Racial background in characters

In the process of developing characters for On Foxtrot Hill, I’ve begun to really think about racial diversity as a part of the premise. While I want to include this content and representation for strong protagonists, I also want to be sensitive in how I speak about these characters as well. In particular, I imagine two prominent characters as likely being of Native American ancestry and am not sure whether to call them simply that, or Latino, or Hispanic. This is set in Northwestern Texas, so I can see a case for all of the above. In particular, I imagine that they could not really identify with another cultural background, i.e. Guatemalan, Costa Rican because this ranch probably was a homestead back in the day of pioneering. They might very well be able to identify as Mexican because of Spanish occupation, but that particular area also had Apache and Comanche tribes. However, I’m not sure on this point. Ideas? thoughts?

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I think it would all depend on which side of the family had a heavier influence on your characters.

For example, one of my friends is Native American, German, and Mexican. Since she was more heavily involved in the cultural customs and traditions of the Native American side of her family than the German or Mexican, when people ask, she says she’s Native. The only connection she has with the Mexican side of her family is blood and she’s visited her German side and learned the language, but she wasn’t involved in any cultural stuff at all.

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oh cool! Yeah, I really feel that Gabriel and Kylie are probably more in touch with their Native American cultural identity partially because their mother is and very much made that a part of their lives. Secondly, it makes more sense to me because they are very much rooted in the area from the tribes that lived there, as well as the other sides of their family beginning to make stakes in that community. That actually is a major plot point about the history of the place,
a love story ^^

That’s the kind of problem only Americans have haha. :yum:
Jokes aside, It might help the character more personality, make it more deep. Good call.