Reference no: EM133721278

Do you agree with the use of the term "Hispanic" as an all-encompassing identity for peoples of Latin American descent? If so, explain why. If not, what problems do you have with the term? Do you prefer it to be replaced by more specific identities based on national origins?

Discuss the meanings and uses of the category "Hispanic" in U.S. politics, from the time it was introduced to measure the U.S. population of Spanish and Latin American descent, to its current use as a pan-ethnic identity. You should describe the origins of the term as an official minority designation approved by the US Congress, recount the attempts to measure the Hispanic population in the US censuses (1980, 1990, and 2000), and discuss the differences in self-identification between foreign-born and US-born Hispanics.

Reflect on what is at stake in the current use of the Hispanic identity as both a racial and an ethnic category and on the challenges the Hispanic category faces to solidify its status as a pan-ethnic identity fostering cross-cultural solidarity among different Latino communities.

Use and/or explain the meaning of the following keywords: Hispanicity / Minority designation / Censuses / Self-identification / Self-translation / Spanish and Spanglish / Reactive Ethnicity / Pan-ethnic Identity.

Make reference to "Defining Hispanicity" and "Defining the Situation.