people of color & Chicano

[jdespres at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM]

A Latina friend of mine, when I asked why she found "hispanic"
offensive, explained to me that it reminded her of a certain slur-
word beginning with "s."  I probably mentioned that the actual
etymology wasn't what she imagined, but I'm not sure it mattered
to her.  She said that "hispanic" stikes her as more negatively
charged than "Latino" and more likely to be used by a speaker
unsympathetic to her community.  I believe she also cited the fact
that "hispanic" suggests a European Spanish heritage, which she
sees (obviously) as something very distinct from her own.  She still
feels somewhat stung by the memory of her Anglo high school
teacher "correcting" her non-Castilian pronunciation!

Joanne Despres
Merriam-Webster, Inc.