I had just read on the news caption of Lifeinitaly from ANSA news that Eros Ramazzotti is teaming up with ''Latin pop star Ricky Martin". First of all who are these Spanish speaking peoples of Puerto Rico, Central America and South America to have taken over the term and designation "Latin/Latino? What I mean is how do Italians allow this and most of all a news agency from Italy? Where is the Italians' knowledge of history and pride? These Central and South Americans have no right in being called, let alone having exclusive use, of the term Latin. They are not of the Latin race. The Latin language, culture and tribes originated and devoloped in ancient Rome and was the classical language of Italy and eventually of Western Europe. Latin roots came from the Roman forum and from cities like Pompeii and Herculaneum and not from Puerto Ricans from Spanish Harlem. It is the Italians who are the true original Latins over any other people and it is a profound cultural legacy from Italy. What gets me even more angry is how the attempt is made these days to classify Latin into a seperate race for Central and South Americans. And what race is that? Most Central and South Americans are a mixture of several races - white, Indian and black while Latin came from Italy, Europe. How come Italians don't realize this or complain about this. What gets me is that when it comes to discrediting Italy over something such as the erroneous assumption that pasta came from China through Marco Polo it is propagated and widely believed when in fact regardless of the fact of noodle making in China for possibly 2000 years, pasta was made in Italy before Marco Polo was even born as discovered cook books dated before his birth confirm. How come nobody says Latin came from Italy? I wish some people would write to the Italian news agency and Italian organizations and put some sense into their heads.-- From a proud Italian of his history.

Amico, well spoken.I've been saying this for years. May be we should start a group.ITALIANS,THE ONLY LATINS.

Thank you. It is something us Italians should realize.

Amico, well spoken.I've been saying this for years. May be we should start a group.ITALIANS,THE ONLY LATINS.

I'm all for it, sign me up:D

Rudolph Valentino was considered the Latin lover "of all time", but was half French, and the French language is a derivative of Latin--Let's not devaluate the Roman Empire,eh? They did extend themselves into France and Spain, yes? Italian love making statistics in this day and age is at an all time low--couldn't get much lower--it's at a few times a week or month--it is significantly lower then Britain and one of the lowest in Europe--so how can you narrow it down to one race only? Italy as a country full of Latin Lovers? They need to be reborn into Latin Lovers ...that is such an old cliche!

Yes I know my history and I know that French, Spanish, Portugese,and Romanian came from Latin too but that was due to Italy from the Roman Empire so Italians are Latin over any other people. Do you dispute the history of Rome? And since when was Rudolph Valentino half-French? He was born in Castellanetta in the Puglia region of Italy. And the amount of love making per week does not classify one as Latin. Italians make love as much as any other people in fact they taught love making as an art as most other things since 60% of the Western Worlds cultural patrimony came from Italy. My original issue is where do Hispanic people of Central and South America who are a mixture of several races end up having exclusive use of the term Latin when it came from Italy.

Where Valentino's mother gave birth to him has no influence on what is in his blood. Valentino was half French since the moment his mother Marie Berthe Gabrielle Barbin gave birth to him. The amount of love/making does depend on what defines a Latin Lover---as I brought up, they did a study on this, and it was posted in an Italian Magazine just a few months ago. I do beg to differ with you on this. How could I dispute Rome's History? Of course I do not. They were the seeds, I agree. But the term Latin can be uses in may different contenses.
I enlarged your discussion.... just like a woman to think in terms of Latin Lovers...its a weakness

My error. Valentino's mother was French but being or not being a lover does not constitute one as a Latin. My original issue is everywhere I look and hear these days here in the USA the term and designation Latin is used EXCLUSIVELY for Hispanic peoples. This I must say irkes me when regardless on how one tries to justify it the Latin language and culture came from my ancestors in Italy. All I know is if it was the other way around and Italians were using a term from some other land they would be reminded of it every day. When I hear that Jennifer Lopez is proud of her Latin roots I say what Latin roots? She is of Puerto Rican ancestry and one can see she is mostly of Indian extraction. I am giving an example and I have nothing against her.

Yes, why don't you do something to clear all this? It's a great idea...I think you really should. You certainly have the passion for this..don't let it get away...
I am in the process of publishing a book on Rome, here's an idea. I dont know if you write, but I am sure you can express this on paper. If you come up with a short but strong article on this, I will put it in my book---hows that for a beginning?

That sounds like a good idea about publishing it in a book. I sure would love to have Italians realize this but at the same time they should know these facts without them having to be reminded of it. Also, I am against the situation in Italy where they are allowing all these foreigners and immigrants to be practically invading their country. I am not speaking out of racism or prejudice in regard to these topics but I am a lover of Italian history and culture and like to see it preserved.I will write a new thread on the immigration topic but I need to run for now. Again the idea of the letter in the book sounds good. Thanks.

Italians are the ORIGINAL Latins... but not the only Latins!

Since no one can deny that Spanish and French derive from Latin.

Spanish is not far at all from Italian! Six years ago it took me only 3 months to learn Italian because of my Spanish, then I went to study Italian litterature at the University of Padova, Italy! I felt as if Spanish and Italian are but a dialect of Latin! Yes, I also took Latin in college!

I feel at home in Italy because of my LATIN ROOTS, and 3 LATIN LANGUAGES that I speak.

I've lived in 14 cities of the world, and 5 countries... many in Latin America and Italy... feels quite close to me!

Fortunately, all over Italy I saw "a fever" of travel in Latin America, and Italians showed a passion for Latin America, and I saw many Italians in Latin America... so it's a relief that at least the Italians in Italy, most of them are open minded and welcoming to "the other Latins"...

As I mentined a number of times I have nothing against Spanish and Portugese speaking peoples nor am I preaching racism. What I am against is the fact that these people have literally taken over the designation and term Latin when it came from my ancestors in Italy before anywhere else. This term seems to be applied only to these peoples today and to me the great cultural legacy from Italy is being disregarded.

That's so true. Nice post. I also learned recently from an article on the web (i didn't save it) that we (Italians) are our own race. We are not "white" or "anglo saxon". And we don't share the designation with any other peoples. Italians are their own race. Italian is a race and only Italians are Italian.

Can Italians lay claim on a word? My experience is language never works like that. It travels across state lines, a country's borders, from race to race to race, morphing with each generation.

The Bible is an excellent example of this evolution. What is read today is not what was written in the very first edition. In fact, many of the words have entire different meanings - scholars write that "abomination", a favorite amongst certain literalists, had a whole different meaning two thousand years ago than it does today.

However the word "Latin" is used, it cannot negate the rich culture, history and people that are Italian. And of course my pride in the richness of my heritage does not hinge on the usage of a single word.