The Categorical Meaning of Spanish American Identity among Blue-Collar New Mexicans, Circa 1983

Abstract

Many ethnic labels and attending ideological identities vie for acceptance among the Spanish surnamed people of the Southwest. Taking a historical approach, this article searchesfor the meanings that 50 blue-collar respondents in Albuquerque, New Mexico, attached in 1983 to theirpreference for the term Spanish American. A set of qualitative interviews reveals a lack of sure ideological or knowledgeable ethnic identity. To distinguish themselves from other groups, participants relied on surface trait characteristics (categorical awareness) rather than deep cultural differences. A combination of ethnicflux and class dynamics accounts for the lack of a full-fledged ethnic identity.