Debunking Hispanic Stereotypes

Being part of a minority, I have grown up dealing with people's prejudices and ignorant comments. But what annoys me the most is when people stereotype and just assume you are a certain way because some people in your ethnic background happen to fit those descriptions.

My fellow Hispanics are no exception, as we are riddled with thousands of stereotypes that funny enough most of us do not even fit into.

Keep in mind that Hispanics cover all of South America (except Brazil...sorry no habla Espanol then you are not Hispanic...your a Brazilian who speaks Portuguese), all of Central America, and Puerto Rico, Cuba and Dominican Republic.

And all those different regions each consist of separate countries with their own unique dialects, accents, culture, food, etc.

In the U.S. of course we must all be lumped together. Because the "gringo" cannot possibly comprehend so many different cultures and variances so yes we are all the same.

Well, I for one am sick of being told that since my parents come from Cuba, that I must be the same as someone whose parents came from Mexico or someone else whose from Columbia.

We are all different! And while we might speak the same language (Spanish) that is where most of the similarities end. So to stereotype us all the same is ridiculous.

Below are some common stereotypes that are associated with Hispanics. Read on as I "debunk" them all:

1. We're all religiously Catholic: Guess what? There are Hispanic Jews! As well as tons of other religions. All the religions that exist here in the U.S? Yes, they exist in the Hispanic countries too. While a majority of Hispanics are Catholic (can we help that our countries used to be ruled by Spain one of the most Catholic countries in history?) not all are and even the ones that are Catholic are not devoutly religious.
2. We all have huge families and are just baby making machines: While the culture of family first is important throughout all the different Hispanic countries, there are many Hispanics that come from small families. In fact, some Hispanic countries suffer from depopulation and even for us Hispanic Americans we are not having as many kids as you would think.
3. We are all lazy and uneducated: Excuse me but I went to university, got my bachelors at that same university there were tons of other Hispanic students also doing the same thing. And even if you are a poor laborer, last time I checked picking fruit or doing construction out in the hot son all day is not defined as lazy.
4. We are all living off unemployment and welfare: Actually, most Hispanic groups either distrust the government or are too proud to collect. And if you lost your job then no matter what ethnicity you have the right to collect unemployment.
5. We are all illegal or came to this country illegally or have family that came illegally: I would like to point out that one, immigration rates have gone down. And no that's not because the U.S got tougher, its because the economical situation here is so bad they don't want to come anymore! And on the upside, not all Hispanics come here illegally. My parents didn't and plenty of others come here legally. The percentage of legal is much, MUCH higher than those of illegals.
6. We are all either Mexican or Puerto Rican: Thanks to Jennifer Lopez, Ricky Martin and the drug cartels yes the typical ignorant American thinks there are only two countries in the Hispanic world. While those two get the most coverage, I am neither one. So do not just say oh yea Puerto Rican/Mexican/Columbian/Dominican, its all the same...no, it's not! Is Italian/Irish same thing? Yea, didn't think so.
7. We don't bother to learn to speak English: I was able to learn English at the age of 5 and many others struggle to learn it. You cannot say just because you hear someone speaking a language you don't understand that they should stop being lazy and learn to speak English. You have no idea how hard they might be trying to. Did you know English is actually one of the hardest languages in the world to learn? Why don't you learn to speak Spanish? Last time I checked, the U.S. did not have an official language. In Europe and Asia, it is common to learn 3 or 4 different languages. This is the only country where only knowing English is considered good enough.
8. Hispanics are all criminals with a history of violence: Every ethnicity and race has good and bad people in it. That the media chooses to portray certain groups more so than others is what perpetuates this particular stereotype. Just remember that a Caucasian is just as likely to cause you harm as is a Hispanic or African American.
9. All Hispanics have a dark complexion and features: I myself have dark hair and eyes but very light colored skin. In my family, there are blonds and people with light colored eyes. Hispanics are not defined by one skin color or one feature because again we transcend many different countries and are all mixed with European, African, and even Asian blood.
10. We all speak with accents: When I speak English, I sound as American as anybody else. The "Ricky Ricardo" funny accent is many times very extreme for comedic effect. Ever watch Modern Family and hear the character of Gloria? Go and watch an interview with Sofia Velgara though and instantly you realize that she is exaggerating for the role.

I hope that you have now gained some insight and will try not to stereotype people you do not know in the future. Understood that stereotyping is part of human nature and hey we all make mistakes. But we all have to live in this world together, like it or not, so we might as well learn to live and let live. Don't you think the world would be such a much better place if everyone practiced that?