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I came across this posting on the National Catholic Reporter web site and thought I would seek out the opinions of the Nuestros Ranchos members. The article was regarding the canonization of Junipero Serra.
Here is the comment:
kag1982 • 4 hours ago
First, in what sense of the word is Junipero Serra Latino. It seems to me a stretch to say that he is either a Latino or an American for that matter. Is the Vatican going to classify Cortes and PIzarro as a Latino American as well? Second, there are serious questions about Serra's record with the Native Americans that need to be addressed. Yes, he was probably nicer to the Native Americans than most other Spanish at the time. But the fact remains that he did treat them as little children and correct them as such and the Native Americans were forced onto the missions and used as slave labor. Those sorts of charges have to be answered.
So what do you all think was Junipero Serra, Latino or not.
Please delete this posting if it is considered to be in appropriate.
Who is considered to be
This is the RAE definition:
latino, na.
7. adj. Natural de los pueblos de Europa y América en que se hablan lenguas derivadas del latín.
8. adj. Perteneciente o relativo a esos mismos pueblos. Los emperadores latinos de Constantinopla. Los países latinos de América.
And I agree, for me a Latino is anybody who speaks a language derived from Latin mainly Spanish and Portuguese, but also French, Italian, etc., regardless of ethnicity. "Música latina" may include Spanish rumbas.
If you want to limit the definition to our continent and exclude Europe, then you have to use the term Latinoamericano.
Same for the difference between Hispano and Hispanoamericano.
Regards from México, Latinoamérica.
Victoriano Navarro
Who's Latino?
I'd say that anyone with roots in Latin America is Latino. I don't consider Spaniards to be Latino, but Brazilians are.
I personally identify myself (in preferred order) as Chicana, Xicana (when I want to really be badass), Mexican-American, Latina. I do not use the word Hispanic because I think it's a name given to us by white bureaucrats. When I see the word, I tend to read it as "His panic" (which we are), so it doesn't bother me too much. :)
As for the Native American thing and Junipero Serra, I don't think he should be canonized. The Spanish were pretty brutal in their treatment of the Natives, and forced hard labor may not be slavery, but I think that's splitting hairs.
Laura
Who is considered to be
Here in the USA and lately (thanks to the media) in other countries the word Latino refers to anyone with a spanish speaking culture ancestry but except the Eurpeans and Asians, thus neither Spanish or Philipines are considered Latinos, under the USA concept that is. As a person that born and grew up in Mexico, I always use Hispanic, simply because Latino makes me think of Rome. Then I guess neither the common use of the word nor me would considered Junipero a Latino (although he likely knew Latin) he was as far as I am concern Spanish :).
Regarding His role in the Missions and the impact that produced on the Natives, is difficult to tell at what extent he was or he wasn't good to them. The common belief in Mexican and thus California Spanish history is that All natives were abused by All Spanish. Far from reality, for example I still yet to come across to more than ten records mentioning Natives as slaves, (not that I have look into all records of all times) hard labor and slavery is, if not any better, not the same. By the time Junipero was in America I doubt there was any "official" slave within the Native communities. I am not going to defend all Spanish people who venture to this lands, I am just saying that things were little more complicated than black and white, for example the fact that Spanish used the rivalry among natives to force one group to ally and ultimately wipe out the other as "enemies", something that has no place on school books still.
My thinking on this is that todays Natives true to their cultures (or what remains of it) shouldn't bother for what the Catholic Church does. I mean, is not their original religion. Unfortunately some people's tyrant is another's hero. but thats just me.