Hispanic

Hispanic, as used in the United States, is one of several terms used to categorize U.S. immigrants whose cultural, linguistic or genetic background is either from Spain, the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America or the original settlers of the traditionally Spanish-held Southwestern United States. The term is used as a broad form of classification in the U.S. census, local and federal employment, and numerous business market researches.

Religious diversity

With regard to religious affiliation among Hispanics, Roman Catholicism is usually the first religious tradition that springs to mind. Indeed, the Spaniards brought the Roman Catholic faith to Latin America along with them, and Roman Catholicism continues to be the largest, but not the only, religious denomination amongst most Hispanics.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A significant number of Hispanics are also Protestant, and several Protestant denominations (particularly Evangelical ones) have vigorously proselytized in Hispanic communities.

Related Topics:
Protestant - Evangelical

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

There are also Jewish Hispanics, of which most are the descendants of Ashkenazi Jews who migrated from Europe (German Jews, French Jews, Russian Jews, Austrian Jews, Polish Jews, etc.) to Latin America, particularly Argentina, in the 19th century and during and following WWII, and from there to the United States. Some Jewish Hispanics may also originate from the small communities of reconverted descendants of anusim — those whose Spanish and Portuguese Sephardi Jewish ancestors long ago hid their Jewish ancestry and beliefs in fear of persecution by the Spanish Inquisition and Portuguese Inquisition (in the Iberian peninsula and Latin America) — or the now Catholic-professing descendants of marranos and the Hispano crypto-Jews believed to exist in the once Spanish-held Southwestern United States and scattered through Latin America. (See also History of the Jews in Latin America and List of Latin American Jews.)

Related Topics:
Ashkenazi - WWII - Anusim - Sephardi - Spanish Inquisition - Portuguese Inquisition - Iberian peninsula - Marrano - Crypto-Jews - Southwestern United States - History of the Jews in Latin America - List of Latin American Jews

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Among the Hispanic Catholics, most communities celebrate their homeland's patron saint, dedicating a day for this purpose with festivals and religious services. Some Hispanics syncretize Roman Catholicism and African or Native American rituals and beliefs. Such is the case of Santería in Cuba and Puerto Rico, which combines old African beliefs in the form of Roman Catholic saints and rituals; or Guadalupism (the devotion towards the Lady of Guadalupe) among Mexican Roman Catholics. This latter hybridizes Catholic rites for the virgin Mary with those venerating the Aztec goddess Tonantzin (earth goddess, mother of the gods and protector of humanity) and has all her attributes also endowed to the Lady of Guadalupe, whose Catholic shrine stands on the same sacred Aztec site that had previsously been dedicated to Tonatzín, on the hill of Tepeyac.

Related Topics:
Santería - Cuba - Puerto Rico - Lady of Guadalupe - Aztec - Tonantzin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~