"Ethnic labels are here to stay," Susan Oboler, Professor of American Civilization and Latino Studies at Brown University, said last night in a speech to about 40 students and professors.
"We are here to look at how those labels were shaped, when they were shaped and who shaped them," she continued.
Oboler's talk, titled "The Politics of Ethnic Labeling," was part of the continuing series Voices of Diversity. It took place in Rockefeller Center.
"Latino and Hispanic isn't self identity, it's political identity," Oboler said. "The state officially designated Hispanic as the label of choice in 1970. The label was made in the United States and we must look for its legacy here.
"If you use the term Latino or Hispanic you may be overlooking many linguistic and ethnic groups in many different countries," Oboler said, with several nods of concurrence from the student and faculty members of the audience.
She said the labels "take 23.5 million people, lump them together and give them a name. A search for a common label or term in the U.S. is needed, but we run the risk of forgetting differences and this leads not to unity but to fragmentation."
Oboler recognized the problem that immigration poses on the ethnic question. "Latinos don't share a long history in America as a group, but as soon as you cross the border -- instant Hispanic!" she exclaimed.
Oboler outlined the pros and cons of cultural identifications. "Ethnic identities bring together many groups, create visibility and affirm their presence. The question is what kind of visibility and presence?" she said.
"If Latinos are perceived as marginal, invisible and second class citizens then they will seek another ethnic identity or origin to identify with," she said.
Oboler also addressed the negative implications of stereotyping. "Stereotypes help to cover up our lack of knowledge. By not recognizing that we don't know, we perpetuate stereotypes."