Latino-A Really Broad Term

One of the points that Arlene Davila touches upon in her book Latino Spin is this idea of the hierarchy within the Latino community. A sense that not all Latinos are equal and that different nationalities amongst Latinos are considered to be of a higher socioeconomic status than other. This is I think a truth that is not very often talked about but very true. For example the idea that all Mexicans are poor and lower class people when in comparison to other nationalities such as Argentines or Venezuelans but that as a whole the entire Latino community is seen a lower class. Perhaps this is the reason for the tensions amongst the different Latino communities. They probably think that the other Latino communities are holding them down in some sense because of the perception that is given off by the Latino community as a whole. What I think that most of the people of the United States are not aware of is the mix of different nationalities within the Latino community and that a lot of the qualities that they may attribute to one specific group do not necessarily apply to another but because they are all considered Latino does this mean that the other group is seen as embodying the same qualities or stereotypes? Perhaps this is what causes tensions amongst the different Latino groups. A certain group may grow tired of being associated with other groups that see themselves as completely unrelated to. This could be the case with the many successful Cubans in Florida in comparison to the high level of poverty amongst Mexicans and Puerto Ricans. Cubans probably do not like to be grouped with these other nationalities because of the poverty stricken image that they perhaps do not want to associate themselves with.