Examining the labels

Re “Where have all the Mexican Americans gone?” Current, Nov. 12

After becoming an American, each of us must decide where our loyalties are. My grandparents came from Lithuania. Do I consider myself a Lithuanian American or a European American? I do not. I’m an American, plain and simple. My loyalties are with the United States, while at the same time I am aware of my heritage that is part of me. Americans whose ancestors came from south of our border need to do the same.

Gregory Rodriguez should stop quibbling over Latino, Hispanic and Mexican Americans labels. The same applies to Americans who trace their origins to Africa.

FRANK HARLEM

Corona del Mar

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As an Argentine American, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to explain the distinction between the many Spanish-speaking countries in the region and Spain. I’ve heard Argentine Americans first describe themselves as European before Hispanic or Latino. I’ve also read that Argentina’s roots have more in common with U.S. history than with most other Southern Hemisphere nations.

I’ve encountered anti-Latino voting by Latinos simply because of their rejection of being grouped into a single voting bloc that they do not identify with. Unfortunately, we seem to need to categorize things of this nature into distinct baskets, and the results can sometimes backfire, causing separation within the groups rather than uniting them.

I can understand why census takers may require simplifying this process, but shedding more light on this subject would do a great deal of good, including for political purposes.

DAN CASTRO

Los Angeles