Lección Dos de la Cultura

Watch this video and read the text below






Hola y bienvenido a la lección dos de la cultura


Identity is a very important concept for people from Latin America. For many centuries several latinos were confused about their identity because they weren't sure of how to clas
sify themselves. This was a direct result of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, the Caribbean, Central, and South America. The original indigenous inhabitants were defeated and forced to accept the culture and customs of their European conquerors. Many people were mixed descendants of the Spanish and the Indians which caused even more confusion. Many indigenous practices were mixed with that of the Spanish thus creating a very complicated society. Many more kinds of people immigrated to Latin America including black African slaves; then later on Asians from several countries thus creating a very diverse region of the world.



In this lesson, you will learn about what it really means to he "Hispanic" according to the modern definition and perspective, particularly that of the United States, and just how complicated a "term" it really is.


To complete this lesson, follow the steps and read the instructions below to make sure you complete the activities or exercises correctly. Please keep this BLOG page open because you will need to come back to it after each activity in order to continue. I hope you enjoy this lesson about culture and identity.


Muchas gracias y buena suerte.


STEP ONE


You will need to register with voice thread first. Go to voicethread.com and click on the icon "CREATE", when the "sign in" box pops up go to "not registered yet" and just enter your name, email address, and create a password. Then click on the following link to view the powerpoint.

Cultura powerpoint


STEP TWO

After viewing the powerpoint, click on the following link to play this game of Matching Columns.

Columna Hispana


STEP THREE


Now read the following article, Hispanicization: a complicated ethnic group, in English and answer the questions which are in Spanish (based on the article) by clicking on the link at the bottom of the article.

Hispanicization: a

complicated ethnic

group

By Sally Roses

In 2003, it was announced that Hispanics were officially the largest minority group in the United States, surpassing African Americans. Many Americans, including several Hispanic Americans, tend to think that Hispanics are classified as a racial category. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hispanic refers to a specific ethnicity that comes from a heritage in Latin America or Spain. The fact of the matter is not all Hispanics are minorities in the United States. In the 2000 census, a plurality or 48% of Hispanics identified themselves as white just like German, English, or Irish Americans. This makes white Hispanics the largest group in the Hispanic community, even larger than Mestizos. Hispanics can be white, black, brown, Asian, Arab, Indian, or any race.

The terms Hispanic and Latino tend to be used interchangeably in the United States for people with origins in Spanish–speaking countries. The 1970 Census was the first time that a "Hispanic" identifier was used and data collected with the question. The 2000 Census asked if the person was "Spanish/Hispanic/Latino" and as of 2007, estimates put the Hispanic population at about 45 million people and remains the fastest growing demographic in the U.S.

So why do most Americans, including Hispanics, tend to picture a “typical look” for Latinos which usually includes brown skin and black hair? Well the most probable reason is taking a look at our neighbors to the south. Most Mexicans are Mestizos, or a mix of European and Indigenous ancestry, which explains the facial features, dark hair, and darker complexion of skin that most people imagine are the “norm” for Hispanics. While countries like Mexico, Honduras, Ecuador, Colombia, Nicaragua, and others have a majority population of Mestizos, Latin America is as diverse as the United States with certain countries like Argentina and Uruguay, which have a majority Caucasian population. Guatemala and Peru are about half indigenous according to their census. All these nations have black people referred to as Afro-Hispanics and in certain parts of the Caribbean; they can be even larger than the white or Mestizo population.

So the common statement we hear is that “he or she looks Hispanic”. What they are really saying is he or she looks Mestizo. For example, actress Catherine Zeta Jones, who starred in the Mask of Zorro, has black hair and a fairly dark complexion leading some viewers to believe that she was “Hispanic looking” when in fact she’s not Latina at all. On the other hand, Cameron Diaz, who has blond hair and blue eyes, is Hispanic yet few people refer to her that way or have no idea that she is.

The term Hispanic is derived from Hispanicus, which derived from Hispania (Iberian Peninsula), both of them Latin terms. So it’s roots are in Rome, which started the romantic language movement.

In the U.S. most Hispanics are of Mexican heritage and the majority live in the Southwest. Hispanics make up a large percent of state's populations like Texas and Arizona. The state with the largest number of Hispanics is California, while New Mexico has the largest percent of Latinos, roughly 47% of the state. Most Hispanics are bilingual and fluent in both English and Spanish. Many third or fourth generation Latinos speak only English.

So next time you want to say, “that person looks Hispanic” remember that “Hispanics” can look like anybody. It’s a complicated group as diverse as the next.

Pruebita de Hispanicization


STEP FOUR


Please leave a comment about this lesson and the different sections. Just click on "comments" then go to "Post a Comment". Tell me why you liked or disliked any of the activities and any other feedback you wish to post. Gracias por tu participación.