Hispanic Identity and The Tortilla Curtain

As a Spanish-speaking Argentinean-American, I am used to being asked where I am from. It is a natural and expected question; what varies is the response. People tend to group all Spanish-speakers into the group of either Hispanic or Latino, assuming that they all think, speak, and act as a whole. An article posted on the CNN website, The Complicated Measure of Being Hispanic, debates the existence of a Hispanic “identity” that all Hispanics can relate to (22). Taylor Gandossy says that these labels “too tightly package the people who are characterized” by them (Gandossy 2). He follows up this point by questioning Hispanics about how they identify themselves and observing their responses for a consensus. What he finds, however, is that Hispanics are “not a homogenous group” (Gandossy par. 16). They are individuals, each with his or her own political beliefs, cultural practices, nationalities, etc.

How people define themselves is a crucial element in determining the presence of a Hispanic identity. When Hispanics were polled about how they would identify themselves, “54 percent said they primarily identify themselves in terms of their or their parents' country of origin. About one quarter choose ‘Latino’ or ‘Hispanic,’ and 21 percent chose "American." It is clear that many people identify primarily with their race rather than their country of birth or residence. The Tortilla Curtain by T. Coraghessan Boyle tells the story of two Mexican immigrants, Cándido and America Rincón, who try to create a new and more prosperous life by crossing the American border. In this book, not only do the Latinos label themselves as such, but so do the people around them. After the American Delaney’s car collides with Cándido, he tells his wife Kyra that he hit a man. When asked to clarify, the first label that comes to his mind is “a Mexican” (Boyle 15). He could have told his wife what exactly happened, where it happened, etc. but he chose to focus instead on the nationality of the man. Delaney does not make it a secret what he thinks about Mexicans. In fact, he flat-out calls them “irresponsible, thoughtless people, stupid people” (Boyle 11). He experiences a moment of rage when he realizes that Cándido is living on state property that was, according to him, made for the public, as opposed to an outdoor ghetto (Boyle 11). Delaney groups all Hispanics into the category of minimum-wage earners when he says that he sees them everywhere, “silently going about their business,” the list of which only including fast food, garbage picking, and landscaping (Boyle 12). Identity has everything to do with finding a job, especially in the case of Cándido and his wife America. America is about to be given a job and is almost passed over for an American woman, despite turning out to be the more efficient and dedicated worker. That previously mentioned 75% of people that identified themselves as Hispanic in present-day might have been out of a job. America still makes connections with the Mexicans she encounters in the US, noticing the resemblance between them and the men in her village at home. American clearly still relates to the Latino identity.

People should focus on the positives of Hispanic identity, rather than the negatives. For example, one may consider the language that they share, the food that they eat, the culture that they experience—music, religion, family values (22). This certainly creates an identity that is Hispanic.


Works Cited:
Gandossy, Taylor. "The complicated measure of being Hispanic in
America." CNN. 28 Sept. 2007. 17 Mar. 2009 [<]http://www.cnn.com/
2007/US/09/26/hispanic.identity/index.html[>].