general as hot-blooded, lazy, and unstable.
They know that a Guatemalan may be
regarded as a Mexican and an Ecuadorian
assumed to be a Puerto Rican. Under such
circumstances, many Hispanic Americans
choose to work together to promote an
understanding of Hispanic culture and to
demand respect and equal rights. Aware of
all that unites Hispanic peoples, they take
pleasure in coming across a fellow Latino,
even if that person is from an entirely dif-
ferent Hispanic background.THE HISPANIC NATION
Hispanic Americans today are not just
one people, but many. They differ in
their customs, their histories, and their
ways of interacting with the larger
American society. They differ even on
what to call themselves—Hispanic,
Latino, descendants of a certain country
(Peruvian American, Chicano)—or
whether to dispense with labeling them-
selves by ethnic ancestry and simply call
themselves American.
But Hispanic Americans also share
common characteristics. All descendfrom people who spoke Spanish, and
many still speak it themselves, with vary-
ing levels of proficiency. They share cul-
tural traits, like devotion to family, and
most share a religious background,
Catholicism. Further, Hispanic Amer-
icans face common problems. Many,
though not all, are of mixed race and face
prejudice from those who regard non-
whites with suspicion. Many are immi-
grants or closely related to immigrants,
and thus have a strong interest in policies
related to immigration and bilingual edu-
cation. As a group, Hispanic Americans
suffer from relatively lower income and
educational attainment than Americans
as a whole.
In the late 20th and early 21st cen-
turies, as Hispanics from various coun-
tries met and mingled in the United
States, they noted the commonalities
that unite them and distinguish them
from other Americans. They have begun
to celebrate as a common heritage the
historical roots that unite them and the
heroes who represent them. In so doing
they have become more conscious of
themselves as Hispanic Americans and
more conscious of the power they can
wield if they work together.242 ATLAS OF HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY