We are all Robert Smith's children.

In most of Hispanic America, Kermit the Frog's name is la rana René (René the Frog), while in Spain, he is named Gustavo.

I've never understood the north American classification of 'Hispanic'. We have Spain, which would presumably be included, but also Portugal which would presumably fight to be excluded. And both are considered to be yet more white Europeans rather than a whole different ethnicity to be frightened of.

I copied it almost word for word from Wikipedia so it must be accepted for the most part.

But yes, it was a word I only first became aware of in more recent years, I don't think it really exists in British terminology.

Does it derive from the island of Hispaniola (comprising Haiti and the Dominican Republic)?

What's the etymology of that island's name I wonder?

It would seem to go back to the Roman name for the Iberian peninsula "Hispania".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispania

However...

Quote :

The origin of the word Hispania is much disputed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hispanic

I understand what it is, I just don't get how it became a whole other race. 'Hispanic of any race' seems to acknowledge that it's a linguistic and cultural distinction, but in the USA it's become a race distinction too. Do they see Spanish and Portuguese people in Europe as a different race to French and English people? It doesn't make a great deal of sense.

I actually know a Mexican person with the family name McDonald - yet in the USA he'd be classified as being of a different race to a person of German or Greek or Hungarian extraction (all white). All very complicated. It's like the Nuremburg laws over there - quarters and eighths and sixteenths ruling people out of 'whiteness'.

But the US has a huge population of people from many different Spanish speaking nations - a Spanish diaspora I suppose - Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, all of the smaller Central American nations as well as South Americans, so I guess that rather than Hispanic people being regarded there as a "whole other race" it's just a convenient blanket term for Spanish-speaking people in the US.

As for people from Spain, I imagine that Americans would think that they were Hispanic - i.e. Spanish people from the Americas - but once they found out they were from Europe they'd likely not consider them Hispanic.

Brazilians and the Portuguese aren't considered Hispanic BTW.

Having spent some time in Florida, American Hispanic people seem largely very different to European Spanish/Portuguese people - in look, sound and general culture. I guess their heritage and culture is much more mixed, including from the indigenous people of the Americas.

How did a mention of Kermit the Frog turn into this conversation?!

No, it's not just a convenient linguistic catch all category. It's a very specific othering, a race based construct that breaks down entirely outside the northern two thirds of North America.

Nightjar wrote:

Brazilians and the Portuguese aren't considered Hispanic BTW.

+1

They are lusophones

Hispanic is a linguistic category and Latino is an ethnic one.

cosmictanya wrote:

No, it's not just a convenient linguistic catch all category. It's a very specific othering, a race based construct that breaks down entirely outside the northern two thirds of North America.

Something something start a fight in an empty room...

Boxer Tyson Fury and his wife have six children together. His three sons are all named Prince.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyson_Fury#Personal_life

The person on the front cover of Fatboy Slim's 1998 album You've Come A Long Way, Baby has never been identified. All that is known is that the photo was taken at the 1983 Fat People's Festival in Virginia.

Quote :

WillMcNoob
I used to think that was fatboy slim himself


AlterEdward
A lot of people did. It's kind of fitting that he'd be this big fat, carefree dude.

Whoever he is, he's wisely chosen not to humiliate himself like Spencer Elden, who's still chasing after that dollar 25 years later.

I heard somewhere the other day that 1982 is the only year where no one has died during the Isle of Man TT bike race.

Butterfield wrote:

I heard somewhere the other day that 1982 is the only year where no one has died during the Isle of Man TT bike race.

Probably accurate. It was a very blessed year for the world, in many ways.

Kate Bush hasn't released a greatest hits/best of album since 1986's The Whole Story.