"Yes, I think that equatorians have a common culture with us"

Ok. Now I will start thinking that the Equatorians that live in Madrid have Western European values and that they are occidentals... Ok, thank you for enlighten me with it. Or are you implying that We don´t have those western european values and that we are an island in Europe and that the Porguese have western mentality and that We Spaniards don´t have it?. I think many Spaniards will agree with me that our culture is the culture of western Europe, with western European values and mentality and that Equatorians don´t relate to this culture at all. So how can you imply otherwise?. I would like an answer for it.

I keep believing that you are confusing speaking the same language, which is a factor to give the appareance of having the same culture with having the same culture. Language makes a lot to be able to socialize with people of different cultures and that will give the appareance of having the same culture.

Go and ask to an Argentinian if they think that Peruans, Equatorians, Bolivians belong to the same culture as them. Do it, you will have a surprise. Argentinians for example have always being proud of their European ancestors, culture and they always point it out to differenciate it from the others that cannot claim European culture in their countries.

That is why the Argentinians are portrayed in America as a country of European culture and that is why there are rivalities with Argentina for that reason. So if the Argentinians claim constantly that they are European Americans and that have western values to significate their differences with their neighbourgh countries, how can someone from Spain think that all american countries have the same culture?. The answer is: ignorance and unobjetiveness.

For example, What do you know for example about Honduras?. I just know that their capital is Tegucigalpa. Nothing else. What do you know about El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, ....?. So HOW can you say that the people from Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemal, Nicaragua, ... belong to the same culture as you when the only think you know about them is the capital of their country???. Just because they speak Spanish???. That is the main problem of this issue, We see Central and Southamerica as a whole but We don´t realize that inside that whole there are many countries and many people that don´t relate at all with us.

And BTW you haven´t given objective reasons to defend your position. You just keep saying that "they have a common culture with us" but saying nothing to support it.

I can't understand why you are that interested in changing my point of view... This is the most stupid discussion I have had ever with someone!

Please be tolerant ERT, I have posted what I think, I know that you think another way, and I respect it. If you think that equatorians are not hispanic, that's fine! But don't try to convince me to think like yourself.

It is a matter of perception of the same facts.

Fernando

It would be nice to stick to the point -so ERT, be specific and have the guts to start your own thread, that's what I mean by [censored].

Secondly, my mother is Ecuadorian and I very much consider myself Hispanic, Latin, South American, Ecuadorian culturally, whatever way you wish to see it, it doesn't bother me.
I don't believe that anyone has said that an Ecuadorian thinks or believes him/herself to be a Spaniard and I can tell you that Ecuadorians are just as proud as the next person of their nationality.
As for my face and colour of skin, which is what you ERT seem to classify people by, is I'm proud to say typically Latina...however, I'm just as much Pakistani (father) as I am Ecuadorian and equally I pass as a Pakistani. Actually my dad would often be confused as a Spaniard while in Spain. What does that say about the Spanish people eh?
Those boys in the photo could be Argentinian, as any other nationality, that's why your reasoning proves nothing.

ERT even if you did have the [censored] to put your contact details in your profile for me to contact you that is not the point.
You have 'personally' insulted me publicly, but that's enough of that.
'...al buen entendedor pocas palabras..' Laura Esquivel(Mexicana). I've got better things to do.

'....A pesar de las diferencias que solemos buscar,
Respiramos el mismo aire, despertamos al mismo sol, nos alumbra la misma luna, necesitamos sentir amor.
Hay tanto tiempo que hemos perdido por discutir
Por diferencias que entre nosotros no deben existir, Las costumbres, raices y herencias que hacen quien soy
Son colores de un arcoiris, acordes de un mismo son,....
hablemos el mismo idioma y asi las cosas iran mejor..'
en la union hay un gran poder
orgullosos de ser Latinos no importa de donde, todo podemos vencer
No importa de donde seas todos somos hermanos...' Gloria Estefan (Cuba) ayy los timbales..

I am with Miche (and with Fernando 100%, of course, that goes without saying ); ERT, physical appearances (skin colour,...) seem to be very important to you; I personally doubt that I have more things in common with someone from Argentina or Uruguay whose origins are 100% Dutch or Italian, than with a native Colombian, Mexican, Ecuadorian or Peruvian whose colouring might be a little darker....

Very well put, Miche and Pim!

Miche, Pim,& Fernando,

Your parents must be very proud of the three of you, I know I would be if any of you were my children! I echo your sentiments.
I believe that people are the sum of all of their parts: their character, their ability to love; thier compassion,their intelligence, etc, and I find it extremely sad when people are trivialized because of their skin color, religion, sex, or national origin.

It's a sad situation for both the person being sterotyped and the person doing the stereotyping.

Bless you!

First
I don`t think it is worth the pain worrying about Dame Edna. God knows, maybe we are all wrong, and the author wanted to mock at xenophobic Anglos, instead of Spanish-speakers. Anyway, I would hate becoming one of those whining "speak pc or I will feel harassed" minorities. The right response would just be writing an article joking at English speakers, that is all!
Then I have to say I agree with ERT on the point that we have almost nothing in common with South Americans. At times, not even the language: Quechua is still spoken in Bolivia and Peru, along with many other Indian languages. Skin colour does not to matter, but the fact is, most of the population in Central and South America, and the Caribbean too, have mixed ancestry, or just pure Indian or African ancestry. Now these people have not lost their inheritance, they were not transformed into Castilians after the Spanish conquest. All of them, Mexicans, Peruvians, Cubans, still keep their non-Spanish traditions and values well alive. Of course, Miche, you can feel proud of your Ecuadorian ancestry! You should. I think the culture of the Andes is so ancient, rich and fascinating! and so alien to us, Europeans! As to religion, I am a brought-up catholic (now unbeliever), and don`t have much to do with Christian-African "santeria" from Cuba, nor with the rich combination of Catholicism and Pre-Columbian beliefs that are held in the countries of Euro-Indian population (Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia mainly).
We have been told millions of times that we "share" something more than language with South Americans. In my opinion, that can be true only if we ignore all the variety and richness of South American cultures. Assuming "uniformity" as true means scorning the non-Spanish part of all those countries. That seems quite racist, to me.
It was Miguel Angel Asturias, from Guatemala, who first put Indian heritage as a topic for literature, in books like "Hombres del Maiz". He was mid-Indian himself. Now the natives of Chiapas claim to rescue their culture from European supremacy. What do you think about all that?
Please, even into Spain there is such an inmense cultural variation from the North to the south, from Catalan-speakers to Spanish-speakers! And you want us to be all the same as the Tarahumara Indians?

hey everybody

i have to say i agree about 100% with ERT and CARMENM and i find quite odd what the other spaniards pim and especially fernandos opinions about their conection with latin americans.i also think its not racsm to point this fact out.i dnt want to get into the subject cause tha will get too excited and might me seem like im ERT.the one thing i dont agree with you ERT is when you consider argentina the only country "so like spain" ACTUALY NO COUNTRY looks more like spain in culture and everything is portugal besides that theres no country thats similar to spain.why do you all think theres a spanish dicho(saying) that states "spain is different" i think thiss means something. and yes alot of argentinians look like spaniards especially the northern spanish type BUT...but they are like pim said(and this i agree wih you pim)is that they are more culturelly incined to gaucho and non-spanish europe.for example they drink mate we spaniards(i am half spaniard and half cuban)drink cafe or te.they eat excessive amounts of meat and we eat excessive amount of fruits of the sea(fish and seafood of all kinds)they even have tea time like the british and we dont we have a bocadillo as "teatime".also they dont even tlk like us they seem to talk a spanish like laura pausini and erros ramazotti if you know what i mean.yes the argentians are very european-like but not speciafically spanish.i actully think we are the hispanics and they are latinos due to their intense mixture of non-hispanic races.

Well hello again,
PC? PC that all South Americans are rude? (Hostel Playa thread, but insinuated by ERT), or that some are less Hispanic than Argentinians? All I'm saying is that there are fatal flaws in ERT's reasoning

Firstly, and I have said this already, the cultural differences between say an Ecuadorian and a Spaniard ARE huge YES!!
You have to be deaf, blind and ignorant to think otherwise. That all Ecuadorians and other South Americans think of themselves as Spanish is also rubbish and actually most Ecuadorians are Catholics not Catholic/Pre-Colombian.

I don't have a problem with people being PC or non PC but one can use sane and reasonable arugments for putting forward their opinions.

The two examples illustrated by ERT of different facial features and colour could both be Ecuadorian. ie, we have blacks, indian, mestizo, whites, reds in Ecuador. I'm sorry but I feel i'm stating the obvious.
To think one would treat a white Ecuadorian differently to an Indian Ecuadorian is amazing, that to me means that in fact ERT is not racist against Ecuadorians but to the Indian race from the North of the Andes to the South(and that includes Argentina)and blacks it seems.

I can 100% repect someone who just plainly says they dislike a race, which is what I think ERT would like to say but just doesn't come right out, but uses tonterias to try and convince and brainwash.
Thank you Carmen for saying i 'can' feel proud of my parents, I am.

As for the Vanity Fair article, after the initial shock of realising it was 'THE' Dame Edna I then came to the conclusion that in fact what she might of meant is that Spanish is a colossal and important language, it just came out all wrong.

To tell people not to use the word 'Hispanic' is telling people what to do and how to think. Who is telling who what to be and what to say here?
Guapetona chooses to say "Hispanics" I'm fine with that.
A Cuban can understand the Spaniard and the Spaniard an Ecuadorian, the Ecuadorian the Argentinian, WHY?-Spanish-and WHY is this?
And that's all it boils down to.