Why do they refer to South America as "Latin America" when no latins live there?

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MEDELLINESVIDA.COM

Here's an answer to your question that I found off Randomhouse. The question should really be "Why do they refer to Latin America as Latins?". Since Latin America starts in Mexico to the tip of Argentina, with some exceptions in between.

The word Latin has been used for several hundred years to refer to those peoples who speak languages descended from Latin--the Romance languages, including French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, and others. For example, Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1856 that "The Teutonic tribes have a national singleness of heart, which contrasts with the Latin races." (English, though heavily influenced by Latin, is a Germanic language--what Emerson calls "Teutonic.")

Latin America, therefore, indicates those countries in the Americas where the dominant language is a Romance language, usually Spanish or Portuguese. French Guiana is considered part of Latin America because French is a Romance language. Suriname, formerly called Dutch Guiana, has Dutch as its official language, but since Spanish was declared its "principal working language" in 1976, it can be considered part of Latin America as well. The main exception is Guyana, whose official language is English, so despite being in South America, it is not considered part of Latin America. If Quebec were to separate into a French-speaking country, it would probably not be regarded as a Latin American country for cultural reasons.

I hope this helps,

John.

PS. I also listed the source link and others with more detail below.

millonario

The ignorance implied in your question tells me that you're just another dumb g*r*i*n*g*o. I'm a South American and a true latin, a latino even if you find me down your street you might not think me as a latino because of my looks, but I take pride in my heritage and my language (and my lack of ignorance).

Mrs. Obama rules!

And why do people in the US are called "Americans" when there are 300 million other people who live in the continent of America??? What about people from Bolivia, Peru, Mexico, Guatemala, French Guyana, Venezuela, Brasil, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Canada, Honduras, Nicaragua, Colombia, Guayana, Surinam, Costa Rica.... aren't they ALL AMERICANS TOO??????????

andy c

Because they speak a Latin-based language, although I think it's too far-fetched to call them Latin.

Globetrotter

Don't people call those with a Hispanic background "Latinos"?
It does not refer to the Latin language but rather, to the Spanish backgrounds of the people in South America, most of them anyway.

Gustavo CL

South America is not referred as Latin America. South America is a subcontinent, it has 12 independent countries:
Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana and Suriname. Guyana and Suriname belong to South America but don't belong to Latin America. Mexico (North America) some countries in Central America and in the Caribbean belong to Latin America even though they don't belong to South America. Latin America includes all countries from the American continent that speak a latin-derived language: Spanish, Portuguese or French (there are other latin languages in Europe, but those are the only ones spoken in America).

What do you mean with "latins"? Usually any person that speaks a latin language in America or Europe is considered a latin, so there are lots of latins in Latin America.

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