First, most Latinos rarely call themselves Hispanic. (We're not from Hispania, after all.) That is an outsider's label foisted on us to make us seem 'more white' and thus less threatening or alien to whites, just like calling us 'Spanish.' The answer you'd get would depend grwatly on which national origin the Latino person was part of, plus how long they or their family had been in the US. In some countries like Argentina a 'white' identity is common. In most others it is not. In Latin America, there is an idea called 'puro de sangre' (purity of blood) meaning the relative amount of 'white' Spanish ancestry one has. But you can also 'whiten' yourself by education, wealth, or social lifestyle or status. An Indian can be considerd 'white' if they choose to not 'live like an Indian' in a traditional way in an Indian village. The soccer star Pele is considered 'white' in his home country because he is very wealthy even though his skin color makes him a black man to American eyes. But once Latinos come to the US, they are confronted by a society that judges you by the old one drop rule, that if you have any nonwhite ancestry at all, you are not white. And confronted with this idea, just about all Latinos, even ones as light skinned as say, Martin Sheen (real name: Ramon Estevez) choose to identify with other Latinos. Doing differently would make you a coconut (brown on the outside, white inside) or a 'Tio Taco' (Uncle Taco, the Latin equvalent of an Uncle Tom). There may be some light skinned Latinos who identify as 'white' but I would bet you that's only because they were not raised around other Latinos at all and so have no accent. Thus they can 'pass.'
User Detail :
Name : ACC25122, Race : Mexican and American Indian, City : Phoenix, State : AZ Country : United States, Occupation : Grad student, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Many Hispanics used to try and pass as whites. People of Mexican descent in the U.S. would refer to themselves as 'Spanish' in order to get by easier, even though the majority of Mexicans are of more Indigenous blood than European blood. I imagine it was the same over on the east coast. The word 'Hispanic' itself was actually brought about during the 60s by Cuban-American lobbyists who wanted to be differentiated from Puerto Ricans and Mexicans, ie. European as supposed to Indigenous or African. However, since the late 60s and the 70s, there has been an incredible move to embrace our Indigenous and African ties, and there has been a great backlash against 'passing' or being a 'coconut' (brown on the outside, white on the inside). Many who have shed the desire to be 'white' would be offended at being considered white. Also, many Hispanics have had it drilled in their heads since they were toddlers (by the white majority and by their peers) that they're not white (in the northern European / Anglo sense at least) so they consider themselves a seperate racial group entirely.
User Detail :
Name : Dan27180, Gender : M, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Pentecostal, Age : 22, City : Los Angeles, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, Being raised in the South, until recently I had never had much contact with Hispanic Americans - or at least I did not know it if I were in contact with any. When I began dating my husband (an extremely light-complected Puerto Rican), I asked him if he were considered white. He was quick to tell me no. He seemed offended by the question. So besides my husband, I'm curious to know whether most Hispanics consider themselves white. Why or why not?
User Detail :
Name : Kiea, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, City : Montgomery, State : AL Country : United States, Occupation : receptionist, Education level : 2 Years of College, I'm Mexican and pretty light-skinned, and I don't consider myself white, either. White people to me are Anglos, Caucasions, etc. - not Latinos (or Asians, or any other lighter-skinned race). So I, too, get a bit offended if someone thinks I'm white. I guess it's because I'm so proud of being Mexican and can't stand people who aren't proud of where they're from.
User Detail :
Name : Marsha, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), Religion : Christian, Age : 27, City : Orange County, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Administrative Assistant, Education level : 2 Years of College, Woah!! Wait a minute here. Hispanics are either white, indegenous, black, or their mix (the stereotyped brown), and there are even asian hispanics. Remember that Hispanic means of latin american or spanish origin, independent of race. I'm fully white, and in the US no one asks me if I'm white because they have eyes and can see. Now when they ask me where I'm from (what State), I tell them that I'm not from the US, that I'm from Venezuela, therefore hispanic. Usually they say that I don't look hispanic(?). A white person (yes, white-caucasian) can't say that he's not white because he's hispanic. That's like an african saying he's not african, that he's nigerian. White Puertoricans are white, and hispanics. Your husband was probably offended because he understood white as 'Good ol' American' or 'Gringo', and he's not that and he doesn't want to be, he's a proud Boricua. A proud white Boricua. White is just a skin color. And believe me, there are millions of white-caucasian latinos. The stereotype brown-skinned latino is no more latino than me or any other blonde blue-eyed hispanic. Y que viva pues!!!!
User Detail :
Name : Nelson-A20193, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian & 100% Hispanic, Age : 32, City : Caracas, State : NA Country : Venezuela, Occupation : Lawyer/Business, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Hello, i am a 'white hispanic' im half spanish and puerto rican. I believe that some white people see a light hispanic person and try even harder to remind that one particular person that they look white, but are NOT white. So when that person lives with that, in there life, the pride them selves in not being 'white' because of a ' persons action, that they denie to be white. Thats how i feel, anyways.
User Detail :
Name : Victoria B., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Puerto Rican/Spaniard, Age : 24, City : Lindsay, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I am half Mexican, but where I grew up in the midwest until age 7, I had always assumed everyone was either 'black' or 'white' (I was pretty confused the first time I saw an Indian person). Basically I put everyone who wasn't black in the white category, including myself. Since then I became aware that there are more categories than these and that, although I considered them to overlap, not everyone does. Since everyone has their own idea what race categories there are, it makes filling out forms difficult, especially when I am actually half 'white', and most/many Mexicans are mixed Native American and Spanish anyway. It is interesting that both my mom's parents had 'Mexican' as their race on their birth certificates, and my mom had 'white' on hers.
User Detail :
Name : Natalie20088, Gender : F, Race : Multiple, Age : 23, City : Boston, State : MA Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, 'Hispanic' means 'Of spanish origin', and spaniards are whites, at least they certainly consider themselves to be :) American hispanics may be anything from pure european to full indian. Wether they want to acknowledge this or not is another story
User Detail :
Name : John, City : Madrid, State : NA Country : Spain, 
LJParticipant
Hispanics are tri-racial. Puerto Ricans are on average around 60% Taino Indian, 30% African, and the rest a mix of Spanish and Anglo. Cubans are generally mulatto (black/white) because most of the tribes were wiped out. Brazilians are very mixed as well, much like Puerto Ricans. Mexicans tend to be mostly Indian. Some are mixed with Spanish, some with African. Its best if you look at them the same you would with anyone else. If you married a Spaniard, for instance, what would your kids be? Well, thats what most Hispanics are too.
User Detail :
Name : LJ, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, City : Monroe, State : LA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I'm Hispanic, and racially I'm 3/4 white, 1/4 Native American (Mayan). I was always perceived by others as white when I was a child, and that identity stuck. Growing up in a mostly Puerto Rican mulatto and black area of the South Bronx, I could speak the same language as the other Hispanic children, but I didn't fail to notice how different I looked from my classmates: I have pale skin and freckles. Some Hispanics, like the upper-class Cubans who immigrated here in the '60s, do consider themselves white, but most white Hispanics don't. My mother is of pure Spaniard ancestry, but she still considers herself 'Puerto Rican.'
User Detail :
Name : H. Carias, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : 3/4 white, 1/4 Native American (Hispanic), Religion : Atheist, Age : 18, City : Orlando, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : Student in chemistry, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Upper middle class, I am a light-skinned Cuban of Spanish heritage. As far as I can tell, I am white, of European descent. Whether one is white or Hispanic is mixing two categopries. White refers to skin color and Hispanic to ethnicity. If my parents were from Ireland and moved to Spain where I was born what would I be? Even this very forum does not recognize that one can be both Hispanic and white - or hispanic and black or even Hispanic and Asian or Jewish.
User Detail :
Name : Mark Ginzo, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Age : 36, City : Miami, State : FL Country : United States, Occupation : finance, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, The word Hispanic refers to national origin and not to race. The correct definition of Hispanic is any one whose ancestry is from a Spanish or Portuguese speaking country. As such, Hispanics can be of any race. For example, Cameron Diaz, Emelio Estevez, Jimmy Smits, and Sammy Sosa are all Hispanic but are not all members of the same race. Many Hispanics have ancestry from Spain and other European countries and are white. There are also black Hispanics, Asian Hispanics, Jewish-Hispanics, and every variation of people as you find in America. Just as Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson are not members of the same race merely because they are Americans with Anglo last names, not every Spanish surnamed person is a member of the same race either. There are many white Hispanics, especially in the United States, who are confused as to their identity due to the 'black, white or Hispanic race' myth that predominates United States society. If American society promoted that Irish people were a separate race for thirty years, many Irish people would stop considering themselves white as well. Incidentally, the Census Bureaus does not and never has collected information on the 'Hispanic race.' When the Census Bureau does lists Hispanic information, that information is clearly labeled as non-racial. For example, a Census category might state 'white-non Hispanic,' meaning that white Hispanics have been separated from that category as opposed to a Census category stating 'white' which would include white Hispanics.
User Detail :
Name : Josh29144, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : white of Hispanic origin, Religion : Catholic, Age : 33, City : Soto, State : NY Country : United States, Occupation : Lawyer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 'Hispanic' is not a race. A Hispanic can be white, black, Indian and even Asian. Hispanic only means one is a native Spanish speaker or of Spanish-speaking ancestry, like Slavic or Germanic, etc. One reason people may define themselves as 'Hispanic' is that most Latin Americans are of a mixed background dating back centuries, and because they have mixed to a certain degree, they were considered by Anglo-Americans to be a sort of 'new race,' plus they all share a similar culture and dialect. The U.S. Census calls them Hispanic/Latino as well, so that may be a factor. Lastly, yes, there are white Hispanics. Spain, Costa Rica, Argentina and Uraguay are countries where 'white' Hispanics are the majority.
User Detail :
Name : Andres, Gender : M, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 25, City : Chambersburg, State : PA Country : United States, I know a Spaniard that would clean your clock for saying what you just did. Hispanics are NOT all Spanish and Spaniards are NOT at all Hispanics. Read that a couple of times for it to sink in. Spanish are Mediterranean Caucasians, just like Italian, Greeks, southern French etc.
User Detail :
Name : Zuras24244, Gender : M, Race : American Indian, Age : 25, City : Madison, State : WI Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, I am a puerto rican male I am of French, Italian ,Spanish, Descent and consider myself European. And then Puerto Rican by culture. Hispanic is not a race for Latin America is composed of Negros Caucasions , and Native Americans. And Some Asians and a mix of all.
User Detail :
Name : Lorenzo, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : European, Religion : Scientific Panthesis, Age : 29, City : Delran, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : College Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 
Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences .
