Census question. Some data I've only recently found

[Better Today]

makes me re-think what ethnicity I should put.

Until about six months ago, I considered myself mostly white/European and Armenian, so I'd be Caucasian. However I recently found our family tree on-line by a great, grand aunt and come to find that my Grandpa who left the US hurriedly in the 50's and lived from then on in the Caribbean, and only setting foot back on US soil twice before he died in late 80's, may not have been a US citizen and was certainly not born in the US. So where was he born and raised, where did his parents live? Nicaragua.

So now I wonder, does than mean I'm of Latin American decent? Does this new information make me a part of a minority?

This is all so strange. There was always a lot of hush hush about Grandpa not returning to the US to visit when my Grandma did every year, even more hush hush the two times he did come. I've gone back to read the history of US/Nicaragua relations during the time he left Florida and left his two sons still in high school in Florida under the care of friends. Now I'm really interested in what, who, why he had to or thought he had to leave at that time, given the history, but I'll never find out I have no doubt. It seems strange to me that not once in all my years did anyone discuss Grandpa, his roots, or anything. How is it that I've just recently found this out (I'm nearly 50yo), and it was by accident doing a google search of myself and found a family tree online posted back in mid-80s, and whose author is now deceased, and who was never known to me in my youth. From what I can gather though the information is accurate for those I can confirm.

What do you think?

[lunatica]

1. He may have been caucasian

Europeans are found in great numbers in all Latin American and South American countries. You'd have to find out what his ancestry is. Being from Nicaragua doesn't mean he has indian ancestry. My manager is from a South American country but both her parents were from Spain, so she's Caucasian even though she was born in South America.

[Better Today]

4. The great grandmother appears to be native, the great grandfather

is unknown before his marriage. IE he may have been from Europe or elsewhere.

BTW, I thought anyone with a Spanish surname was considered a minority even if it was Spanish from Spain rather than Spanish from Mexico/Latin America. Now I'm really confused.

[lunatica]

5. I think you have minority and ethnicity confused

Ethnicity has to do with parentage. True, many ethnic groups are minorities in this country, but in a few years (maybe decades) it's possible that Caucasians will no longer be the majority but whichever ethnicity is the majority will still be that ethnicity.

[Better Today]

7. I'm talking about what Census considers a minority, not getting into the

whole big picture thing here.

[a la izquierda]

6. I just discovered that my grandfather's mother...

was Spanish. Hasn't changed my family's ethnicity a bit, though it certainly explains my love of Spain over all things Italian.
And the last time I checked, Caucasian is Caucasian. Spanish from Spain is considered Caucasian. Spanish from Latin America is much more complicated here, though less complicated in Latin America.
As for your ancestor potentially being indigenous...simply having indigenous blood didn't mean one was considered indigenous. There's this peculiar "ethnicity" in CA known as a ladino. Typically it's a non-indigenous person, but it could also refer to someone who is indigenous, but fully acculturated. So, even knowing where your ancestor was from won't help. Keep in mind, Nicaragua's indigenous population was sparse and nearly wiped out during Spain's "visit" to the region. Geography would be the best way to isolate ethnicity, but it definitely isn't foolproof.

[Romulox]

9. 2010 US Census ?: "Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish Origin?"

The US Government doesn't agree with your categories. :shrug:

[a la izquierda]

14. yeah, but i guess i wasn't talking about the census

just generalities

[Romulox]

8. Your definition is COMPLETELY different from the 2010 Census...

On the 2010 Census form, one must first pick Hispanic or Non-Hispanic, and only then pick a "race". So "Hispanic Chinese" is a perfectly valid choice on the 2010 Census.

"Caucasian" doesn't appear on the form at all.

[LiberalFighter]

2. Where one is born does not determine one's ethnicity.

[YOY]

3. I know of a scholarship that works if one is but of 25% hispanic/latin origins.

I wonder if it's the same.

That particular scholarship is being taken advantage of by some second cousins. 1/2 Italian. 1/2 Puerto Rican. Father a wealthy doctor with his own private practice...mother is a successful accountant. They aren't some poor kids from the barrio struggling to get out...but I digress.

[csziggy]

10. There are two separate questions - Race and ethnicity

On the Census form, they separate the two since Latinos can be of varying races.

From your description, for the race question you are white. Ethnicity is different and I would consider that it is mostly cultural. Since it seems that you were not raised in a context of Latin American culture, I would not think that you are of Latino ethnicity.

The exact questions are:
Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

What is Person 1's race?

You can think about how you feel about it with your new knowledge of your family because it really is a matter of how you consider yourself. One thing to consider is if you think your community is under represented for service to Latinos, adding one more person to that group will increase the Federal funding for programs.

[Better Today]

12. Aha! Thank you, I didn't realize there were two separate questions.

My skin is quite darker than most, which I attributed to Armenian, but now I think probably a combination of Armenian and Nicaraguan, as my hair and eyes are not like my Armenian Grandpa but exactly like my (now known to be) Nicaraguan Grandfather.

And yes, I was considering how to best serve our local community. So I shall answer question one presented above as "yes".

[muriel_volestrangler]

11. Do they actually ask for 'ethnicity'?

This page seems to say not. There is a question on 'race', for which your answer would seem to be 'white' - there's a small case for you answering 'American Indian' as well, but you don't actually know whether there's significant native ancestry from your Nicaraguan grandfather.

Then there's the "are you of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin" question (number 8). Now, given the explanation of what they'd do with the data (eg administer bilingual programs and monitor possible discrimination), I'd say that since no-one without access to your family tree has suggested this Hispanic origin until now, I'd say 'no' in this case too. You did have 3 other grandparents, after all.

[Better Today]

13. Well, perhaps my terms are not correct, I see little difference

from the term "ethnicity" and "race". Perhaps I need to study the difference.

With all the help that we need around here for things like bilingual programs, I think I shall answer yes to 8.

I am beginning to believe the reason no one discussed this connection through out my life is due to some political issues that involved my Grandpa, since he was rue to return to the US and based on the time and way he left. So, the idea that it wasn't mentioned, doesn't discount the fact that his origins were in fact Nicaraguan with at least one parent being native there.