Hispanic vs Latino
The distinction between Hispanic and Latino can be understood through the definition of each term. Hispanic and Latino are often used to refer to a person’s roots or cultural origins. Hispanic refers to Spanish origin and includes various cultures that were once part of the Spanish Empire. Latino, on the other hand, refers to a person from any Latin American country. Latino and Latina come from Latin America. There is confusion between Hispanic and Latino in the United States because of the similarities between these two terms. However, it is incorrect to use them interchangeably to describe a person of Spanish culture, whether they come from Cuba, Mexico, South America or Spain, as they refer to different aspects.
In 1997, the United States government coined the combined term Hispanic or Latino to broaden the definition of a person from just Hispanic. This new term attempted to cover all ethnic groups living in the U.S. with Spanish ancestry or those who spoke Spanish at home. However, the term did not include Brazilians and surprisingly includes many races instead of just one. This means that blacks of Spanish origin, as well as whites of Spanish origin, can be included in this classification.
Despite Hispanic or Latino being accepted as a category, some sociologists and anthropologists are not sure if these two terms can be used interchangeably. They believe that these groups are culturally and ethnically different.
Who is a Hispanic?
Hispanic refers to the language aspect and includes all Spanish-speaking people. Since these people come from both hemispheres and often have nothing else in common apart from the Spanish language, it is challenging to find any commonality between these communities. A person is considered Hispanic if their origin comes from a country where Spanish is spoken.
Who is a Latino?
Latino, alternatively, refers to geography. In the American context and language, Latino has come to refer to a shortened version of the Spanish word latino americano, which is used to refer to people or communities of Latin American origin. So, Latino is a way to identify people from the Latin American region. To be called a Latino, a person’s origin should come from a Latin American country.
What is the difference between Hispanic and Latino?
• Definition of Hispanic and Latino:
• Hispanic is someone who comes from a country that speaks Spanish.
• Latino is someone who comes from a Latin American country.
• Basis of the identity:
• Hispanics are identified based on their language, which is Spanish.
• Latinos are identified in reference to their geography; that is the location, which is Latin America.
• Examples:
• A person from Spain is Hispanic.
• A person from Brazil is Latino.
• A person from Colombia is both Hispanic and Latino.
In summary, Hispanic should be used to refer to a person of Spanish origin living in America. This means that a native of Spain living in the U.S. is a Hispanic but not a Latino. Latino, on the other hand, refers to people of Latin American origin residing in the U.S. So the use of the term Hispanic or Latino in the U.S. to broaden the category of people speaking the Spanish language is not technically correct. However, it does not make much of a difference to those people who are of Spanish origin but coming from Latin America, as the common denominator among all such diverse groups is the Spanish language.
