Why are Hispanics identifying as white?

*This is a very good commentary. A non-Latino tackles Latino “whiteness” but expands the conversation to all hyphenated racial and ethnic groups. A great line from the piece: ” … sometimes our national discourse on race proceeds as if it were all about groups of color vying to be acknowledged, while white people sit back and watch.” The conclusion, I think, needs some work. VL

By Eric Liu, CNN

For all the complexity of our national complexion, Americans still too often think that white makes right.

Consider a new study of census returns reported on by the Pew Research Center. It showed, apparently, that significant numbers of Hispanics are now identifying as white. The research was presented at the recent Population Association of America meeting.

Some news reports suggested that Hispanics, rather than solidifying a distinct ethnic identity and becoming the driving force of a “majority-minority” future, might instead try to be just the latest group of immigrants, such as Italians or Jews, to “become white.”

Such a shift, if it’s real, has potentially big implications.

Click HERE to read the full story.

[Photo by Being Latino]