Hispanic American Diversity

Paper Summary:

This paper relates that America is today the largest multi-ethnic country, with an impressive number of immigrants from all parts of the world and from all races. The paper also notes that the Latino population living in the United States is now a considerable percentage of the overall population of America. As such, the Hispanics are merely taken as a whole, without proper consideration to the significant differences between the cultural groups. The writer points out that while Mexican Americans, Central and South Americans, Puerto-Rican Americans share certain cultural aspects, they do not form a homogeneous class. Thus, it has been proposed that a pan-ethnic view of the Latino identity will not only discourage real unity among the different groups inside the Hispanic community but will actually promote intra-Latino exclusions and injustices. The writer maintains that each group should thus be considered as having a different identity from the others, according to their nationality.

From the Paper:

"There is thus a perceptible need to distinguish between the different Latino groups as having different identities and different needs.
"There are a few common things that The Latinos in the United States usually live in difficult conditions since they arrive in the country without having sufficient knowledge of English or sufficient working skills. Also, certain prejudices against them may prevent their employment. As Davila shows, in New York for example the minorities were treated all alike in the past, and are sometimes treated like this in the present also. As a native Puerto Rican recounts, there are serious confusions between different cultures which demonstrates that minorities are treated simply as part of the same pot, with no regard for the significant differences between them .."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Davila, Arlene and Agustin Lao-Montes (2001) Mambo Montage: The Latinization of New York. New York: Columbia University Press.
• Suarez-Orozco, Maria and Mariela M. Paez (2002). Latinos: Remaking America. University of California Press: Berkeley, CA.
• Perez y Gonzilez, Maria (2000). Puerto-Ricans in the United States. Westport: Greenwood Press.
• Trevino, Beatrice. (1991) "Cultural Characteristics of Mexican Americans: Issues in Rehabilitation Counseling and Services." Journal of Rehabilitation, nr. 27 vol. 1

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