History La Raza

text rubén darío (salutación del optimista, 1905) inscribed in monumento la raza in sevilla (1929): illustrious, fruitful races, fecund blood of hispania, fraternal spirits, lumious souls, greetings!



propaganda poster argentine government (1947) advocating strong, industrious, peaceful , sovereign race .

the term in origin short la raza española ( spanish race ), introduced faustino rodríguez-san pedro y díaz-argüelles in 1913 proposal secular fiesta de la raza española on 12 october.

beginning in 1920s, term raza española criticized, , alternative term hispanidad ( hispanicity ) proposed ramiro de maeztu, based on suggestion zacarías de vizcarra. alternatively mexican writer josé vasconcelos proposed term la raza cósmica ( cosmic race ) describing raza iberoamericana ( ibero-american race ) in 1925. described cosmic race end product of gradual racial mixing underway in former spanish empire. vasconcelos replaced designator española spanish cosmica cosmic in order imply racial miscegenation in former spanish empire lead emergence of new ibero-american race.

the shortened name of día de la raza used in 1939, when feast day celebrated in zaragoza in combination special devotion virgen del pilar. chilean foreign vice-secretary germán vergara donoso commented profound significance of celebration intimate inter-penetration of homage race , devotion our lady of pillar, i.e. symbol of ever more extensive union between america , spain.

francisco franco wrote novel under pen name jaime de andrade turned film raza of 1944. film, celebrates ideally spanish national qualities, exemplifies usage of raza española referring spanish roman catholic heritage. in central america , mexico, la raza emphasizes amerindian or mestizo heritage, or may express latino identity (la raza being taken short la raza iberoamericana following vasconcelos). monumento la raza inaugurated in mexico city in 1940. metro la raza station in mexico city inaugurated in 1978.

the term chicano (feminine chicana, rendered chicano/a proponents of gender-neutral language) likewise arises in 20th century designation of mexicans. in 1960s 1970s, term became associated movement of mexican-american identity politics activism. in united states, terms la raza , chicano subsequently became closely associated.

various hispanic groups in united states still use term. raza unida party active political party representing mexican american racial identity politics in 1970s. hispanic advocacy organization national council of la raza formed in 1968 (renamed unidosus in 2017).