“New White Ethnics” or “New Latinos”? Hispanic/Latino Pan-ethnicity and Ancestry Reporting among South American Immigrants to the United States

Abstract

This article explores the identification patterns of South American immigrants to the United States, as measured via Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and ancestry reporting on the US Census. Using data from the 2006–2010 and 2011–2015 American Community Survey, my analysis reveals four main findings. First, I show significant heterogeneity in identity patterns and in sociodemographic, immigration, and geographic characteristics between South American and Mexican immigrants in the United States. Second, I find that Southern Cone immigrants opt not to report Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and “birth-country” ancestry (ancestry that is concordant with birth country, such as Colombian or Chilean) to a greater extent than Andean immigrants and, instead, report more distal “ancestral-origin” ancestries (i.e., Spanish, Japanese, etc.). Third, I show that those immigrants who do report Hispanic/Latino ethnicity are more likely to report “birth-country” ancestry than “ancestral-origin” ancestry, net of other factors. Finally, my analysis demonstrates that Brazilian immigrants chart a different path of identification among South American immigrants and almost unanimously do not report Hispanic/Latino ethnicity while overwhelmingly reporting “Brazilian” ancestry. Taken together, variation in Hispanic/Latino ethnicity and ancestry reporting across South American immigrant groups has implications for their incorporation into US society, as well as for the degree to which these immigrants see themselves as racialized actors in the United States. Some South American immigrant groups (Southern Cone immigrants) appear to be incorporating as “New White ethnics,” and others (Andean immigrants) appear to be incorporating as “New Latinos.” Researchers of international migration should carefully consider these identification differences and their implications for the measurement and study of “Hispanic/Latino” immigrants and their descendants in the United States.

“I’m Brazilian, Not Brazilian American”: The Experiences of Second-Generation Brazilian Adolescents Preserving Their Heritage Language and Resisting Assimilation

“…This has made whiteness a much more inclusive category in Brazil than in the USA" (Marrow, 2003, p. 428). While many Brazilian immigrants self-classify as racially White in the United States, distancing themselves from the Hispanic/Latino label and experience of otherness, they are perceived as nonwhite and Hispanic/Latino by Americans (Margolis, 1993;Martes, 2007;Schut, 2021). Therefore, the unique racialization process of Brazilian immigrants in the United States is "one of the dilemmas of Brazilian identity construction" (McDonnell & Lourenço, 2009, p. 242).…”

“…Another Brazilian demographic distinction is their socioeconomic status and education. Generally, Brazilian immigrants have middle to upper socioeconomic status origins in Brazil and more education than the general Brazilian population (Joseph, 2011;Schut, 2021). Brazilian immigrants can somewhat blend into mainstream American neighborhoods.…”

“…The study of Hispanic/Latino cultural preservation has included the intersection of second language acquisition and schooling experiences (Halpern et al, 2019;Henderson et al, 2020;Potowski, 2004;Reznicek-Parrado et al, 2018;Wilson, 2012). However, previous studies have not specified which ethnic groups they investigated, obscuring Latin American migrants' diversity of cultures and spoken languages (Cebulko, 2014;Schut, 2021).…”

“…Census Bureau, 2020). Nevertheless, the Hispanic/Latino pan-ethnic classification represents an intrinsically American racial/ethnic construction that ignores Latin American migrants' cultural diversity or spoken languages in the United States (Cebulko, 2014;Marrow, 2007;Schut, 2021).…”

Comment on “Disparities in nonmelanoma skin cancer in Hispanic/Latino patients based on Mohs micrographic surgery defect size: A multicenter retrospective study”

“…2 The American Community Survey showed that Argentine, Venezuelan, Brazilian, and Mexican immigrants were most likely to report their race as White (87%, 79%, 75%, and 62%, respectively). 3 This can help elucidate the misconception that most Hispanic/Latino patients have a skin of color. A summary of key elements to consider when studying these populations is depicted in Table I.The authors also found that patients with Medicaid/Health Maintenance Organization insurance had 52% larger defects than those in patients with Medicare.…”