14 December 2009

Distinguishing Between Ethnic Designation and National Identity

In the 1960’s, a movement long in the waiting took place among the Mexican-American community, a movement for legal and civil rights. Activism among the Latino population flourished under the advocacy and leadership of Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers. Ultimately this gave rise to a massive civil rights movement as well as a campaign for economic improvement in their demographic. Through their demonstrations, marches, fasts, boycotts, and peaceful protests, the Mexican-American population was patriotically exercising their rights to speak out against oppressors and demand a change in policy for the betterment of their community. This is an inherently American idea, that of speaking out against current policy, and I submit that the activists who turned thoughts into actions for the Latino community identified themselves as American and took pride in knowing they were bolstering civil rights in their homeland. Though there are still examples of inequality among every minority, the cause of civil equality under the law has come a long way since the 60’s.
Unity is what has paved the way to change for the underrepresented in American society, yet a recent survey suggests that the American Latino population is clearly divided when it comes to how young Latinos perceive their place in America and America’s role in their lives. According to the survey (conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center and released Friday, December 11, 2009) over half of the 2012 participants in their study responded to the question “How would you first describe yourself?” with their family’s country of origin. This was striking because two-thirds of the Latinos aged 16-25 are native-born Americans.
It is important to understand the general opinions and national awareness of large ethnic populations. This is especially true when this ethnic group represents one in every four newborns and one in five schoolchildren across America. The question is: Is it a problem for large populations of Americans to identify themselves more with their family’s country of origin than the one they currently reside in (and will likely spend the rest of their life in)? Furthermore, has America’s visage as the melting pot coagulated into something more like a salad bowl of coexisting yet fully distinguishable groups?
According to Mark Lopez, an associate director of the Pew Hispanic Center, “Generally, among young Hispanics, their parents are more likely to talk of pride in being from a specific country or origin and encourage them to speak Spanish.” Perhaps what the Census Bureau and Pew Hispanic Center fail to account for is the difference between ethnic designation and national identity. Simply being aware of one’s cultural heritage and reporting it as an identifying factor does not necessarily speak to a lack of national pride. As a proud American, I like to think every citizen who speaks out for change does so with a dual mindset to ethnically identify with one nation while at the same time enjoying those rights and responsibilities that come with being an American. I feel that what the survey unveiled was not a rift forming between American citizenship and Latino culture, but the duality that spurs social change and promises to kindle civil liberty and racial equality in generations to come.

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