The dictionary definition is clearly why they have a culture as i pointed out to you their only unifying aspect his there Spanish language,their overwhelming Catholicism and other traditions from Spain. They are mixed with African in the Carribean and very little ingigenous people while in Central (Latin)America they are predominitately indigenous with traces of white and African.And because their language is not Spanish nor culture the Brazilians rarely if ever make the Hispanic list because they are Portoguese culturally and in language.
You live in N.Y. where most Puerto Ricans reside, You have to have observed that they are not all fair skinned with straight hair.
You also must know that their is not an Hispanic day parade but a Puerto Rican Day parade ,a Dominican Day parade and a Columbian Day parade all on separate days with Puerto Rican Day the largest because they have been in NYC the longest and are US citizens by birth whether born in Puerto Rico or on the mainland, whereas none of the others are by birth. Yes North American is the home to 2 separate countries the US and Canada but only we US citizens have the audacity to call ourselves Americans whereas the Canadians also residents of North America are not Americans.
Why do you deny the obivious the US has lumped these people as "Hispanics" not the Canadians and if the Canadians had no one would have called them that because no one cares what Canadians say.Canadians refer to citizens of the province of Quebec as "Quebecois", do the majority of US people refer to them as such?