Why do Americans call Spanish speakers and Latinos "Spanish?"

[B0l0joe]

Most South-East Asians call citizens of China, 中国人, "Chinaman".
Westerners call them Chinese. But because Chinese can also be the ethnic group, 华人, it gets a little confusing sometimes. I'm Chinese, 华人, but I'm not from China, 中国.

Here on the mainland the reaction online if an American Chinese does something worthy of praise he is a 中国人（Chinese person) ! But if it’s the opposite then they are just a 华裔 （overseas Chinese).

 

[mb23100]

wait until you have an asian gf, then the confusion will really begin.

 

[IDGETKTFO]

Theres a word that combines both spanish and Hispanic.

 

[RedBeard_]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

I have noticed primarily Latin Americans referring to themselves as "Spanish."

 

[HHJ]

I see it happen all the time.

Its just people who know nothing about geography or history. Which is unfortunatley alot of people.

 

[HHJ]

yeah, I'm Spanish from Spain
I honestly don't care. Once you understand that the States are incredibly obsessed with race, ethnicities and classifying and fitting people into subgroups the best you can do is sit back and enjoy the ridiculousness.

Not just obsessed,but also oversimplifying it cos they are stupid. Everything has to be put in a category.

 

[fingercuffs]

wait until you have an asian gf, then the confusion will really begin.

Friend. GF?

 

[fingercuffs]

The simple answer is people aren't really educated. But we understand "Spanish" is a colloquial term form Hispanic or Latino, so we just go with it.

It's similar to when people say: "He's not black/white he's Dominican"

That's a thing I've never heard.
A political board I post on a chick has "stand by it" calling black people coloreds. She and I hate each other anyway but it's a good job I'm not in The Bay Area anymore. So much she has said that's so fucking racist I wouldn't be sad if I saw her kicked in the shin a few times.

 

[Cool Hand Luke]

To me it's either thr good Mexican kind or the bad Mexican kind.

*hearty racist belly laughter*

 

[chrisdiaz]

Its a broad range term and has been adopted to mean a spanish speaking person. I dont get mad that Im Italian and people call me white. Its been accepted that itialians fall under the category of white in america.

Also Ive never heard of what you are referring to, might be a regional thing. If you speak spanish your usually referred to as mexican or latino. Most people know spanish is the language not the region but its an easy broad range term to use like asian.

 

[Busgosu]

I dont get mad that Im Italian and people call me white. Its been accepted that itialians fall under the category of white in america.

wow are italians really considered white in USA? crazy

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

'America' is everything from Alaska to the Falklands. US Americans and Canadians are known for geographical ignorance and calling themselves European nationalities.

Person from Chicago: 'I'm Irish!'
Person from Quebec: 'I'm French!'
Person from San Francisco: 'I'm Irish, Scottish and German!'

https://www.reddit.com/r/ShitAmericansSay

Nobody from Quebec refers to themselves as French wtf are you talking about.

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

wow are italians really considered white in USA? crazy

WTF should they consider themselves? Black?

 

[Busgosu]

WTF should they consider themselves? Black?

lol IDK, maybe the guy who said that can provide us with further insight on this

 

[KBE6EKCTAH_CCP]

lol IDK, maybe the guy who said that can provide us with further insight on this

It s funny that you were surprised by this as a Spaniard. I have never met a real southern european (not plastic American offshots) who would think of themselves as anything else but white. Not that they actively think about it, that s an american occupation.

 

[GarbageGuy]

It gets confusing when talking to Americans about the Spanish. Once I was told an American guy that I the girl was seeing was Spanish and he asks me, "Oh where is she from?"

Or if I say, "I have some Spanish friends. I can bring them to the party." Americans will ask, "Which countries are they from?"

Of if I may hear some guy say he met a sexy Spanish girl, but it turns out she's Dominican or Colombian or something.

It's obviously Spain. Spanish in terms of nationality = from Spain.

We don't say Canadians, Saffas, Aussies, Kiwis, and Americans are English because they speak English. If you hear someone is English, nobody would ask which country he is from; they just assume he's from England.

I can imagine how confusing it must be for Spanish people to tell Americans that they are Spanish and Americans ask them which country they are from.

Spanish people are from Spain.

Americans call spanish speaking people Mexicans

i think i legit never heard a single time in my life an american person call a latino person "spanish"

 

[Busgosu]

It s funny that you were surprised by this as a Spaniard. I have never met a real southern european (not plastic American offshots) who would think of themselves as anything else but white. Not that they actively think about it, that s an american occupation.

lol dude, I was being sarcastic!

 

[Alphaboy]

That's a thing I've never heard.
A political board I post on a chick has "stand by it" calling black people coloreds. She and I hate each other anyway but it's a good job I'm not in The Bay Area anymore. So much she has said that's so fucking racist I wouldn't be sad if I saw her kicked in the shin a few times.

Lol by use of "chick" I'm assuming she isn't an elderly woman(?) That's some 1950s lingo, bruh!

 

[SalvadorAllende]

yeah, I'm Spanish from Spain
I honestly don't care. Once you understand that the States are incredibly obsessed with race, ethnicities and classifying and fitting people into subgroups the best you can do is sit back and enjoy the ridiculousness.

Exactly.. that shit his hilarious.

 

[Patrick Jane]

My favorite spaniard.

The Amish call non Amish rest of the country "English" even though they're American, people refer to Russian speakers who aren't from Russia as Russians, and if you go to a non English speaking country, they probably refer to you as English as well.

Everybody from the former eastern bloc collectively being called "russian" is the funniest.