Over the years , Americans have become familiar with terms such as `` white '' and `` Hispanic '' and even -- on government forms -- the more specific `` non-Hispanic white . '' Now , courtesy of the mainstream media , there is a new phrase to add to our national lexicon : `` white Hispanic . '' I do n't like the sound of that . I 've written about the thorny subjects of race and ethnicity for nearly a quarter century , and I rarely hear this term . We might have been able to see this coming given that there is no Hispanic race and Hispanics come in all colors . Still , mark my words . Wherever this road leads , it 's not good -- not for Hispanics nor the rest of the country . The term -- white Hispanic -- emerged from the controversy over the fatal February 26 shooting of African-American teenager Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman in Sanford , Florida . Because Martin was black , and because it was initially assumed that Zimmerman was white , critics immediately charged that the shooting was racially motivated . Zimmerman 's father , Robert , insisted that this was n't true . In fact , he said it could n't be true because his son is Hispanic . We have since learned that Zimmerman 's mother is from Peru , and Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic . I 'm not about to question how Zimmerman identifies himself . If the experience of having a president with a multiracial background who is nonetheless often referred to as simply black or African-American has taught us anything , it 's that people can identify themselves any way they like but that they are often too complicated to be summed up with a label . Even so , that Zimmerman 's father opted to play the `` Hispanic card '' to protect his son 's reputation is unfortunate . I do n't know if he ever described his son as Hispanic or half-Hispanic before the shooting . But it is awfully convenient that he would be so quick to describe him that way now . It is also absurd . Being Hispanic does n't mean you ca n't also be racist . And the same goes for being white , black or any other color . Human nature dictates that we 're all a little bigoted and narrow-minded , even if it is against members of our own group . It 's easy to believe some stereotypes , or to think of some people as inferior to others . And being the member of a minority group does n't make you immune to those impulses . You should hear how some Mexican-Americans talk about Mexican immigrants . It 's not pretty , and it 's not helpful . And this is from people who are close enough to the subject matter that they should know better . But what 's even more troubling than what Zimmerman 's father said is that some in the media seem to be bending over backward to get a particular message across . Rather than just refer to Zimmerman as Hispanic and be done with it , they created the hybrid term white Hispanic . My more cynical friends insist the strategy here is to preserve , by any means necessary , the narrative of a white racist who gunned down an unarmed black teenager . I wo n't go there . I do n't think my media colleagues are intentionally trying to divide people and spark racial strife . Instead , I think they were looking for a way to avoid what would have been an embarrassing about-face . They did n't want to stand up and say : `` We were wrong . Without having all the facts , we made certain assumptions about the suspect . And now it turns out that it 's not simple , that this story is more complicated than we thought and that this suspect is both white and Hispanic . '' So they turned to the term white Hispanic . It is also possible that some in the media are afraid to frame the story as Hispanic versus African-American . I understand that . Relations between the nation 's largest minority and the group that used to hold that title are tense enough without adding fuel to the fire . Whatever the reason for using this term , I do n't like it . And I do n't have any use for it . Are we now going to refer to people as white Hispanics and black Hispanics ? Given that my complexion is a shade lighter than brown , should I be referred to as beige Hispanic ? Where does this end ? Americans need to discuss race and ethnicity in serious ways . The tragic death of a young person is a serious issue . Everything about this story must be taken seriously . Distorting the language shows we 're not serious people .
Ruben says : There is a new term to add to our national vocabulary , ` ` white Hispanic '' It 's a nickname given to George Wallace , who shot a black teenager , Navarrette says . He says anyone , regardless of color , can be a racist whether white , Hispanic or black . The media should have thought twice before referring to loaded term , Navarrette says .