(from Latin: 'Hispanicus', from 'Hispania' -that means Spain-)
noun: As you can see, this word was not made up by the US government, but it has Latin -as in the language romans used- roots.
Hispanic reffers to everything that's related with the culture, language and people of the former roman province of Hispania: what is Spain & Portugal right now, and Spanish & Portuguese as it's languages.
It doesn't specify any race, it relates to the descent. In most part, any person born in South-America in the last 400 years carry genes of the SouthWestern-Europe colonizers (Spain & Portugal in most part, with some small colonies from the Netherlands & France), but yet Spain & Portugal born people are mostly a mix of Mediterranean ethnicity, and Latin-American born are a mix of that with original Amerindian descent.
Hispanic culture is very rich because it's diversity, and
one of the most clear
characteristics of it is patriotism, Hispanics are proud of what they are. There are more common
characteristics that can be identified in Hispanics.
"Carlos is born in Argentina, but he doesn't look hispanic."
(Argentina was a common migration point from Spanish population during the civil war and later on)
"Hispanics are very charming"
(Normal Hispanic families puts a big effort in educating kids to be
like this, for one reason or another)
"Hispanics make good lovers"
(Amerindian culture had a strong belief that women were divine, in
opposition to
Anglo-Saxon culture that was rather discriminating agains women in the most part. This may have "touched" things as time has passed.)
"Paula is from Madrid, so she's Hispanic"
"Ricardo is from Mexico, so he's Hispanic"
"Because Paula is from Spain, it doesn't mean she's a latina, but Ricardo IS a latin."
