“A Specific Voice: The Study of Hispanic/Latino Cultures and Literature” Carwile/Royal Multicultural Literature November/December, 2009

Where We Are From  1990 Census counted more than 22 million Latinos in the U.S.  Most come from Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Cuba  Some come from Nicaragua, El Salvador, the Caribbean Islands of Cuba, Central America, and the Dominican Republic

Some Characteristics  Some of our ancestors preceded the Pilgrims’ arrival to the New World.  Latinos are not a race but a mixture of European, African and Indian peoples.  Some of us our blond, blue-eyed, and of German, Russian, French, and English ancestry.  We speak Spanish, but very different oral versions of it.

Calling us Names  We have been labeled “Hispanic” by the U.S. government (for statistical purposes), but many still identify with our national group: Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Chileans, Nicaraguans, etc.  Terms like “Latino” and “Latina”, while imperfect, are preferable to “Hispanic” which erases our multiple ethnic heritage.

The Barrio  Many young Latinos and Latinas have survived not only rampant poverty and the conditions of neglect that surround them, but also the prevailing Anglo stereotype of Latino violence, abuse of drugs, and welfare.  The cultural vitality of Latino areas cannot be ignored. The food, language, murals, religious iconography, and popular music have traveled out of the barrios, transforming U.S. culture.

The Family  The family is one of the central pillars of Latino culture in the U.S.  Historically traditional roles still remain solid fixtures in Latino families: men work to support their families and women teach social and moral responsibilities to their children.  U.S. values have conflicted with this somewhat.

 RACISM

Literature  Poetry of Pat Mora and Pablo Neruda  Short excerpts from Richard Rodriguez, Sandra Cisneros, Gloria Anzaldua  Longer excerpts from Like Water for Chocolate, 100 Years of Solitude, and Love in the Time of Cholera.

Work Cited  Aparicio, Frances R. (ed.) Latino Voices. Brookfield, Connecticut: Millbrook Press, 1994.