the same for my children. I guess that's what we need to do. Allow our culture to live on and be proud.

I'm not sure whether asking about someone's ethnicity is a good idea.

I've found that, without being asked, people usually eventually say what their ethnicity is, if you work with them long enough. Asking what someone's ethnicity is implies that it matters to you.

This applies to each ethnic group. I remember being wished a Happy New Year in Fall. When I wished the person a Happy New Year back, he said, "I am not Jewish". Neither am I, however the stereotype of every German who lives in NYC has to be Jewish, was obvious. So a question such as "Do you celebrate Jewish New Year", or "Are you Jewish?" would have worked much better.

I am originally from Santiago, Chile and I have been in California since 1986. I have light brown hair, fair skin and green eyes. My ancestors are European and my appearance is the same than any white American from this country. Sometimes, I receive comments about my race from Americans or Chinese people saying, I could never tell you are from South America, you are too white to speak Spanish, how long have you been in America? All my life I have responded, I am from South America. I have received the comment from Latinos from this country saying, wow you speak Spanish? You look white, you really look American. There have been many times that I have been in situations where I have been sorrounded with Hispanic people and they don't speak Spanish at all and the excuse they have is that several years ago was not safe for them to speak Spanish because of racism. It is a whole world of miss understanding about what is hispanic, latino, Spanish and race. My skin color is white but according to the definition here I am not white, I am hispanic and people who come from the Middle East like Iran, are darker than me and they are consider to be white.