From: pablo@eye1.cognet.ucla.edu (Pablo Lapuerta)
Subject: Re: Blancos o Hispanos?
Reply-To: pablo@cognet.ucla.edu
Organization: UCLA Cognitive Science Research Program
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 21:24:06 GMT

In article <9211161544.AA52083@cpuserver.acsc.com>  
mmg1083@UXA.CSO.UIUC.EDU writes:
> 
> Primero de todo, quiero agradecer a aquellos que me han ayudado a
> subscribirme a esta red.  Muchas gracias.
>         Es la primera vez que envio un mensaje, asi que a lo mejor la
> pregunta que voy a formular ya ha sido discutida.
>         Estoy solicitando trabajos para el proximo anyo y algunas
> universidades me han mandado un formulario para que lo rellene  
encabezado
> "Afirmative Action". En este formulario hay preguntas sobre la edad,  
sexo,
> etc.. y hay uan seccion sobre raza o etnias.  Mi problema es el  
siguiente.
> En esta seccion tienes que indicar a que grupo racial o etnico  
perteneces.
> Hay una categoria que dice algo asi: WHITE, NOT HISPANIC ORIGIN:
> ......original cultures in Europe.  Supopngo que nosotros entramos ahi,  
no?
> Pero en cambio, hay otra categoria que dice:  HISPANIC: .....from Cuba,
> Puerto Rico, Caribbean, South America, or other Spanish cultures or
> origins.  Bien, supongo que nosotros tambien pertenecemos a este grupo.
> Cuando recibi el formulario me pase un par de dias pensando que narices  
era
> yo?  o mejor dicho, que narices piensan 'ellos' que soy yo?   
Finalamente,
> despues de mucho pensar y de hablarlo con otros amigos, decidi senyalar  
las
> dos categorias y especificar que soy de Espanya.  Y a ver que pasa!
>         Alguien tiene alguna solucion mejor? O alguien puede aclararme  
este
> problema linguistico,....social.....o racista?
> Muchas gracias.
> Montserrat Mir                           Office: (217)244-8194
> Educational Psychology                   Home: (217)355-0040
> Univ. of Illinois, Urbana.               mmg1083@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu
> Champaign, Il. 61820
	I am from a Spanish family (of Valencia) and I have always had the  
same question.  It's bothersome to see that "Hispanic" is treated as a  
racial distinction instead of a purely cultural one.
	Most recently I read an article in the Wallstreet Journal which  
addressed this issue.  Apparently Latin Americans and also Spaniards from  
Spain are "hispanic" and do qualify for minority consideration under some  
government programs.  However, Brazilians and Portuguese don't qualify.
	I do not think that I received any special consideration for  
college, and I was not recruited as a minority for medical school, but  
once I did receive a letter from the University of California at San  
Francisco saying that I could get minority consideration if I explained  
why I was "socially or economically disadvantaged."  
	I wrote an angry reply stating that I did not consider being  
hispanic as a disadvantage in any way, and that there was no part of my  
application that needed to be excused.  I don't remember if I ever  
actually mailed the letter, or if I just threw it away and ignored UCSF's  
offer altogether.  I went to another medical school instead.
	So with mixed feelings and a similar experience, I still go back  
and forth between "White" and "Other Hispanic."