Hispanics are an Ethnicity not a Race.
California is so engrained with racism that it is actually necessary to explain that Hispanics are mostly in the White race.
The Department of Finance said it best: “For this series, there are seven mutually exclusive groups: Hispanics and six non-Hispanic race groups of Whites, Blacks, American Indians, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Multiple-Race.”
If you review the Census materials, they really struggle reporting the population of the White race. There are two causes for this. 1) The Hispanics often refer to themselves as la raza, because la etnicidad doesn’t quite roll off the tongue. 2) The government just won’t come out and say on forms that Hispanics are whites. So they list all sorts of things and provide a box for “other”. The result is millions of Hispanics checking “other” because they do not know what race they belong to.
To curb this confusion, they now list all races with the caveat of not Hispanic, hoping to give the hint that if you are not native American, Asian, or Black then you are (cough) White (cough).
California Law has Always Provided that Hispanics are Whites
This was part of our original constitution.
“Every white male citizen of the United States, and every white male citizen of Mexico who shall have elected to become a citizen of the United States under the treaty of peace…” (Cal. Const. Art. II Right of Suffrage Section 1 (1849))
“We do not debar the Spanish, or the French, or the Italians from voting by the use of this word. They are darker than the Anglo Saxon race, but they are white men. He was, in favor of the distinct, expression, ‘every white male citizen,’ as used in the thirty different Constitutions of the Union.” (Debates on Constitutional Convention of 1849, p.72 ¶2)
“It will be observed, by reference to the first section of the second Article of the Constitution of this State, that none but white males can become electors… On examination of the constitutional debates, it will be found… to exclude all inferior races.” (People v. Hall, (1854) 4 Cal. 399, 404)
The arguably most racist Supreme Court opinion in California did not believe that Hispanics were excluded from the White race.
By arguably racist, that meant absolutely racist. Hall is still valid law by the way.
“This is not a speculation which exists in the excited and over-heated imagination of the patriot and statesman, but it is an actual and present danger.
The anomalous spectacle of a distinct people, living in our community, recognizing no laws of this State, except through necessity, bringing with them their prejudices and national feuds, in which they indulge in open violation of law; whose mendacity is proverbial; a race of people whom nature has marked as inferior, and who are incapable of progress or intellectual development beyond a certain point, as their history has shown; differing in language, opinions, color, and physical conformation; between whom and ourselves nature has placed an impassable difference, is now presented, and for them is claimed, not only the right to swear away the life of a citizen, but the further privilege of participating with us in administering the affairs of our Government. [Emphasis added.]
People v. Hall, (1854) 4 Cal. 399, 405
“The evident intention of the Act was to throw around the citizen a protection for life and property, which could only be secured by removing him above the corrupting influences of degraded castes.” (Hall at 403)
That case has never been overruled. It was cited most recently in Henderson v. Thompson, (Wash. 2022) 518 P.3d 1011 (true and accurate accounting of what Blacks have and are present suffering in our country.)
A White Woman Proved Hispanics are White
See Cal. Civil Code § 69
“All persons about to be joined in marriage must first obtain a license therefor, from the county clerk of the county in which the marriage is to be celebrated, which license must show:
- The identity of the parties.
- Their real and full names, and places of residence.
- Their ages; and
- Whether white, Mongolian, Negro, Malayan or mulatto.
…. No license must and no license may be issued authorizing the marriage of a white person with a Negro, mulatto, Mongolian or member of the Malay race.”
See proposed amendments in 1935.
If you notice Hispanic is not listed as prohibited from marrying anyone. Because they are included in the “white person”. In fact, it was a Hispanic woman that fought and made law declaring that unconstitutional.
“In the application for a license, petitioner Andrea Perez states that she is a white person and petitioner Sylvester Davis that he is a Negro. Respondent refuses to issue the certificate and license, invoking Civil Code, section 69, which provides: ‘… no license may be issued authorizing the marriage of a white person with a Negro, mulatto, Mongolian or member of the Malay race.'” (Perez v. Sharp, (1948) 32 Cal.2d 711, 712, emphasis added.)
“Nevertheless, respondent has sought to justify the statute by contending that the prohibition of intermarriage between Caucasians and members of the specified races prevents the Caucasian race from being contaminated by races whose members are by nature physically and mentally inferior to Caucasians.” (Id., at 722)
One need not be a scientist to know that Andrea Perez is Hispanic. According to the above racist respondent, Hispanics were Caucasian and no risk of contamination of races by a Hispanic marrying a white, because both were Caucasian.
Recent Regulations Show the Engrained Racial Ignorance being Propagated by the Department of Justice in Law Enforcement
Title 11, Chapter 19 Racial Profiling Act of 2015 Regulations
These are instructions regarding the data to be collected by all law enforcement during any police contact in California. Called RIPA Stop Data.
Cal. Code Regs., tit. 11, § 999.226(a)(5) (“‘Perceived Race or Ethnicity of Person Stopped” refers to the officer’s perception of the race or ethnicity of the person stopped. When reporting this data element, the officer shall make their determination of the person’s race or ethnicity based on personal observation only. The officer shall not ask the person stopped their race or ethnicity, or ask questions or make comments or statements designed to elicit this information.
(A) When reporting this data element, the officer shall select all of the following data values that apply:
- Asian
- Black/African American
- Hispanic/Latine(x)
- Middle Eastern or South Asian
- Native American
- Pacific Islander
- White
a. Example: If a person appears to be both Black and Latine(x), the officer shall select both “Black/African American” and “Hispanic/Latine(x).”
(B) “Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East or Southeast Asia, including for example, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam, but who does not fall within the definition of “Middle Eastern or South Asian” or “Pacific Islander.”
(C) “Black/African American” refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
(D) “Hispanic/Latine(x)” refers to a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race
.(E) “Middle Eastern or South Asian” refers to a person of Arabic, Israeli, Iranian, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Nepali, Bhutanese, Maldivian, or Afghan origin.
(F) “Native American” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central, and South America.
(G) “Pacific Islander” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands, but who does not fall within the definition of “Middle Eastern or South Asian” or “Asian.”
(H) “White” refers to a person of Caucasian descent having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe and Eastern Europe.”)
Let’s break that down.
(C) “Black/African American” refers to a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa.
(D) “Hispanic/Latine(x)” refers to a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race
(H) “White” refers to a person of Caucasian descent having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe and Eastern Europe.”)
Spain is in the continent of Europe; this is a commonly known fact. Easily verifiable by looking at a map. Spanish origin is therefore of the original peoples of Europe and thus “White”.
Many of the peoples, especially of Cuba or Puerto Rico, are of the Black race. There are three dominant races in the Hispanic ethnicity: White, Black and Asian.
In Mexico, 3.5m were reported in the 2020 census as afromexicana o afrodescendientes [Afro-Mexican or Afro-Descendents]. Source Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía [National Institute of Statistics and Geography] (Ethnicity > excel > tab 22)
“28 million Chinese are scattered outside China, 24 million of whom live in Asia. However, in Latin America there are more Chinese than Europe, Oceania and Africa combined…. Peru is home to more than 60,000 Chinese, Venezuela more than 50,000, Paraguay 40,000 and Brazil more than 200,000. Argentina and Panama have fewer at 30,000, followed by Costa Rica which has 20,000 residents in its Chinese community. Despite lower numbers than the aforementioned nations, Ecuador, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Bolivia and Chile (among others), also have colonies Chinese who are well-known for their commercial and social contributions to each of their new countries.” Source Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile [Chilean Library of Congress]
We can curb racist ignorance through education. Sometimes pictures are easier to understand. Below is a picture of Spaniards. One can clearly see they are White. They even love futbol just like Americans do. 😉
"Stupid is as Stupid Does"
- Forest Gump
As always, ignorance starts from the top down. A Census report highlighted the changes over time that occurred in the questions posed on the Census form. In 1930, for the first time the question appeared asking if persons were Mexican as a race. “For the 1930 Census, ‘Mexican’ was introduced as a category. Prior to the 1930 Census, Mexicans had been categorized as White.”
Now not everyone knows this little gem, but Mexico is a “country”, not a “race”. Clearly, Californians are a race unto their own, but for all other peoples that falls under national origin, not race.
The report also highlights that not until 1970 did the distinction appear again. When the other Spanish idea came to be.
Despite the Anglo agenda derived from recent “enlightened” times, it does not change race. The ethnicity of Hispanics is rooted in Europe, making them White.
Because Hispanics are White, that Must be Factored in When Evaluating Black Prison Population Ratios
Comparing Black ratios to White ratios in prison must include Hispanics in the White population to ascertain the two true values and reveal the actual gross injustice occurring. Treating Hispanics and Whites as two different races serves to dilute the value but is contrary to our historical laws and is demonstrative of ignorance.
Declaring Hispanics are not Whites, appears to belong to certain Arian ideals. We fought hard against that ideology in the 1940s. That fascist agenda should not gain any further foothold.
I do not know the answer on how to prevent the perpetual teaching of racism by educating about its occurrences in the past. But not educating about it leads to current events of having to explain that Hispanics were always considered to be of the White race.
Being a half-breed myself, I do not have a particular race that allows me to divorce myself from the fact that I belong to the human race.
Merriam-Webster tells us that ism is defined as “a distinctive doctrine, cause, or theory”
Racism is the theory of identifying races as distinct from the one true race that we all belong to.
Concluding Remarks
We have been indoctrinated with the concept of racism. You and I and all of us have racism engrained in our thinking. Want proof?
When society references half-White men as Black, like Bob Marley and Barack Obama, is that coming from a place of glass half-full or half-empty?
While writing this, the words being sung by a half-White bastard from Jamaica come to mind and resonate with the issues raised herein:
that until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior
is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned,
until there are no longer any first-class and second-class citizens of any nation,
until the colour of a man’s skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes,
until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all, without regard to race-
until that day, the dream of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international
morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never attained,
…-until that day, the African continent will not know peace.
We Africans will fight, if necessary, and we know that we shall win,
as we are confident in the victory of good over evil.
United Nations General Assembly, Eighteenth Session, 1229th Plenary Meeting, 4 October 1963 New York, Address by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, p.3 ¶¶ 27-28.
“for the flower of peace is not sustained by poverty and want. To achieve that requires courage and confidence. The courage, I believe, we possess. The confidence must be created, and to create confidence we must act courageously.” ¶ 34
The cover image to this article may have seemed out of place, the reason for showing an image of Emperor Haile Selassie I and JFK in an article highlighting ignorance about races while still practicing racism, is shown by:
“President Kennedy is leading a vigorous attack to eradicate the remaining vestiges of racial discrimination from that country. We know that this conflict will be won and that right will triumph. In this time of trial, these efforts should be encouraged and assisted” (id. ¶ 24), then only 50 days later an open-air car ride was taken in Dallas.
Showing leadership through courage, President Johnson pushed through the Civil Rights Act, despite silent oppressors’ efforts.
Thomas Paine’s pamphlet Common Sense (2/14/1776) inspired the Continental Congress to sign a document on 4 July 1776. Therein, Mr. Paine wrote one of the most profound and powerful remarks in all human history:
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
All change ever required, was a small group of people standing up and actually doing it. Courage is being afraid but doing it anyway, because:
Evil prevails when good people fail to act.