Latino or Hispanic?

Illegal or undocumented? A new handbook by NAHJ provides tips, terms, insight and context for news media covering the nation's fastest growing ethnic population

by Verónica Villafañe

When I first heard the National Association of Hispanic Journalists was preparing a journalism style guide about Latinos, I thought, do we really need one?

And as I read the handbook, on its way to the printers, I thought maybe it wasn't such a far-fetched idea, after all. I was amazed at how we get used to hearing and reading comments of a sensitive nature, which might be considered offensive by some Latinos, and not give them a second thought.

Despite the tremendous growth of the Latino population in the United States, now more than 35 million strong, how is it possible that journalists still struggle with how to speak or write accurately about Latinos?

In this information age, when we're bombarded with news around the clock and networks are trying to win the ratings war, many newsmakers are trying to find the quick, witty, catchy phrase to hook viewers into watching them. Many times, coining inappropriate phrases or terms, such as "she's a hot tamale," or "one for Juan"... phrases that trivialize and at times even denigrate Latino culture.

Although many newsrooms work hard at being politically correct, careful of the terminology they use when referring to minorities, the term "illegal alien" still pops up when referring to undocumented immigrants. Why is that term controversial? As Rosa Maria Santana points out in chapter one of the style guide, it is "dehumanizing because it criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering, residing in the U.S." and it "demeans an individual by describing them as an 'alien'."

There is still confusion as to how to refer to people from Mexico, Latin America, Spain or those who are from any of these countries and born in the United States. Are we Latinos, Hispanics, Chicanos or hyphenated Americans (e.g. Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, etc.)? All Spanish-speaking people seem to be bundled into one category.

The NAHJ handbook, titled Latinos in the United States, a Resource Guide for Journalists, tackles these issues. Though she still considers it a "work in progress," NAHJ president Cecilia Alvear points out in the introduction that it is "intended as a starting point on the way to understanding the complexity and diversity of the Latino/Hispanic experience in this country."

Besides making for some thoughtful reading, the guide proposes alternatives and tips on how to deal with Latino issues.

Of the nation's 281.4 million residents, 35.3 million, or 12.5 percent, are Latinos, according to the 2000 Census and they have become an important part of this country's infrastructure, economy, politics and entertainment industry.

It seems that by now, we shouldn't need to make use of a handbook to know how to speak or write about Latinos.

Perhaps guides like these will someday make the difference.

When I first heard the National Association of Hispanic Journalists was preparing a journalism style guide about Latinos, I thought, do we really need one?

And as I read the handbook, on its way to the printers, I thought maybe it wasn't such a far-fetched idea, after all. I was amazed at how we get used to hearing and reading comments of a sensitive nature, which might be considered offensive by some Latinos, and not give them a second thought.

Despite the tremendous growth of the Latino population in the United States, now more than 35 million strong, how is it possible that journalists still struggle with how to speak or write accurately about Latinos?

In this information age, when we're bombarded with news around the clock and networks are trying to win the ratings war, many newsmakers are trying to find the quick, witty, catchy phrase to hook viewers into watching them. Many times, coining inappropriate phrases or terms, such as "she's a hot tamale," or "one for Juan"... phrases that trivialize and at times even denigrate Latino culture.

Although many newsrooms work hard at being politically correct, careful of the terminology they use when referring to minorities, the term "illegal alien" still pops up when referring to undocumented immigrants. Why is that term controversial? As Rosa Maria Santana points out in chapter one of the style guide, it is "dehumanizing because it criminalizes the person rather than the actual act of illegally entering, residing in the U.S." and it "demeans an individual by describing them as an 'alien'."

There is still confusion as to how to refer to people from Mexico, Latin America, Spain or those who are from any of these countries and born in the United States. Are we Latinos, Hispanics, Chicanos or hyphenated Americans (e.g. Mexican-Americans, Cuban-Americans, etc.)? All Spanish-speaking people seem to be bundled into one category.

The NAHJ handbook, titled Latinos in the United States, a Resource Guide for Journalists, tackles these issues. Though she still considers it a "work in progress," NAHJ president Cecilia Alvear points out in the introduction that it is "intended as a starting point on the way to understanding the complexity and diversity of the Latino/Hispanic experience in this country."

Besides making for some thoughtful reading, the guide proposes alternatives and tips on how to deal with Latino issues.

Of the nation's 281.4 million residents, 35.3 million, or 12.5 percent, are Latinos, according to the 2000 Census and they have become an important part of this country's infrastructure, economy, politics and entertainment industry.

It seems that by now, we shouldn't need to make use of a handbook to know how to speak or write about Latinos.

Perhaps guides like these will someday make the difference.

Verónica Villafañe is an Emmy award-winning television writer and reporter, with more than 12 years of research and reporting experience. She is a journalism graduate from the University of the Saviour, in Argentina. She can be reached by e-mail at villafane@earthlink.net.