I wonder with whom South Americans identify themselves.
They are not European, they are not indogenous, they are not slaves from the other side of the Ocean.
They are a mixture.
Who are they? Are they South Americans, or is this different for each one or each group personally?
I've never looked up any literature on it, so this is just anecdotal. The only exception is that I think I read somewhere that Mexicans identify as a mestizo nation, which would be correct genetically, I guess.
Generally, I think they identify as their nationality, whatever their ethnic mix, just like Americans (with the possible exception of some minorities who identify as the minority first). My younger cousins who are a mix of two or three different ethnicities, Italian, Irish/German, English, Polish mostly, but also a few who are half Jewish, half Cuban, identify as American. Even the few who are all genetically Italian identify that way, although they might think Italian-American. They're proud of their ethnic "roots", but they're American.
It works generally the same way in Latin America, although it seems to me that the identification with Europe is stronger in some countries.
Among my Argentinian cousins, even the second and third generation who no longer speak very good Italian seem to identify more with Italy than do similarly placed Americans.
I guess Pope Francis would be a good example. As he's older he's bilingual in Italian although he was born in Argentina. However, he seems to identify as an Argentinian. He's a mad supporter of Argentinian soccer, like my cousins, who support Argentina first in the World Cup, and only if they are out would they support Italy. For younger generations it's even more extreme. Lionel Messi has been asked many times to play for Italy and has always refused. He also doesn't speak Italian. I don't know about Diego Forlan. I don't think "white" Argentinians identify with the native Americans very much, at least not my youngest cousins, who might very well carry an Amerindian mtDna. I think that's because they don't "look it" if you understand what I mean. In a place like Argentina, a lot of "white" Argentinians are only non-European in the single digits, less than Afrikaners, let's say, although there are others who carry more of it.
It's similar with the Cubans I've known, who are "white" Cubans who identify first and foremost as Cuban, and then as Spanish, even if there was some Italian or French or whatever thrown in there. To be honest, the ones I know were rather upset to think that they might have African in them, and they honestly thought that all the Amerindians had been killed and didn't have anything to do with their genetics. They're more color and race conscious than people from Louisiana, and like some of the latter they've been surprised by genetic testing, although I don't see how 5% or so non-European is any big whoops. Some people hadn't realized that a lot of the "history" they were taught wasn't true.
I know a lot of Puerto Ricans, and they all identify as Puerto Rican first, but they know they are also Indian and black as well. Some of them, probably most of them, are proud of it, but there are a few very "white" ones who seem to deny it.
Ygorcs should tell us about Brazil. Also, I'll recant everything above if I'm told I'm wrong.
