Is there such thing as Latino Identity? by Otto Santa Ana

"Within the community of people termed Mexican or Mexican-American, the latter phrase connotated someone willing to turn their back on their heritage, their family, their home language"
Whilst researching Latino identity, I came across this website named "American Family, Journey of Dreams". This is actually a TV series which is said to be the "first drama series ever to air on broadcast television featuring a Latino cast, and the first origional primetime American episode drama on PBS in decades". Yet what caught my eye the most is a section of the website written be a Professor titled "Is there such thing as Latino Identity":

"What is identity? Why do Professors insist on questionaing what is obvious? Arn't we just individuals, born male or female, unique selves from infancy, who grow up interacting with others...Isn't our unique identity a whole thing that is part of us from the beginning that really doesnt change across time?
The Linguistic problem of identity complicates this picture in two ways that I will mention. First I spoke about the issue of community: identity is usually associated with a community who have a locale or one shared community. Then there is the issue of lables, all ethnic and racial terminology changes over time...Our uniqueness as a person is not the same as our identity. Our identity changes across time. Our identities as human beings are fluid, not a fixed thing"

As we can see from the comments made above, definining identity is a topic which requires great thought and deliberation as the whether our identity changes over time to adapt to different circumstances or not. In particular, when associated with Latino identity, in order to create a new life within America, can we argue that their identity needs to adjust to America's current values and ideologies, whilst leaving behind their own heritage and their own values in pursuit of a better way of life? This in many ways is what is represented within the essay above, taking on a different persona in order to make a living, yet are unable to carry their own traditions as this may lead to exclusion within society.