Regardless of whether the term “Latino” or “Hispanic” is used to describe their heritage, there’s a feeling among some Latino Americans that there are issues of identity, representation and political participation to face.

Hector Avalos, associate professor of religious studies, defined Latinos as people living in the United States who trace their origins to a Spanish-speaking background.

Avalos, a Mexican-born American, said he is not bothered by racial designations such as “Hispanic.” However, he said this term, which is used by the U.S. government, is perceived by some Hispanics as an imposition.

Avalos said the fact that only about 1 percent of Iowa’s population is Latino proves that Latinos are underrepresented.

On the national scale, Avalos pointed to the lack of Latino Supreme Court justices or U.S. senators as yet more proof of the underrepresentation of Latinos.

Grass-roots organizations, he said, should be established to encourage more Latinos to participate in the political process through voting.

He attributed the low percentage of Latino voters to their general distrust of the political process, their lack of awareness of the importance of participation, and the fact that many Latinos aren’t even registered to vote.

Latino voting, Avalos said, is not in proportion to population.

“I think Latinos will become the most powerful voting force in America if they vote in proportion to their numbers,” he said.

Jose Amaya, assistant professor of English, also said he believes Latinos represent a vital political force in the United States.

“We are exerting influence on the caucuses,” he said.

Amaya, an American of Mexican descent, said he used to act as the vice chairman of the Iowa Commission on Latino Affairs.

Amaya said Iowa is embracing diversity, which is partly represented by the Latino population that has grown substantially during the last few years.

However, he said affirmative action needs to be reworked to present more opportunities for Latino Americans.

“Affirmative action is in need of fine-tuning and some mending because it didn’t complete the job,” he said.

Unlike Avalos, Amaya expressed his dislike for racial designations.

“Racial divisions hurt us as Americans,” he said.

Amaya said it is a common view among racial minorities in the United States to find such designations problematic.

“That’s really an American sensibility,” he said.

Juan Davila, a minority liaison officer in the College of Business, also said he is bothered by the designation “Latino American.”

“There is some kind of inferiority attached to [the designation],” he said.

Davila said this inferiority arises from the stereotypes that people have regarding different racial groups.

As an example, he said Latinos are sometimes stereotyped as uneducated, lazy and illegal immigrants.

Davila, a Mexican-born American, said the speculation that Latino numbers will continue to be on the rise is a healthy phenomenon because it means their buying power will increase, thereby greater influencing the U.S. economy.

Davila said he would like the ISU campus to feature more Latinos, other minorities and international students in diversity programs.

“A diverse campus is definitely a rich campus,” he said. “Everybody can definitely benefit from being exposed to different ways of thinking. That’s what makes one’s life richer.”

Although displeased with the lack of Latino representation both inside and outside of Iowa, Davila said there are organizations that work toward making Latinos more vibrant citizens who participate in the U.S. political arena. He cited “Latinos Unidos” and “LULAC” as two of these organizations.

As for the presidential race, Davila said candidates often give unfulfilled promises to provide better opportunities for minorities.

“Once [politicians] get into office, those [promises], for some reason, vanish,” he said.