1. HISPANIC AMERICANS CHAPTER 9
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2. Hispanic Population
More than one in eight people in the US are of Spanish of Latin American origin
By 2006
41.9 million Latinos, outnumbering 39 million African Americans
Generally urban dwellers
91% live in metropolitan areas compared to 78% of White non-Hispanics
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3. Latino Identity Panethnicity Hispanic or Latino
The development of solidarity between ethnic subgroups
Hispanic or Latino
Collective term is subject to debate
Latino more common in the West
Hispanic more common to the East and the term used by federal government
Actions of the dominant group have an impact in defining cultural identity to some degree
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4. 24% prefer to use panethnic names Among US born Latinos
Move away from using native country as means of identity
46% first use or only use “American”
29% use parent’s country of origin
Contrasts with foreign-born Latinos
21% use American
54% use national terms of reference
Name issues or “language battles” distract group’s attention from working together
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5. Younger generation think more in panethnic terms Color gradient
Income and education does not appear to influence Hispanics’ perceptions
Younger generation think more in panethnic terms
Color gradient
The placement of people on a continuum from light to dark skin color rather than in distinct racial groupings by skin color
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6. The Economic Picture Median income increased over past 25 years
Gap remains between Latinos and Whites
Latino household earns 70 cents for every dollar earned by Whites
Low wealth is characteristic of Hispanic households
Likely to earn less annually and have fewer financial resources to fall back on
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7. Poverty rate reflects pattern in income Beginning of 2006
21.8% below poverty level compared to 8.3% of Whites
Typical Latino income in 2005 was over $10,000 behind typical 1972 White household
Situation difficult to predict
As a group, poor Latinos are more mobile geographically
Half send money abroad to help relatives
Puts a strain on supporting themselves in the US
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8. The Growing Political Presence
Federal law requires bilingual or multilingual ballots in voting districts where 5% of voting-age population does not speak English
Voting turnout was poor
Many were ineligible – non-citizens
2004 election
53% Democrat v. 44% Republican
Stand against Republican support favoring reducing legal immigration, limiting welfare benefits to legal immigrants, and eliminating bilingual education
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9. Factors that elicit support from politicians
Evidence indicates younger Hispanics becoming more conservative and likely to consider Republican candidates
Factors that elicit support from politicians
Rapidly growing population
Higher proportions of voter registration
Higher participation in elections
Less commitment to a single political party
Resent the fact that existence is rediscovered during election years
Little interest in between except by Latino officials
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10. The Borderlands Borderlands
Refers to the area of a common culture along the border between Mexico and US
Notion of separate Mexican and US cultures obsolete because of
Legal and illegal immigration
Day laborers crossing the border to go to jobs in the US
Implementation of (NAFTA) North American Free Trade Agreement
Exchange of media across the border
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11. Multinational companies found even lower wages in China
Maquiladoras
Foreign-owned companies that establish operations in Mexico yet are exempt from Mexican taxes and are not required to provide insurance or benefits for workers
Multinational companies found even lower wages in China
Over 40% of the 700,000 new maquiladoras jobs created in 1990s were eliminated by 2003
Immigrant workers have significant economic impact on home countries
Remittances or migradollars estimated at $24 billion annually
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12. Hometown Clubs
Typically are non-profit organizations that maintain close ties to immigrants’ hometowns in Mexico and other Latin nations
Collect money for improvements in hospitals and schools
Some states in Mexico began matching-funds programs
Work of over 1,500 hometown clubs in US or Mexican communities reflects blurring of border distinctions
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13. Cuban Americans
Cuban settlements in Florida date back to the early nineteenth century
Where small communities organized around single family enterprises
1960 census – 79,000 Cuban born in US
2006 – more than 1.5 million Cuban born in the United States
Increase followed Fidel Castro’s assumption of power after 1959 Cuban revolution
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14. Three significant influxes of immigrants through the 1980s
1st - About 200,000 came during the first three years after Castro came into power
2nd – Freedom Flights; 340,000 refugees between 1965 and 1973
3rd – 1980 Mariel boatlift is most controversial – “Freedom Flotilla”
Castro used President Carter’s invitation to send prison inmates, patients from mental hospitals, and addicts
Marielitos
Implies that refugees were undesirable and remains a stigma in the media and in Florida
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15. Wet Foot, Dry Foot Policy
Refers to government policy which generally allows Cuban nationals who manage to reach the US (“dry foot”) to remain while those picked up at sea (“wet foot”) are sent back to Cuba
Cuban refugees have special advantage over other refugees in terms of public opinion
2000 – Elian Gonzalez
Issue of communism still overshadows attitudes about US relationship with Cuba
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16. The Current Picture: Cuban Americans
The influence of Cuban Americans
Miami area
In Urban centers
Generational relations among Cubans
Generational clash between cultures (parent and child)
Inter-ethnic relations between Cubans and other Hispanic’s at times have been strained
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17. Long-range perspective of Cubans in the US depends on several factors
Most important – events in Cuba
Refugees proclaim desire to return if communist regime is overturned
Cuban Americans have selectively accepted Anglo culture
Split between original exiles and their children
Children more concerned with Miami Dolphins than they are with Havana
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18. Central and South Americans
Central and South Americans came from
historically different experiences and times
culturally diverse backgrounds
Unlike racial groupings in the United States they use a color gradient
Describing skin color along a continuum from light to dark
Another indicator of the social construction of race
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19. Little in common other than hemisphere of origin and Spanish language
Other languages are Portuguese, French, and Dutch
Other distinctions
Social class distinctions
Religious differences
Urban versus rural backgrounds
Differences in dialects among those speaking same language
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20. Central and South Americans do not form a cohesive group
Do not naturally form coalitions with
Cuban Americans
Mexican Americans
Puerto Ricans
Immigration has been sporadic and influenced by
US immigration laws
Social forces in the home country
War and persecution
Economic deprivation
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21. Central and South Americans: The Current Picture
Two issues clouding recent settlement
Many are illegal immigrants
Citizens from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Colombia are outnumbered only by Mexican nationals
Brain Drain
Immigration to US of skilled workers, professionals, and technicians
Experience high unemployment compared to Whites
Better educated than most Hispanics
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22. Colombians Close to half million in US
Rural unrest in 1980s triggered large-scale movement to US
Success found in catering to other Colombians
Many obliged to take menial jobs and combine income of several families to meet high cost of urban life
Colombians of mixed African descent face racial as well as ethnic and language barriers
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23. Future of Central and South Americans in the US?
Could assimilate over generations
Alternative is being trapped with Mexican Americans as a segment of the dual labor market
Encouraging possibility is that they retain an independent identity while establishing an economic base
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24. QUESTIONS
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25. What different factors seem to unite and to divide the Latino community in the United States?
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26. How do Hispanics view themselves as a group
How do Hispanics view themselves as a group? How are they viewed by others?
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27. Identify the factors that serve to contribute and to limit the political power of Latinos as a group in the United States.
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28. To what extent has the Cuban migration been positive, and to what degree do significant challenges remain?
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29. How have Central and South Americans contributed to the diversity of Hispanic people in the United States?
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30. What factors would prevent the successful assimilation of some Central and South Americans into American society?
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31. Why do you think the borderlands of the U. S
Why do you think the borderlands of the U.S.-Mexico border region have been the subject of such close scrutiny, while there is little attention to similar areas along the U.S.-Canada border?
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