The term Anglo
 

Anglo, who and what is Anglo?
I am English and part of the Anglosphere, Anglo-culture. but I'd say I am a Celt, not an Anglo, I am happy to be a part of things that are described as Anglo, but I don't see myself as Anglo. Though I would expect most English people would.

But this brings me to the word and how it is used in America, mostly by Latino (Latino might be more useful than Latinx here, as it draws the similarities between Latino and Anglo)
It just doesn't seem right to lump all English speakers, or all White Americans, who are not Latino, as being Anglo. I can't see many Scandinavian-Americans being happy to be described as Anglo. I imagine many Irish-Americans would get quite angry to be described as Anglo.

I am not Latino, so I do not come across the word used as a substitute for White Americans too often, but whenever I do, it strikes me as odd. Especially as America so often tries to get race, ethnicity, and identity - right, to be respectful. (except of course when it doesn't)

Re: The term Anglo
 

I find this (mercifully brief) article in Wikipedia to be quite good.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo

You could have two people in Scotland; one is Scottish, one is Anglo. But if they moved to Quebec, they’d both be Anglo! If they moved to India, they wouldn’t be Anglo-Indians, not by the definition of the 1935 Government of India Act, anyway.

Apparently, anglos came from the Angeln region of Germany, which is close to saxony, where the saxons came from..

Re: The term Anglo
 

I think over here they use the term 'Anglo' as shorthand for either someone from an English speaking country, or just white Europeans in general.

In reality, I've very little English ancestry, and what I do have is from the north of England, in the Scottish border region, or nearby counties. I'm not even really 'Hiberno' either, as most of my ancestry is Scottish, rather than Irish. So I'm Celtic, mostly, and Scottish if you need to pin it down geographically.

Re: The term Anglo
 

And AFAIUI from an Amish point of view anyone not Amish is English.

Re: The term Anglo
 

I believe so. Probably more to do with the fact that they speak English and not 'Dutch', which is really just very old German as far as I know.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Found this meaning and it is also how I always viewed the term:

North American
a white, English-speaking American as distinct from a Hispanic American.
"Anglo neighborhoods"

This is not the same as Anglo-Saxon:

adjective
adjective: Anglo-Saxon

1. relating to or denoting the Germanic inhabitants of England from their arrival in the 5th century up to the Norman Conquest.
   • of English descent.
   • of, in, or relating to the Old English language.
   • informal
     (of an English word or expression) plain, in particular vulgar.
     "using a lot of good old Anglo-Saxon expletives"

noun
noun: Anglo-Saxon; plural noun: Anglo-Saxon

1. 
   a Germanic inhabitant of England between the 5th century and the Norman Conquest.
   • a person of English descent.
   • North American
     any white, English-speaking person.
2. another term for Old English.
   • informal
     plain English, in particular vulgar slang.

Orig

Re: The term Anglo
 

Would Spainards and Portuguese be considered/called Latino by their American cousins ?

Re: The term Anglo
 

They shouldn't, because Latino specifically refers to being from Latin America, but that might require a nuance that the average punter over here does not possess, so I guess the answer is maybe.

Technically speaking, Spaniards are Hispanic, though not Latino. Brazilians are Latino but not Hispanic. Portuguese people are neither.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Latino/Hispanic are the same/are different, depending on who you talk to.
Spain/Portugal are included/not included, depending on who you talk to.
It's good to get clarity on definitions being used.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Honestly if I find someone who knows that Spain and Portugal are two separate countries, I'm pleasantly surprised enough to let anything else slide. Geography is not a strong point here, and I mean that with peace and love, but they just don't seem to care.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Yeah but at least Spain and Portugal are adjoining, unlike Austria & Australia. Of course, another pair of countries that confuse a lot of Americans are Ukraine and United Kingdom .. :eek:

Re: The term Anglo
 

AFAHUI from Putin's point of view anyone Ukranian is Russian
now...:focus:

Re: The term Anglo
 

All while posting the Liberian flag emoji.

Re: The term Anglo
 

An ex-colleague of mine once self-disclosed as "always getting Bolivia and Bulgaria confused". :blink:

Another one on my team at the time, after being given an assignment to come to the meeting prepared to talk about a country from South America assigned at random, for about 5 minutes during a training meeting intended to impart to my team some basic understanding of south American geography, the countries, and their economies, when challenged to turn his notes face down and draw an outline of Brazil on a white board with a rough outline map of South America on it, proceeded to give Brazil a coast (only) on the Pacific Ocean! :huh: If it makes any difference, he is Hispanic, though from Puerto Rico.

To the original posted question: I know that "Anglo" is used in the Hispanic community as a generic for "white people", but honestly couldn't care less if they do, either in general, or referring to a group including me, or me in isolation. It is of no concern to me, nor whether it might have any negative connotation.

Re: The term Anglo
 

What about the Angla and Anglx people:getcoat:

Re: The term Anglo
 

I'm going to start calling myself a Jute. Except there are no boxes to tick for that on the demographic questions on forms.

Re: The term Anglo
 

You can call yourselves anything you like but it won't make you Celts :p

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It’s a sign of moral fibre.

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Well I have got some Moylan and Fitzgerald ancestors up the family tree, if that helps.

Re: The term Anglo
 

And would give me a head start in a sack race.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Ok you're allowed in.

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Sadly though just one generation too far off for me to get an Irish passport.

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Great-grandparents? Bad luck :(

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Yeah. Poor timing on their part to cross the sea. They could have thought ahead a bit more. :frown:

Re: The term Anglo
 

Very inconsiderate indeed.

Re: The term Anglo
 

So you were just stringing her along then? :unsure:

:getcoat:

Re: The term Anglo
 

It might look that way but I assure you I wasn't :lol:

Re: The term Anglo
 

In my 39 years in the US, I don't recall ever hearing the term Anglo, either in specific reference to me, or to 'white people' in general. I've been called a 'Brit', a 'Limey', and perhaps other less polite terms, but I just don't recall hearing Anglo. And like you, I wouldn't find it in the least bit offensive or troubling if they did. I've seen it written from time to time, but never coming out of someone's mouth in normal conversation.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Well, it is convenient!

Re: The term Anglo
 

Never heard that in the Latino community either. The generic for US people is "gringos", unrelated to any ethnicity questions.

On the forms, the term "caucasian" is used, and also just "white".

Re: The term Anglo
 

I’ve heard it from native peoples, on a couple of the reservations near here. But they certainly didn’t mean it to be offensive.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Lack of offensive intent doesn't seem to matter though if someone feels "offended" by a term of differentiation.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Sometimes, even with the best of intentions, people just get it wrong. Or society advances so that what was ok is now no longer ok. Really all that's required is that we are sensitive to these changes and if we are asked to change ourselves in ways that can only do good, or at worst can do no harm, then why would we not do it? There are so many cultural sensitivities around the world that we will probably always get something wrong for somebody, but that doesn't mean that we should stop trying to do better overall. (I'm not suggesting that you are suggesting that, btw, just making a general point.)

Ethnicity, in particular, is a minefield because of the way it has been, and still is, used to cause harm.

Re: The term Anglo
 

I have been familiar with the use of Anglo to mean English speakers, used mostly by Latinx writers, for some time. I haven't really paid much attention to any of its connotations, until I was in the process of planning to use a writing with the word in a class. So I was doing close reading, paying attention to meaning, and connotation, more that I had in the past.
The first few readings it grated a little as I couldn't rid myself of the ethnic use of the word, it took a few read throughs before I could get past my cultural understanding of the word and get to the writers intended meaning (I knew their intention, but I still had my cultural baggage). I have never seen any intention to cause insult from its use.
I was wondering if there was any, or could be any offence, by its use, unintended, to some groups. I was particularly thinking of the reaction of Irish people, if they were called Anglo. As I would want to warn, that under some scenarios it had the potential to offend.
It doesn't look like anyone here sees any possibilities of offence from its use. Which is good and dandy. Though I might just add that the possibility exists, as we haven't had any Irish (although we have had British-Irish input) input.
Edit: I am still not 100% sure if it means all speakers of English, or white speakers of English. Most seem to go with whites speakers of English, but not everyone seems to be in agreement about that.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Oh I'm sure it contains the potential to give offence, in particular because of it admittedly unclear ethnic connotations, and also political ones.

Re: The term Anglo
 

True. A few years ago someone at work was offended when the word "black" was used (even though its use was common and the person certainly meant no offence). The right thing to do in such cases is simply to take care to use the word expected by the other party (in this case "African-American").

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Whereas in the entirely different social and historical context of Mexico, "black" or "white/pale" are used as affectionate terms.

Re: The term Anglo
 

Never quite sure what the preferred term is these days. Here's my understanding, feel free to correct me if I am mistaken.

USA
was 'black'
then only 'African American'
now 'black' preferred 'African American' ok
UK
black .

Re: The term Anglo
 

For a short period here in the US, 'black' was considered to be a bad term, and 'African American' was widely used. Then 'black' came back into common usage. I think there was a realization that there were many blacks who were not 'African Americans' (visitors from Africa who were not at all 'American', people from Jamaica, the Caribbean, etc). I don't hear the term 'African American' at all these days.

Re: The term Anglo
 

That's helpful, thanks. I suppose after BLM, 'black' is now a uncontroversial term. I remember when 'African American' first came into vogue and thinking it was quite a mouthful.