Great! That wasn’t complicated at all, next step and I know they are going to call me. Personal information.. I can do that.
“Ethnicity, Are you Hispanic or Latino? (A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture origin, regardless of race)”
Regarless of race? Wait. What does it mean? Hispanic is one thing and Latino is another. The first one is related to ancient Hispania (Iberian Peninsula) and now it relates to Spain, its history and culture. Latino, on the other hand, refers more exclusively to persons of Latin American origin.
Next question: “Race, please select: 1-American Indian or Alaska Native, 2-Asian, 3-Black or African American, 4-Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 5-White, 6-Two or More Races”
Which race should I choose then? I know I am from Argentina, South America, but does it mean that I don’t have a race or we Argentinians and the rest of South America have too many races?
Instead of continuing to fill out the form, I kept thinking about this. Why are Black and White the only two colors to refer to race? Why is Asian a race and American is not? I know that not all Asians look the same. A lot of people may think that, but it is just because they don’t take a moment to really see them. If you look carefully you will see that a Japanese person is very different from a Chinese person, mostly because the way they present themselves and their styles, but it is also possible to make a difference in their physical appearance. For example Chinese people usually have rounder faces and Japanese people tend to have small and pointy noses, although this is more difficult and not always accurate.
If we think about the actual colors of the skin between the different races, we can say that there are no people who actually have true black or white skin, it can range from very dark brown to a near orangish, but never those extremes. But there is not a “brown race”. And if you ask me, I honestly could not identify my own skin color, and I don’t really care (but it is a popular topic when I hang out with Americans, they like to try to guess it, fun isn’t it?).
So I started doing research to find the true meaning behind my Hispanic/Latino ethnicity/race and I found out that there is no such thing, contrary to what many americans think. Hispanic, with its linguistic basis, is an ethnicity, not a race. So if I wanted to be picked by one of the “popular” races, I would be put to the side and have to wait forever; which reminds me of times in high school when we would choose our sports team members and I was always the last one to be picked (not that I tried to prevent it, I even think I provoked it). You do not choose Race, Race is chosen for you.
The traditional definition of race and ethnicity is related to biological and sociological factors respectively:
“Race refers to a person’s physical characteristics, such as bone structure and skin, hair, or eye color. Ethnicity, however, refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language.”
So if I analyze my physical characteristics I can even say I look like some Europeans, but that would make me “white” and by now I know I can’t call myself white, so I am back at the beginning.
If race is a social construction, why do we keep trying to force it? Why should I choose my race every time I fill out a personal form?.
Another difference between race and ethnicity is related to the ability to self-identify:
“A person does not choose her race; it is assigned by society based upon her physical features. However, ethnicity is self-identified. An individual can learn a language, social norms and customs, and assimilate into a culture to belong to an ethnic group.”
I am proud of what I am. I identify myself as a Latino, I choose to not have a specific race, I choose to be me. F´ck the form.
Juani Manzo 