Hispanics largest U.S. minority

Have you ever been to Mississippi? I live next door to the great state of Ms and believe me I see no segregation.

 

By the way, I may be wrong on this but are not Hispanics technicaly Caucasians? That separating them from the Caucasian race is more of a contemporary view?

I have no concerns over the number of Hispanics legally here. God Bless them! but Illegal aliens do pose a threat to national security and they should be deported regardless of their race since they are violating the Law. I think English should be the National Language since it is the predominant language of the USA and really you are limiting yourself if you don't know it. I think on the other hand that Spanish should be a required language in school since with the large Hispanic population it may also be necessary. Just a few thoughts.

 

Yes, I don't think that anyone diagrees that illegal immigration needs to be dealt with.

On the subject of Hispanic, generally speaking, persons of hispanic origin are a mix of spanish (white) and indian (asian). By anthropological terms, there are three races: Caucasoid (generally white), Negroid (generall black), and Mongoloid (generally asian). What we tend to refer to as "race" is more one of ethnicity, or cultural variances. For example, Italians are of a different ethnicity than the English, yet they're both caucasian. Still, Italians were discriminated against for a long period of time for not being considered "white" by the Americans of northern Europe.

In regards to ethnic hispanics, some are whiter than snow, others as dark as night. My best friend is married to a cuban who has lighter skin than I do. Likewise, a black (actually, she's creole) church friend of mine just married a Puerto Rican man, who is darker than her.

One of the major points of distress is that there never has been an American ethnicity, because just about everyone came here from somewhere else, and most likely within the last three generations.

An informative movie to see on the subject is, of all films, Back to the Future part III, where Marty McFly goes back to 1885, to meet up with his ancestors fresh off the boat from Ireland. Although completely fictional, it's amusing to watch the interaction of people in a different time, often addressing things that you and I take for granted.

I think English should be the National Language since it is the predominant language of the USA and really you are limiting yourself if you don't know it. I think on the other hand that Spanish should be a required language in school since with the large Hispanic population it may also be necessary.

I have differing thought on this. Yes, I think an official language should be adopted by the US. But I also think that, if we're to do so, we need to fund or subsidize ELS language programs for adults (I know, different topic). Now, here my my region, many people, native and non-native, know at least some Spanish. But in other regions, the predominant secondary language may be something like Italian, Polish, Russian, Irish, French, etc. For example, my brother in Seattle has no need for Spanish, but French is as prevalent there as Spanish is here (so are illegal aliens from Canada, btw). I think it would be of importance for each county school district to require the learning of whatever the secondary language is in their region. So everyone would know two languages: English, and the regional language.

There would be some exceptions, such as Puerto Rico. There, the primary language is Spanish, so the secondary language should be English.

Okay, there's my $.02 on languages. Whaddya think???

[ February 07, 2003, 02:53 PM: Message edited by: Johnv ]

 

Have you ever been to Mississippi? I live next door to the great state of Ms and believe me I see no segregation. </font>[/QUOTE]I said segregationist Mississippi for a reason. I didn't mean present day.

Mississippi has always had a large black population, but it was usually found in separate communities.

 

Wow, are you ever a victim of revisionist history! Hate to tell you this, but that statement about most likely within the last three generations is just flat out wrong!

My forefathers came over in the 1700s. They fought in the Revolutionary War. They bled and died for the freedoms which Americans and the influx of immigrants (thanks to Ted Kennedy) and all the illegal aliens enjoy today. Maybe in California they all came in the last three generations. But there's a whole lot more to America than California, hate to tell ya.

 

I'll revise that from "in the last three generations" to "the last 125 years" to be a bit more clear.

BTW - I was a "Ted Kennedy" immigrant. My family had to wait 8 years to enter the country.

 

Ted Kennedy is largely responsible for the floodgates of unprecedented immigration to the US.

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2003/2/4/164415.shtml

 

Ted Kennedy is largely responsible for the floodgates of unprecedented immigration to the US.

Your original concern was with illegal immigration, not immigragtion in general.

 

In theory you could say that all races of people are either white, black or asian. But I defy you to tell a latino that they are caucasian and not have them take offense to that statment. Likewise the destinction is made on forms that ask for a box to be filled out by the person, with which they most closely identify themselves. What I am saying that to devide ourselves voluntarily in subcatagories of the human race is what will conquer us as a race of people...THE HUMAN RACE.

 

As I stated earlier, Hispanics are not caucasians, they're a mix of caucasian and asian. (Spanish & indian).

You're confusing biological race with what the cencus forms call race, which has to do with ethnicity (or sub-race, that is, racial differences within races). For example, they have Native Americans and Eskimoes listed separately from Pacific Islanders.

 

I'm always fascinated by the focus on race by Colleges, Universities ans PC folk. I think it has caused more racial tension. Personaly I don't think race should be on any application and people should be accepted soley on their merits not White or Black etc...

Thanks for the info Johnv and Charolotte. I have heard of some Hispanics putting themselves down as Caucasian on census forms is the reason I asked the question. I'm not sure there is a such thing as a pure White or Black race. I am primarily of Welsh and English descent yet my great grandmother was full blooded American Indian (or Native American for our PC folk ) so I am not pure Caucasian myself since I am also of American Indian decent also (Hey I want reparations from the government! ). Would not it be great if we lived in a society where race was irrelevant?

 

Congratulations Kiffin, you can technically be called a minority. Hey, me too. The two of us should file a class action suit against the U.S. government. I want all of my family's land back. Let's see, I'll settle for the eastern half of Texas, for starters.

I think I will start a thread on this. Polls forum, everyone!

 

Hey, wait up, you two! I'm part Native American Indian, too....I want some reparations! Gimme some coastal land back for my share, somewhere along the Gulf of Mexico with a beach condo would be nice!

 

Yes, I think if you're 1/16th Native AMerican or more, you can have your college education underwritten.

As for me, I'm part Indonesian, which makes me a Pacific Islander. Of course, in California, race/ethnicity is no longer a criteria on a college application to the UC or CSU system.