Like "Black," the word "Hispanic"--currently used by government agencies to describe almost anyone who speaks Spanish--is coming under fire from those who say the term is too vague.

"Hispanics," they explain, can be people who have lived in the United States all their lives. Or they can be recent arrivals from Nicaragua. Their ancestors may have hailed from Mexico, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Spain or any one of a number of places around the globe.

"If you are talking about generic terms it's all right, but I would never describe myself as Hispanic," says Hilda M. Alexander '90-'91, who is a Mexican national.

Because the term is so broad, many so-called "Hispanics" choose to describe themselves with names that are more appropriate to their specific backgrounds. Individuals of Mexican descent, for example, call themselves "Chicanos," while those from a Latin American background often favor the term "Latino."

But these terms also have their critics, who say that they don't like the extra connotations they carry. "Chicano," for example, is often associated with a radical political movement of the 1970s.

John J. Gomez '91 says he was brought up in a conservative neighborhood where the term was frowned upon. His parents also criticized "Chicano" because it sounded too much like "chicanery."

"I never liked the word `Chicano' because it sounds derogatory," Gomez says.

Geography also has a lot to do with the words that people use, says Carlos R. Perez '91. Persons of Mexican descent in Texas tend to dislike "Chicanos," but California is full of them, he explains.

"Usually people don't call themselves `Chicano' unless they know about the movement," Perez says.

Students whose ancestry is a little more complex often have a little more trouble describing themselves. Luis R. Rodriguez '94, the president of the Freshman Black Table, calls himself a Black Hispanic. A native of the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez says he prefers to be specific.

"You have to know what you are talking about," he says.

Most ethnic groups say they prefer to be described simply by their place of origin. Individuals of Asian descent, for example, are lobbying against the term "Oriental," which they say conjures up inaccurate images of exotic locales. "Asian" or "Asian American," they say, accurately describes their background.

"Native Americans" are waging a similar campaign against the word "Indian," which is associated with cowboys and the Wild West and has nothing to do with their actual origin.

Even the term "minority" now has its critics, who say that the word forces individuals to be judged by the "majority" standards. Many of them also note that the majority of the world's population is made up of so-called "minorities."

"People of color," is now the term of choice for many of these onetime "minorities."

"I don't like the term `minorities' just because it's false," says McDonald.

But even as participants in these debates thrash terms around, most acknowledge that no blanket name will be perfect. Every name encounters resistance at some point.

Brown says that at times, she simply wants to give up on the idea of assigning names to groups, but that ultimately, people want to have labels.

"The whole concept of classifying and categorizing people can be hurtful," she says.

"I'd rather not classify at all," Brown says. "But a person sometimes doesn't have a choice."