A rapidly growing demographic in the United States is our Hispanic population. Several years ago, it exceeded African-Americans as our nation’s largest minority. It is especially large thanks to the number of illegal immigrants crossing our southern border from Mexico – well over 90 percent are Hispanics. To understand this important constituency, we have to look back into history to best understand what is meant by Hispania.
The first imperialistic superpower in Europe was Spain (called Hispania by the Romans) in the early years of the 16th Century. They were masters of sailing and navigation and ventured into the new world identified by their Italian explorer Christopher Columbus. While they were seeking riches, the explorers brought their culture and religion to the indigenous people who were no military match for Spain. Soon other European powers joined the exploration. Across the Americas – South, Central, and North – the Age of Discovery greatly influenced the new world.
Hispania spread among many peoples in South and Central America as well as the Caribbean islands. Over several centuries, many have migrated northward to the ‘land of opportunity’ and rapidly assimilated into the US (I hesitate to say America because all the western hemisphere is “the Americas”). Because the Spaniards and Portuguese were Catholic, they ‘converted’ the native peoples to this Christian religious practice. That religious influence remains today among the Hispanic population.
As you might guess, the Hispanic population is quite diverse and not monolithic. Mexico is a huge country with regional identities just like the US and Canada. Cubans are very different from Puerto Ricans. Dominicans are very different from Haitians even though they live on the same island. The list goes on.
Growing up in Florida in the late 1950s and early 60s, I went to school with Hispanics from Cuba, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic (DR). We played quite a bit of soccer because that sport is so important across the Latin world. The US influence led to the growth of baseball in many of these countries like Venezuela, Cuba, and the DR. This is rich recruiting ground for Major League Baseball. I suppose you could say that sport is cross-cultural.
Over the last five years, I have grown to appreciate the indigenous people of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. I have employed these folks to plant pine seedlings on my family’s timber tracts and have a huge job for them this coming winter. They are H-2B workers employed by a company in Arkansas whose founders 30 years ago included an Oaxacan. These natives, who are subsistence farmers by trade, work extremely hard and do a wonderful job. They send nearly all their earnings, which are very high compared to local wages, back home to their families. I couldn’t be more proud of them.
I have mixed feelings about the flood of humanity across our southern border these past two years. I am deeply distressed by the massive numbers (5 million) and the negative things this influx is bringing to the US – drugs like fentanyl, human trafficking, and dangerous gangs. I worry about the burden on local governments, especially school systems, that are forced to deal with the fallout of uncontrolled immigration.
On the other hand, I have great respect for the people and know from experience that most will assimilate into our culture yet retain their ethnic identity which will be of great benefit. I respect the emigres and understand their motivation. I know that they are culturally conservative, and they have deep mistrust for socialism, which is a major factor in the decision to leave their homeland.
I sincerely wish we were doing this immigration in a more controlled circumstance. I do not see some “grand bargain” called “comprehensive immigration reform” happening in today’s political divide. We have the laws “on the books to properly control this influx, accept the good elements while rejecting the bad, if only the Administration would do so. The previous administration was able to achieve this. Should the opposition Republicans take control of the new Congress after the November election, I hope this is their first priority of investigation.