I am not sure if I have ever mentioned it but my last name translated into English would literally mean rook.
You see, the surname “Torres” has its origin in the Latin word “turris,” which means “tower.” Historically, this surname was used to designate people who lived near towers or who were associated with defensive structures, such as castles and fortresses. In many Latin based languages, Torre refers to a rook on the chessboard.
My last name may have a Latin origin but I am not a Latino American as I inherited it from my paternal grandfather who was born in Portugal and moved to California when he was three years old. Latino Americans refer to people that come from Latin American cultures, including those that speak Portuguese, such as Brazil. However, my grandfather’s family came directly from Portugal to America so my cultural heritage is not Latino.
Photo (from Wikipedia) of Santa Cruz beach and Torre, in Torres Vedras, Portugal.
A lot of families that consider themselves Hispanic Americans also share our last name “Torres”. However, the term Hispanic refers to those with a cultural heritage from Spanish speaking countries. While both Portugal and Spain share the Iberian Peninsula, their different languages create a clear differentiation in how they are categorized in discussions about ethnicity and culture. Thus, the Portuguese Torres are not considered Hispanic either.
But I am starting to digress… Torres, is a very common last name and living in California I regularly meet other Torres who are chess players. As a chess player we are all part of a global community so regardless if you are a Hispanic Torres, a Latino Torres or a Portuguese Torres, we share a surname that means “rook” and that is pretty cool for us chess enthusiasts.