Celebrating multiple languages, traditions, holidays and food is a defining part of the Chicano experience.
Part of my upbringing was learning to acknowledge both ethnic and racial ancestral roots. In my case, my race is Native American, and my ethnicity is Mexican-American.
However, that distinction between race and ethnicity has led to much confusion and sentiments of underrepresentation among many in Latino communities.
Briannely Archundia-Flores, third-year student at Delta College, noted her experience explaining the difference when helping people file paperwork.
“When I help a family member fill out paperwork or translate from Spanish to English, they always think they’re answering the same question twice. The line definitely gets blurred between the two definitions. They get confused especially when it comes to choosing race. I get told ‘I don’t see any Hispanic here?’ When situations like this happen, I try my best to explain the differences so they know for their future use,” Archundia-Flores said.
The questions in particular for these official forms are usually phrased the same:
“Are you Hispanic/Latino?”
“Regardless of how you answered the previous question, please select your race.”
Most people often identify with their ethnicity more than race. So, after marking off Hispanic or Latino as their ethnicity, there is confusion on how to answer the following question.
William Guzman, a third-year student at Delta College, shared his experience witnessing the confusion among people. He thinks interracial lineage plays a pivotal role in the struggle for identity.
“Among Hispanics/Latinos, has seen confusion when selecting race, and I myself have been confused when asked this question. Because of interracial lineage, like Europeans mixing with the Aztecs and producing mestizos, this can be a reason on why people from Latin America do not have a fixed race,” Guzman said.
Guzman also stated that many within the Latino communities are not well-versed in the difference between race and ethnicity. The confusion has resulted in many believing the two are the same.
“People really do not acknowledge their ancestral roots, as myself have done before when it comes to choosing my race. I believe it is from a disconnection of cultures and a small flaw in the education system,” Guzman said.
An aspect that has played a role in such confusion is that many are often disconnected or unaware of their ancestral roots.
There is a significant number of people who, despite their outward resemblance, will deny another culture as their race.
Only those whose upbringing gave them insight into their racial roots will likely identify with their race.
“I would say it’s a mix of flaws in the educational system and disconnection from cultures. I didn’t learn the difference between race and ethnicity until I was in college. Throughout my school years before my professors never bothered to teach us what they meant or their differences,” Archundia-Flores said.
Among the confusion between race and ethnicity often comes the gatekeeping of cultures, with groups of people making more distinctions and separating themselves.
Sometimes, when self-identifying as Native, there are remarks to neglect the idea. The reasoning is that they are different cultures with differing languages, religions, and celebrations.
Many will often assume that I am not Mexican-American. If they ask, I will respond with my ethnicity and race. When they learn I have an indigenous background, they sometimes remark in arrogance.
Ignoring my ethnicity, they would use my race to support their assumption that I was not Mexican and their overall belief that being Native and Mexican is not the same.
Hopefully one day, people can learn the difference between the two. But it might not be likely unless people can build those connections to their racial background.