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Here's the Important Difference Between Hispanic, Latino and Spanish

Here's the Important Difference Between Hispanic, Latino and Spanish

Hispanic, Latino and Spanish are popular terms people use to identify themselves. For many who identify as Hispanic, Latino and Spanish, they recognize their family’s origins and/or speak the Spanish language. But it's not uncommon to hear these phrases used interchangeably.

Whether the distinctions are brought up in conversation or your favorite Spanish-speaking show got your mind thinking about these terms, the difference between Hispanic, Latino and Spanish are important to learn. The next time you hear the terms being mixed up, you can help spread the word about the unique differences.

What does Hispanic mean?

The term Hispanic describes a person who is from or has ancestors from a Spanish-speaking territory or country. There are roughly 62.1 million Hispanics in the U.S., which makes up 19% of the total population, according to Pew Research Center findings in 2020. In 2019, Mexicans held the lead, making up nearly 62% of Hispanics in the U.S., followed by Puerto Ricans and Cubans.

Photo credit: John Coletti - Getty Images
Photo credit: John Coletti - Getty Images

The definition of Hispanic excludes Brazil because Portuguese is the country's primary language, but it does include Spain, even though it’s in Europe. Globally, there are more than a dozen Hispanic countries and one territory: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.

Hispanic was a term first used by the U.S. government in the 1970s after Mexican-American and Hispanic organizations lobbied for population data to be collected. Subsequently, in 1976, the U.S. Congress passed a law mandating information about U.S. residents from Spanish-speaking countries to be recorded. Today, Hispanic appears as an “ethnicity” on official forms for government, education and employment purposes.

What does Latino mean?

Latino, Latina and Latinx are geographic terms, which refer to a person from Latin America or of Latin American descent. This includes Brazil, but excludes Spain. For the rest of the aforementioned countries, there’s crossover, because Hispanics can also call themselves Latino, Latina or the gender neutral term Latinx, and vice versa. What’s more, the term Afro-Latino can be used to describe Latinx people with African ancestry.

Photo credit: crazycroat - Getty Images
Photo credit: crazycroat - Getty Images

The term Latino emerged in the 1990s as a form of resistance after scholars began "applying a much more critical lens to colonial history." Some opted not to use the word Hispanic because they believed it carried the heavy history of colonialism, slavery and genocide done by the Spanish. In 1997, Latino officially appeared on government documents as an option alongside Hispanic. Since 1980 and 2000, Hispanic and Latino have also become part of the U.S. Census, respectively.

Latinx, most commonly pronounced “Latin-EX," is a gender neutral alternative to Latina and Latino. The intersectional term is meant to show solidarity to those in LGBTQIA+ community who prefer not to identify as a male or female. Though the term has been used for more than a decade, only 23% of Hispanics in the U.S. have heard of it, and only 3% identify as such, per a 2020 Pew Research Center report.

What does Spanish mean?

Photo credit: Alexander Spatari - Getty Images
Photo credit: Alexander Spatari - Getty Images

The word Spanish refers to both a language and a nationality. A common mistake is calling a Spanish-speaking person Spanish. A person who speaks Spanish is Hispanic. A person who is from Spain or has origins from Spain is Spanish.

The Romance language originated from Latin, and it was first spoken in Spain. Today, Castilian Spanish is the most popular dialect in the European country. Despite this, it’s the fourth country with the most native Spanish speakers. Mexico, Colombia and Argentina are the top three in the world.

Can Hispanics be Latinos?

Yes, a Hispanic person can also be Latino, Latina or Latinx. But this might not always apply depending on the country. For example, an individual with origins from Spain can identify as Hispanic because it's a Spanish-speaking country. But they might not call themselves Latinos because Spain isn't in Latin America.

Similarly, a person from Brazil may call themselves Latino, Latina or Latinx because the country is in Latin America. But they might not identify as Hispanic because Brazil's main language is Portuguese, not Spanish.


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Photo credit: .

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