of Latin American society, on the other hand was seignoral in kind, shot through with caste privilege, and widely, though not universally, dependent on peonage" (p. 5). The society that was developing within the United States, while heavily influenced by its roots on the Anglo-Saxon continent, was nevertheless diverse and separate. Even at its most flawed, the American belief in the rights and equality of all citizens allows individuals from every background and culture the opportunity to try to achieve the highest levels of economic and social success.
By contrast, the society that emerged after two centuries of Spanish rule recognized birthright over individual effort. Although the people known collectively as Hispanics or Latinos actually share more common roots than do most Americans, this division is still evident in the different names given to and accepted by various subsets of the population. Individuals of Mexican and Spanish descent living in the New Mexico area, for example, may call themselves nuevo mexicanos or hispanos, to distinguish their identity as descendants of old-stock, Spanish-speaking peoples, while their cousins in Texas often prefer the name tejanos or latinos. Californios frequently designate descendants of Spanish-speaking settlers in early California, while chicanos, which is still sometimes viewed as a pejorative term among older Mexican Americans, has become something of a badge of honor for their more militant children. Earl Shorris sums up the controversy:
Geographically, Hispanic is preferred in the Southeast and much of Texas. New Yorkers use both Hispanic and Latino. Chicago, where no nationality has attained a majority, prefers Latino. In California, the word Hispanic has been barred from the Los Angeles Times, in keeping with the strong feelings of people in that community. Some people in New Mexico prefer Hispano. Politically, Hispanic belongs to the right and some of the cente...