Question

Hello in regards to Hispanic Americans how has society has constructed this group's identity

Answer 1

Any starting point for discussion of Hispanics ' contemporary status or future prospects must start with critical historical legacies developments of the past that continue to stamp indelibly on Hispanic subgroups ' contemporary reality. Two of the many landmarks that shaped the course of history for Hispanics in the U.S. are particularly important the Mexican-American War of 1848 and the Spanish-American War of 1898. Hispanics are also divided over how much they share with other Americans about a common identity. Approximately half (47%) say they think they are very different from the typical American. And only one in five (21%) claim they most often use the word "American" to describe their nationality. U.S.-born Hispanics (now 48 percent of the country's Hispanic adults) express a stronger sense of affinity with other Americans and America on these two measures than immigrant Hispanics do.

Many Americans have multiple identities reflecting complex ancestral origins, tribal and community associations, and different ideological perspectives on race and culture. People generally don't change their ethnicity as a matter of fashion, but depending on the circumstances, they may emphasize different aspects. For example, a person among relatives who identifies as Mexican may identify as Hispanic at work and as American at overseas. In one case, a person of mixed heritage may be Native American, but in another white.

In the nineteenth century, the ethnic and racial landscape became even more complex. Continental expansion brought lands home to native Americans and mixed indigenous and Spanish populations, and subsequent immigrant waves from Europe and Asia fueled the rapid growth of an increasingly diverse population. It is a theoretical possibility to trace the mixed and unmixed descendants from these many lines, but not one that can be easily accomplished with historical or contemporary information