Is it true that many people in the U.S. mistake Spain for Latin America?

Question

I´m not trying to offend anyone, just tell me what you think about it.

Answer 1

No.  Most Americans know that Spain is in Europe.  However, a good deal of Americans recognize spoken Spanish, and upon hearing a Spaniard speak, may assume that the speaker is from Latin America.

Spanish is a Romance language, meaning that it derived from Latin.  That possibly may explain the term "Latin America."

Answer 2

I read somewhere that the education system in America is so strong towards learning our own history that we are the worst at knowing geography and more so histories of other countries that are not involved in our own history.  I am American and I knew that Spain was not Latin America, but I will admit I have been confused about other things geographical.

Answer 3

I guess the dumb ones do. Ive never heard anyone say that. People mainly confuse or don't understand that if you are Latin it doesn't make you Mexican or Salvadorian etc.. stuff in that origin

Answer 4

Some people know absolutely nothing about geography, so they probably don't know the difference.  There was a show on TV where they were asking people to tell them where things were.  One couldn't even find the Pacific Ocean, and another thought that Iraq was in Afghanistan.  One thought that Africa was the largest country in South America.  It is astounding how little people know about their world.

Answer 5

Some school's now refer to Spain as Latin Europe.  I can understand how some people might become confused about where "Latin" is located.

Most Americans probably could not locate Spain on a map.  Most would know Spain is in Europe and across the Atlantic Ocean because Spain is where "Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492".

Answer 6

I dont believe in Latin America.

The word "Latin" is completely wrong!

A Hispanic is no more Latin than an Englishman or a Chinese.

Now, if you were from ancient Rome and spoke Latin, then yes, I would indeed call you Latin... or Roman.

What does it really mean to call someone Latin?  Latino translates as "a Latin person".  What the h**l is a Latin person?  You dont speak Latin.  You have absolutely nothing to do with anything Latin.  Your ties to the Latin culture is no closer than mine, a Dutchman.

No, Latinos dont exist.  Not in the way Hispanics think.  Because "Latin people" dont exist in any particular form.  I think the label is ignorant and bigoted, to be honest.  

Seriously, literally.  What is the distinction between one person and the next, what gives one the label and others not?  Simple fact: My cultural heritage and ancestry has indeed had a Latin influence, the same influences that Spanish and Hispanic cultures have had.  But I dont call myself Latin.  If you want to call yourself Latin simply because of some ancient lineage in your pedigree, then so be it.  But pretty much everyone of European descent cant say it.  My ancient ancient ancestors swung from trees, but I dont call myself a monkey.

You are Hispanic.  You are Cuban, or Mexican or Paraguayan.  You are South American.  You are NOT Latin.

One more thing people dont know is that Spaniards from Spain are WHITE.  But they are still Spanish, Spaniard, etc.  The "dark skinned hispanic" is a product of mixed breeding between Europeans and Native Indians... and geographic adaptation over the centuries.

Do you know those equal opportunity sheets employers make you fill out... the ones that list your ethnicity?  (You know, the ones where employers can file away your ethnicity and refer to it at their leisure, usually filled out before or during the job interview... that they keep as proof that they dont care about race)....

Spanish people from Spain are white, but they get to check the Hispanic or "Latin" box.  Russians are white, too, but technically they can actually check the Asian box.  But, hypocritically, they would be considered liars if they checked anything but White.

If I am English and Chinese, hypothetically, I could check the English and Chinese boxes... the White and Asian boxes.  But I would still be a MUTT of two ethnicities.  What are Latin Americans?  They ARE mutts of Spaniards and Native Indians!  But there is one box for that unique but completely arbitrary mixture.

To answer your question, no.  I know where Central America is.  I know where South America is.  I know where the Spanish speaking regions are.  I know where the "Hispanic" cultural regions are.  I do not get Spain confused for it.  And Latin America doesnt exist.