Race on AMCAS

[waffle2468]

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Hello everyone! I have a question with regards to ethnicity on my application. My father is Indian, and my mother was born in Cuba. My mother speaks fluent Spanish, and her parents are both Chinese, and they have a Chinese surname. Although my mother’s family is Chinese, she identifies as Cuban.
I was born in the United States. I also speak Spanish and have been volunteering at a clinic which entails conversing in Spanish with patients during the COVID-19 vaccination process.

How should I list this on my application? Should I put multi-racial?

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Cuban = nationality/ethnicity =\= race. I think your race would be Asian. On AMCAS, there are separate questions about which languages you speak to what proficiency, so you can still emphasize that you are fluent in Spanish, which would be very useful for a career in medicine!

 

[LizzyM]

On the other hand, hispanic is defined by the US Census as " a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race." So if you are of Cuban origin, despite your race, you could list it. How did you list yourself in the 2020 census? It would be disingenuous to list yourself as "Hispanic, Cuban" on AMCAS if you did not identify that way in the most recent census. Be consistent.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone! I have a question with regards to ethnicity on my application. My father is Indian, and my mother was born in Cuba. My mother speaks fluent Spanish, and her parents are both Chinese, and they have a Chinese surname. Although my mother’s family is Chinese, she identifies as Cuban.
I was born in the United States. I also speak Spanish and have been volunteering at a clinic which entails conversing in Spanish with patients during the COVID-19 vaccination process.

How should I list this on my application? Should I put multi-racial?

You're multi-racial, but not Latino nor Hispanic.

The language skills will be appreciated.

 

[vitafusion]

Under race select “Asian.” And for ethnicity you can select Hispanic/Latino.

 

[14_karat]

Your mother being born and raised in Cuba doesn't make her ethnically Cuban. She isn't Latino just because she was born in a specific country and speaks Spanish.

 

[SpanishMusical]

Just be as honest as you can on your app. Your race is Asian, right? That's what you put for race. For Hispanic/Latino or not, I would say it depends. If your mom was born in Cuba and grew up there, she's Cuban (if she was just born, maybe not). That would give you some connection to Cuba (a Latin country), at the very least. This would be the same if your parents/grandparents emigrated to Cuba from Spain (another non-Latin country), which is absolutely the story of some Cubans whose ancestors fled Spain during the Spanish Civil war. If we consider those individuals Latinos (as I think we should), I see no reason why we wouldn't consider you one, as well. As for Hispanic, I would say if you speak Spanish fluently (especially if you speak a Cuban variety), you're Hispanic. Latino people are of all races (the previous president of Peru's surname was Fujimori), which is why race and Latino/Hispanic are different boxes.

As long as you're as transparent as possible, and your Latin/Hispanic background is important to you (a good test of this is how you've identified before) and how you hope to practice, I think you're fine saying Hispanic/Latino(/a). That said, if you're just checking the box because you think it'll help you (not saying you are, but just in case) in the process, that will likely come through to adcoms. Just check off whatever is most consistent with your own identity and you'll be fine. Even if someone thinks you're bs-ing, if you can demonstrate engagement with the community and a connection to that side of yourself, they'll most likely realize they are wrong.

 

[Hiphopscorpio31]

I would say just go with your gut and how you personally identify. The whole Hispanic/Latino box is such a gray area bc Latin America is so diverse, with immigration (past and present) from Africa, Europe, China, and more. If you personally identify with latin culture through your mom, I'd put down Hispanic/Latino.

Only in the US are race and ethnicity so heavily considered for the simplest of things lol

 

[YCAGA]

I really hope OP checks back up on this thread, because they should 100% put they are Spanish/Latino/Hispanic on AMCAS. It is shameful that some people in this thread are bringing up their own identity as Latino/a as if that gives them authority to decide OP’s demographic markers.

The question on AMCAS lumps it all together as “Latino, Hispanic, and of Spanish,” just like the Census Bureau has done for over a decade.

“The United States Census Bureau uses the ethnonyms Hispanic or Latino to refer to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race and states that Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race, any ancestry, any ethnicity.”

@goal2bMD2k25 D2k25 please fact check yourself before giving someone such important advice. Being able to justifiably put their race as a URM could be the difference between OP getting into medical school and not.

@14_karat you are also very wrong. As stated above, the census bureau and other federal departments literally define Hispanic/Latino as being from [list of countries/regions] in terms of culture OR origin, NOT race.

Are Black people in Cuba or Colombia not Hispanic/Latino…? Are indigenous people in Peru not Hispanic/Latino Neither of those groups I mentioned are more closely related to Spanish colonialists than an Asian woman (OP’s mom), but I guess you all think blood lineage is what makes someone “Cuban” or “Latino”? Yeah, no. They are definitely Latino/Hispanic and especially in the US and in the eyes of the US government.

It is honestly insulting to Latino/Hispanics as a whole to give advice on a Latino/Hispanic matter while being this out of touch. The first few lectures in any Latin American studies 101 course will be about how amazingly diverse Latin America is. If country of origin (Cuba) and language spoken (Spanish), doesn’t make OP’s mom Hispanic/Latina, then what does?! Because I can tell you that race and ethnicity do NOT unite the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Spain as all Latino/Hispanic countries (minus Spain in the case of Latino). There is every race and ethnicity imaginable in Latin America. Spanish language and culture unite these countries and their people, in terms of US government definition, academic definition, and common sense.

The entire point of Latino/Hispanic is that it transcends race and ethnicity. How else would there be the well-accepted demographical terms of “White Hispanic/Latino” “Black Hispanic/Latino” “White non-Hispanic/Latino” “non-Black Hispanic/Latino”? Read one paper on health equity among races/ethnicities/other demographic markers and you will see some or all of those terms.

Please fact check yourself before you go around giving such dangerously bad advice. I am worked up because this literally takes a 1-2 minute Google search to clarify and yet there are multiple people in this thread that think they have can answer this question off the cuff based on their own definitions of race and ethnicity and Latino/Hispanic identify. That type of thinking doesn’t fly in medicine. Words have definitions and definitions can be found from reliable sources.

If you disagree with how America defines race and ethnicity and Latino/Hispanic/Spanish, that is totally valid and a lot (most?) of this stuff is arbitrary, but you should publish your thoughts in a journal that covers Latin American identity, not mislead a poor premed trying to get into med school.

 

[YCAGA]

This is just speculation, but I think some of the responses in this thread are yet another case of a unique type of discrimination against Asians, a race that for whatever reason gets treated as if they are not “true” minorities. If OP’s mom was Black or an indigenous person who moved to Cuba/Mexico/etc, no one would hesitate to say that OP is now Latino/Hispanic, because Black and indigenous groups are very common in those countries. And we know Black and indigenous are discriminated against in the US, Latin America, and around the world, so we are very hesitant to exclude them in any way. But I guess since OP’s mom is Asian it was okay to make up a new definition of Latino/Hispanic to discriminate against her and the 6+ million people of Asian ancestry in Latin American.

 

[YCAGA]

hey there, thanks for your comment

Latinx people come in all races and shades, and there isn't one singular Latinx "look". However, pertaining to OP's post, they stated that their mother is ethnically and racially Chinese. She speaks Spanish and taught OP Spanish, which is wonderful, but her being born in Cuba doesn't make her ethnically Cuban. My parents are from the Caribbean and I was born in America. If I were born in a different country, let's say Germany, my nationality would be German, and not American. Would I ethnically be German, of German descent? No.

Also, I disagree with you saying that this "could be the difference between OP getting into medical school and not". As a URM, I've encountered tremendous racism within academia, which often takes the form of statements such as people being envious that I possess an "advantage". Certain minorities, such as Black, Indigenous, and Latinx folx, are underrepresented for a reason - it's because legacies of institutionalized racism prevent us from achieving opportunities for academic advancement and success. So, let's just put to rest that having URM status is some end all be all deciding factor.

OP seems like a stand up guy, and it's actually wonderful that their mom taught them Spanish. I think it would be interesting to share on their app, and could help them connect with so many different patients. This is just my opinion, and regardless of what they decide to do, I'm sure it won't make or break their app

That is a lot of words to double down on your incorrect argument that OP’s race, ancestry, and ethnicity prevent tfrom being Latino/Hispanic, when those 3 things are explicitly NOT appropriate to use when deciding if someone is Latino/Hispanic, as explained by the US census bureau quote in my first comment.

Latino/Hispanic is not at all like your Germany example. The Latino/Hispanic demographic category is a very unique situation, where country of origin and culture are what count, not race or ethnicity like the German example.

And you are missing the point about URM vs ORM…OP’s application is already near complete. I’m not saying all URM’s have an “easy” time getting into medical school. I am saying OP (one person) will have an undeniable advantage in admissions if they select Hispanic/Latino on AMCAS. To deny that is to completely ignore the robust statistics on the matter.

I’ll leave you with a question. Why are you Latino/a and OP is not? Both your parents were born and raised in a Hispanic country and culture, grew up speaking Spanish and you were both born in the US and presumably taught Spanish by your parents. If OP isn’t Latino, neither are you 🙂

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

Your mother being born and raised in Cuba doesn't make her ethnically Cuban. She isn't Latino just because she was born in a specific country and speaks Spanish.

Hola! Como estas!? (pretend I put the acentos). A latino/ Hispanic person is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other spanish culture regardless of race. There's a whole difference between Hispanic and Latino, but I'm not getting into that. Cuba falls under both the Hispanic/ Latino category. Even though OP is Asian, they are still Latino/Hispanic. Hispanic/Latino isn't a race, it's an ethnicity.

@cupcakerunner like @vitafusion says, your race is Asian, but your ethnicity is Hispanic/Latino. You can and should tick both the Asian and Hispanic/Latino boxes. I know it's kind of confusing, but race isn't a factor when considering who is/ isn't Hispanic/Latino. There are White, Black, and Asian Latinos. Asian Hispanics/ Latinos have been a thing since like, the 1800's. A large reason for why there are lots of Asians living in Caribbean islands such Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica etc is because they were used as the primary source of labor on plantations when slavery was abolished. There have been Asian Latinos for over a century. Trust me. Race wise they are Asian and they know it, but ethnicity wise they are Hispanics/Latinos. Are you really willing to (incorrectly) tell a bunch of people who have probably lived somewhere for generations that they can't identify with their culture/ ethnicity because of their race?

Tl;dr: Race =/= Ethnicity.

 

[theendisnigh]

I believe your race is Asian and you are multiethnic, Indian and Chinese. You are also Hispanic/Latino with Cuban ties.

Hispanic/Latino is neither a race nor ethnicity, to my understanding. It is a shared cultural heritage, allowing it to be applied and identified broadly.

However, how you identify is 100% your choice.

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

I would put multiracial and not look back. No one on adcoms is going to look at you and challenge your identity, especially because you have clear ties to each community. If it makes you feel any more comfortable doing so, I listed myself as biracial but am typically (like 99% of the time) presumed to be Asian based on my appearance. Unsurprisingly, no member of adcoms asked me if I was lying about my race.

 

[Taskha]

Race select 'Asian and Hispanic'. (The reason to select Hispanic is based on US gov's statement)
Ethnicity may type 'Chindian'.
See Chindian on wikipedia:

Chindians - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

I believe this is the most logical and honest way.

 

[14_karat]

I really hope OP checks back up on this thread, because they should 100% put they are Spanish/Latino/Hispanic on AMCAS. It is shameful that some people in this thread are bringing up their own identity as Latino/a as if that gives them authority to decide OP’s demographic markers.

The question on AMCAS lumps it all together as “Latino, Hispanic, and of Spanish,” just like the Census Bureau has done for over a decade.

“The United States Census Bureau uses the ethnonyms Hispanic or Latino to refer to a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race and states that Hispanics or Latinos can be of any race, any ancestry, any ethnicity.”

@goal2bMD2k25 D2k25 please fact check yourself before giving someone such important advice. Being able to justifiably put their race as a URM could be the difference between OP getting into medical school and not.

@14_karat you are also very wrong. As stated above, the census bureau and other federal departments literally define Hispanic/Latino as being from [list of countries/regions] in terms of culture OR origin, NOT race.

Are Black people in Cuba or Colombia not Hispanic/Latino…? Are indigenous people in Peru not Hispanic/Latino Neither of those groups I mentioned are more closely related to Spanish colonialists than an Asian woman (OP’s mom), but I guess you all think blood lineage is what makes someone “Cuban” or “Latino”? Yeah, no. They are definitely Latino/Hispanic and especially in the US and in the eyes of the US government.

It is honestly insulting to Latino/Hispanics as a whole to give advice on a Latino/Hispanic matter while being this out of touch. The first few lectures in any Latin American studies 101 course will be about how amazingly diverse Latin America is. If country of origin (Cuba) and language spoken (Spanish), doesn’t make OP’s mom Hispanic/Latina, then what does?! Because I can tell you that race and ethnicity do NOT unite the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, and Spain as all Latino/Hispanic countries (minus Spain in the case of Latino). There is every race and ethnicity imaginable in Latin America. Spanish language and culture unite these countries and their people, in terms of US government definition, academic definition, and common sense.

The entire point of Latino/Hispanic is that it transcends race and ethnicity. How else would there be the well-accepted demographical terms of “White Hispanic/Latino” “Black Hispanic/Latino” “White non-Hispanic/Latino” “non-Black Hispanic/Latino”? Read one paper on health equity among races/ethnicities/other demographic markers and you will see some or all of those terms.

Please fact check yourself before you go around giving such dangerously bad advice. I am worked up because this literally takes a 1-2 minute Google search to clarify and yet there are multiple people in this thread that think they have can answer this question off the cuff based on their own definitions of race and ethnicity and Latino/Hispanic identify. That type of thinking doesn’t fly in medicine. Words have definitions and definitions can be found from reliable sources.

If you disagree with how America defines race and ethnicity and Latino/Hispanic/Spanish, that is totally valid and a lot (most?) of this stuff is arbitrary, but you should publish your thoughts in a journal that covers Latin American identity, not mislead a poor premed trying to get into med school.

Hola! Como estas!? (pretend I put the acentos). A latino/ Hispanic person is a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other spanish culture regardless of race. There's a whole difference between Hispanic and Latino, but I'm not getting into that. Cuba falls under both the Hispanic/ Latino category. Even though OP is Asian, they are still Latino/Hispanic. Hispanic/Latino isn't a race, it's an ethnicity.

@cupcakerunner like @vitafusion says, your race is Asian, but your ethnicity is Hispanic/Latino. You can and should tick both the Asian and Hispanic/Latino boxes. I know it's kind of confusing, but race isn't a factor when considering who is/ isn't Hispanic/Latino. There are White, Black, and Asian Latinos. Asian Hispanics/ Latinos have been a thing since like, the 1800's. A large reason for why there are lots of Asians living in Caribbean islands such Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Jamaica etc is because they were used as the primary source of labor on plantations when slavery was abolished. There have been Asian Latinos for over a century. Trust me. Race wise they are Asian and they know it, but ethnicity wise they are Hispanics/Latinos. Are you really willing to (incorrectly) tell a bunch of people who have probably lived somewhere for generations that they can't identify with their culture/ ethnicity because of their race?

Tl;dr: Race =/= Ethnicity.

The both of you have misunderstood my comment and have gone on a rant for some reason, even though I never said nor implied that Hispanic/Latino was a race. I quite clearly wrote that is an ethnic origin.

I’m a very well aware of the existence of Asian Latinos.
I was under the impression that OP’s mother is Chinese and born in Cuban to Chinese immigrants. In that case, it literally means that they is not Latino. That is not generational. And no, the example of a Black person born in Latin America doesn’t make sense. You are either Afro-Latino(a) or not. A Jamaican born and raised in Cuba doesn’t suddenly become an Afro-Latino. That is a lineage. And I have never heard of someone give leniency to Black people like that or whatever you’re trying to imply. For example, actress Lupita N’yongo was born in Mexico. Does this make her Afro-Mexican? Absolutely not. She remains of Kenyan ethnicity, but her nationality is Mexican.

From the way this question was worded it didn’t sound like they meant their mother’s family is from Cuba generationally, because in that case...why wonder if you are Latino or not?

 

[theendisnigh]

The both of you have misunderstood my comment and have gone on a rant for some reason, even though I never said nor implied that Hispanic/Latino was a race. I quite clearly wrote that is an ethnic origin.

I’m a very well aware of the existence of Asian Latinos.
I was under the impression that OP’s mother is Chinese and born in Cuban to Chinese immigrants. In that case, it literally means that they is not Latino. That is not generational. And no, the example of a Black person born in Latin America doesn’t make sense. You are either Afro-Latino(a) or not. A Jamaican born and raised in Cuba doesn’t suddenly become an Afro-Latino. That is a lineage. And I have never heard of someone give leniency to Black people like that or whatever you’re trying to imply. For example, actress Lupita N’yongo was born in Mexico. Does this make her Afro-Mexican? Absolutely not. She remains of Kenyan ethnicity, but her nationality is Mexican.

From the way this question was worded it didn’t sound like they meant their mother’s family is from Cuba generationally, because in that case...why wonder if you are Latino or not?

I have to disagree with this. You can't gatekeep the label Hispanic/Latino because it can be applied too broadly, there is no select criteria for it. Neither race nor ethnicity nor nationality nor birthplace nor generational lineage. Someone can be any race or ethnicity under the moon born in a Latin American country and consider themselves Latino, they can be fourth-generation Mexican-American, ethnically 100% Irish, with the last 3 generations born and raised in the U.S. and be Hispanic, live in an isolated community in the Dominican Republic in a Nigerian community speaking Igbo and be Hispanic, Asian first-generation immigrant as a baby living in El Salvador for their childhood, then immigrate to India and call themselves Hispanic. They're all Hispanic/Latino because a shared connection to Hispanic/Latino roots, and we don't have the right to identify them, they identify themselves.

 

[YCAGA]

The both of you have misunderstood my comment and have gone on a rant for some reason, even though I never said nor implied that Hispanic/Latino was a race. I quite clearly wrote that is an ethnic origin.

I’m a very well aware of the existence of Asian Latinos.
I was under the impression that OP’s mother is Chinese and born in Cuban to Chinese immigrants. In that case, it literally means that they is not Latino. That is not generational. And no, the example of a Black person born in Latin America doesn’t make sense. You are either Afro-Latino(a) or not. A Jamaican born and raised in Cuba doesn’t suddenly become an Afro-Latino. That is a lineage. And I have never heard of someone give leniency to Black people like that or whatever you’re trying to imply. For example, actress Lupita N’yongo was born in Mexico. Does this make her Afro-Mexican? Absolutely not. She remains of Kenyan ethnicity, but her nationality is Mexican.

From the way this question was worded it didn’t sound like they meant their mother’s family is from Cuba generationally, because in that case...why wonder if you are Latino or not?

Oof. So if you are saying that you have to be at least 3rd or 4th generation to be considered Latino/Hispanic? What if one of your parents is from Norway and the other is ethnically Mexican? Is that bloodline pure enough for YOU to allow them into the Latino/Hispanic club? What if it was just one grandparent from Norway?

Your gate keeping of Hispanic/Latino identify is honestly disturbing. Your obsession with “generational” and what basically amounts to racial and ethnic purity tests is the exact same type of racist/bigoted thinking that said children of Irish immigrants born in the 18th and 19th weren’t “American” because they were ethnically Irish, never mind the fact that they grew up in and identified with American culture, just like OP’s mom did in Cuba.

By your logic, if someone descends 100% from African slaves in the Dominican Republic, they aren’t Hispanic/Latino because they don’t pass your ethnicity test. Maybe they pass your “generational” test? But how many generations is enough? 2? 3? 5? Until no one alive in the family has an accent? Again, that’s some ethnic purity BS that amounts to blatant bigotry.

Oh and also, that’s bold to assume that a Black person born in Latin America has to come from outside Latin America. I mean what?! How do you think Afro-Latino is a thing? These people were initially African slaves/immigrants (after technically slavery was abolished) and quickly they identified with Latino culture. It doesn’t matter if they started doing that after 1 generation or 10, that’s their choice.

Just to highlight the insanity of your argument…here is your stance but replaced “Latino/Hispanic” and a Latin American country with American and the US: I hope you and your family have been living in the US for at least a few generations, otherwise I don’t consider you ethnically American, even if that is your nationality. As an ethnic American, I can decide who is and isn’t American, even if that goes against the entire concept of what being American means and multiple official sources disagree with me.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

The both of you have misunderstood my comment and have gone on a rant for some reason, even though I never said nor implied that Hispanic/Latino was a race. I quite clearly wrote that is an ethnic origin.

I’m a very well aware of the existence of Asian Latinos.
I was under the impression that OP’s mother is Chinese and born in Cuban to Chinese immigrants. In that case, it literally means that they is not Latino. That is not generational. And no, the example of a Black person born in Latin America doesn’t make sense. You are either Afro-Latino(a) or not. A Jamaican born and raised in Cuba doesn’t suddenly become an Afro-Latino. That is a lineage. And I have never heard of someone give leniency to Black people like that or whatever you’re trying to imply. For example, actress Lupita N’yongo was born in Mexico. Does this make her Afro-Mexican? Absolutely not. She remains of Kenyan ethnicity, but her nationality is Mexican.

From the way this question was worded it didn’t sound like they meant their mother’s family is from Cuba generationally, because in that case...why wonder if you are Latino or not?

I clearly stated that her ethnicity was in fact Hispanic/Latino even though her race is Asian. All you have to do to be considered that ethnicity is to be born in that country. OPs mother is Hispanic even if she's the child of immigrants. Lupita N'yongo is in fact Afro-Mexican (She's of African and Mexican origin). If she chooses to she can also identify as Afro-Latina because she was born in Mexico. That's literally the qualification for the tittle.
Who's Latino/Hispanic according to the US Censory Bureau

Please note the word origin and google it's meaning.

 

[14_karat]

Oof. So if you are saying that you have to be at least 3rd or 4th generation to be considered Latino/Hispanic? What if one of your parents is from Norway and the other is ethnically Mexican? Is that bloodline pure enough for YOU to allow them into the Latino/Hispanic club? What if it was just one grandparent from Norway?

Your gate keeping of Hispanic/Latino identify is honestly disturbing. Your obsession with “generational” and what basically amounts to racial and ethnic purity tests is the exact same type of racist/bigoted thinking that said children of Irish immigrants born in the 18th and 19th weren’t “American” because they were ethnically Irish, never mind the fact that they grew up in and identified with American culture, just like OP’s mom did in Cuba.

By your logic, if someone descends 100% from African slaves in the Dominican Republic, they aren’t Hispanic/Latino because they don’t pass your ethnicity test. Maybe they pass your “generational” test? But how many generations is enough? 2? 3? 5? Until no one alive in the family has an accent? Again, that’s some ethnic purity BS that amounts to blatant bigotry.

Oh and also, that’s bold to assume that a Black person born in Latin America has to come from outside Latin America. I mean what?! How do you think Afro-Latino is a thing? These people were initially African slaves/immigrants (after technically slavery was abolished) and quickly they identified with Latino culture. It doesn’t matter if they started doing that after 1 generation or 10, that’s their choice.

Just to highlight the insanity of your argument…here is your stance but replaced “Latino/Hispanic” and a Latin American country with American and the US: I hope you and your family have been living in the US for at least a few generations, otherwise I don’t consider you ethnically American, even if that is your nationality. As an ethnic American, I can decide who is and isn’t American, even if that goes against the entire concept of what being American means and multiple official sources disagree with me.

You’re reading what you want to read at this point.

(1. Someone who’s parent is ethnically Mexican, is indeed Mexican by ethnicity.)


2. What is it about this...

And no, the example of a Black person born in Latin America doesn’t make sense. You are either Afro-Latino(a) or not. A Jamaican born and raised in Cuba doesn’t suddenly become an Afro-Latino. That is a lineage.

...that you didn’t understand ?

I quite literally said that Afro-Latino is a lineage. The lineage is that you descend from enslaved Africans who were brought to Latin American countries, such as the DR. Which is why a family of recent Jamaican immigrants to Cuba wouldn’t be considered Afro-Latinos! That’s not their ethnic origin! They are rather West Indian / Afro-Carribean / Jamaican. Hence, why I used that as an example.

Just to highlight the insanity of your argument…here is your stance but replaced “Latino/Hispanic” and a Latin American country with American and the US: I hope you and your family have been living in the US for at least a few generations, otherwise I don’t consider you ethnically American, even if that is your nationality. As an ethnic American, I can decide who is and isn’t American, even if that goes against the entire concept of what being American means and multiple official sources disagree with me.

I’m actually laughing that you think this throws a wedge in anything. Because this is absolutely true.
No, I am not ethnically American. I am however American by nationality.

 

[LizzyM]

OP's mother was born in Cuba and identifies as Cuban. It would appear that she meets the definition of "a person of Cuban culture or origin regardless of race." This is not complicated.

There is no "Afro-Latino" category in the US Census. One is either Black (heritage of black racial groups of Africa) or not. One is Hispanic if from the culture or origins of the Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish... regardless of race" It is possible to be both Black and Hispanic and culture and origins have no timetable attached.

 

[14_karat]

I clearly stated that her ethnicity was in fact Hispanic/Latino even though her race is Asian. All you have to do to be considered that ethnicity is to be born in that country. OPs mother is Hispanic even if she's the child of immigrants. Lupita N'yongo is in fact Afro-Mexican (She's of African and Mexican origin). If she chooses to she can also identify as Afro-Latina because she was born in Mexico. That's literally the qualification for the tittle.
Who's Latino/Hispanic according to the US Censory Bureau

Please note the word origin and google it's meaning.

Uh, yes, I know. You also said I’m mixing things up with race. Yet, I’m not. Never did I say that you couldn’t be of any race and Latino.

I’m sorry but “ethnic origin” has always been used to refer to “one’s roots” or “ancestral heritage”. “What are your origins?” in the real world has a context different from your birthplace, though, of course, there can be a correlation.

But this convo is going in circles. We disagree, so that’s the end of that.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

OP's mother was born in Cuba and identifies as Cuban. It would appear that she meets the definition of "a person of Cuban culture or origin regardless of race." This is not complicated.

There is no "Afro-Latino" category in the US Census. One is either Black (heritage of black racial groups of Africa) or not. One is Hispanic if from the culture or origins of the Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish... regardless of race" It is possible to be both Black and Hispanic and culture and origins have no timetable attached.

You're right, there is no such thing as Afro-latino. I guess I instinctively put it despite defining Hispanic/Latino as raceless because some Latinos insist on it. That's a whole other topic.

 

[YCAGA]

You’re reading what you want to read at this point.

(1. Someone who’s parent is ethnically Mexican, is indeed Mexican by ethnicity.)


2. What is it about this...



...that you didn’t understand ?

I quite literally said that Afro-Latino is a lineage. The lineage is that you descend from enslaved Africans who were brought to Latin American countries, such as the DR. Which is why a family of recent Jamaican immigrants to Cuba wouldn’t be considered Afro-Latinos! That’s not their ethnic origin! They are rather West Indian / Afro-Carribean / Jamaican. Hence, why I used that as an example.



I’m actually laughing that you think this throws a wedge in anything. Because this is absolutely true.
No, I am not ethnically American. I am however American by nationality.

When does being Latino/Hispanic “start” in your eyes? You keep saying it has to do with lineage and generations and who your parents are, so who gets to decide the dividing line between Latino/Hispanic and not in your eyes? You mentioned someone being ethnically Mexican if their mom was ethnically Mexican…what makes someone’s mom ethnically Mexican/Latina/Hispanic? That her mom’s mom was also ethnically Mexican/Latina/Hispanic? Ok, what made grandma ethnically Mexican/Latina/Hispanic?

 

[vitafusion]

Uh, yes, I know. You also said I’m mixing things up with race. Yet, I’m not. Never did I say that you couldn’t be of any race and Latino.

I’m sorry but “ethnic origin” has always been used to refer to “one’s roots” or “ancestral heritage”. “What are your origins?” in the real world has a context different from your birthplace, though, of course, there can be a correlation.

But this convo is going in circles. We disagree, so that’s the end of that.

Not to beat a dead horse, but would you not consider Salma Hayek to be Latina? Granted her situation is not quite the same as the OP’s, since she was raised in Mexico, however her mom is a Spanish immigrant and her father is of Lebanese descent.

OP has cultural ties to Latin America through their mother. That’s really all that’s technically needed in the US to claim Hispanic or Latino. Tens of millions of people in the Southern Cone are of Italian or German ancestry like Lionel Messi, Pope Francis, Gisele Bundchen, etc. How far back does ancestry have to go until you can consider yourself “Latino?”

 

[YCAGA]

Not to beat a dead horse, but would you not consider Salma Hayek to be Latina? Granted her situation is not quite the same as the OP’s, since she was raised in Mexico, however her mom is a Spanish immigrant and her father is of Lebanese descent.

OP has cultural ties to Latin America through their mother. That’s really all that’s technically needed in the US to claim Hispanic or Latino. Tens of millions of people in the Southern Cone are of Italian or German ancestry like Lionel Messi, Pope Francis, Gisele Bundchen, etc. How far back does ancestry have to go until you can consider yourself “Latino?”

Exactly. This person’s obsession with tracing back Latino/Hispanic bloodlines to their personally approved depth is really concerning. Not only does it completely reject the accepted definition of Latino/Hispanic in the US, it is the exact type of thinking of that has been the foundation of racism and xenophobia for millennia. I can’t say that enough

 

[YCAGA]

OP's mother was born in Cuba and identifies as Cuban. It would appear that she meets the definition of "a person of Cuban culture or origin regardless of race." This is not complicated.

There is no "Afro-Latino" category in the US Census. One is either Black (heritage of black racial groups of Africa) or not. One is Hispanic if from the culture or origins of the Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish... regardless of race" It is possible to be both Black and Hispanic and culture and origins have no timetable attached.

Great concise and clear reply as always. I’m not sure what is confusing some people in this thread. It is indeed not complicated.

Kinda concerning that they are refusing to admit they are wrong when the Census Bureau definition is about clear as it can get. Are they going to make up their own diagnostic criteria on the wards?

 

[middchild6]

Race/Ethnicity/Gender/etc. Are self-reported. Feel free to check whatever box(es) you identify with!

If I was in your situation I would identify as a US Citizen of Asian Race and Hispanic/Latin ethnicity. Under languages I would indicate my level of fluency in English & any other languages.