Meet Marco, the Rochester, MN Coordinator of UNIDOS MN.

We met Marco during the 2021 Hispanic History Month Celebration in Rochester, MN.

Marco shares more about Visibility

Latin Americans, Latinos, Latinas, Latinx, and Hispanics

Marco speaks about being Hispanic.  You might wonder what term to use, Hispanic, Latin American, Latino/Latina, or the newer term, “Latinx.” Tom Grothe, an Instructor of Communication Studies at Butte College shares in his text, Exploring Intercultural Communication, the following information.

The label Latin American generally refers to people who live in Central American countries. Although Spain colonized much of what is now South and Central America and parts of the Caribbean, the inhabitants of these areas are now much more diverse. Depending on the region or country, some people primarily trace their lineage to the indigenous people who lived in these areas before colonization, or to a Spanish and indigenous lineage, or to other combinations that may include European, African, and/or indigenous heritage. Latina and Latino are labels that are preferable to Hispanic for many who live in the United States and trace their lineage to South and/or Central America and/or parts of the Caribbean. In verbal communication you might say “Latina” when referring to a particular female or “Latino” when referring to a particular male of Latin American heritage. When referring to the group as a whole, you could say “Latinx” instead of just “Latinos,” which would be more gender inclusive. While Hispanic is used by the US Census, it refers primarily to people of Spanish origin, which doesn’t account for the diversity of background of many Latinx. The term Hispanic also highlights the colonizer’s influence over the indigenous, which erases a history that is important to many. Additionally, there are people who claim Spanish origins and identify culturally as Hispanic but racially as white. Labels such as Puerto Rican or Mexican American, which further specify region or country of origin, may also be used. Just as with other cultural groups, if you are unsure of how to refer to someone, you can always ask for and honor someone’s preference.

Works Cited:

Exploring Specific Cultural Identities. (2020, July 21). Butte College. https://socialsci.libretexts.org/@go/page/47450

Attributions:

” Exploring Specific Cultural Identities” by Tom Grothe, LibreTexts is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA .

Additional video will be added from: https://mediaspace.minnstate.edu/media/Dental+Interview+F/1_2yo4ma01