What’s the Difference Between Latino and Hispanic?

The term “Hispanic” means a person who comes from a country wherein Spanish, a romance language, is the predominant language. As such, this descriptor goes beyond race or even ethnicity in its reliance on the Spanish language itself as a primary signifier. For instance, suppose an Asian family immigrates to Cuba—their children might later identify as being of Hispanic origin since they grew up in a Spanish-speaking country and likely speak Spanish themselves, too.

This term expands beyond Latin America to include the European country of Spain. In fact, the English word “Hispanic” derives from “Hispania” ( the area that Romans ruled over that covered the entire Iberian Peninsula, including what is now modern-day Spain).

The term “Latino” is a Spanish word indicating a person comes from a Latin American country of origin. Latin America comprises many countries in North America, Central America, South America, and the Caribean—for example, people from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Honduras, Mexico, and Puerto Rico are all Latino. While some include all of the Caribbean islands as part of Latin America, many citizens of those regions do not apply the Latino designation to themselves.

Since most Latin American countries use Spanish as their primary language, most residents can accurately refer to themselves as either Hispanic or Latino (or both). These designations help identify groups of people, but at the end of the day, what terms a person uses will depend on their own preferences. For example, some people with ties to Spain or Latin America might refer to themselves by their specific country of origin (e.g., citizens of Bolivia using Bolivians as a descriptor) or by where they settled at a later point in life (e.g., a Mexican immigrant who moves to California or Texas and prefers to call themselves a Californian or Texan).

To highlight the differences between the terms “Latino” and “Hispanic,” consider the case of Brazilians. Brazil is a country in Latin America, meaning residents can all accurately refer to themselves as Latino. Still, its citizens speak Portuguese rather than Spanish due to Portugal colonizing the country centuries ago rather than Spain. As such, while nearly all the surrounding countries can claim to be Hispanic, Brazil cannot since its citizens speak a different language.

The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” both came to the forefront in the United States between the Nixon and Reagan administrations. The US Census Bureau aimed to gather more information about people of unique ethnicities in both broad strokes. To do so, they allowed people to self-define as Hispanic or Latino when responding to census questions.

Since these initial inclusions, census takers now include more specific designations (as in Mexican-American for someone who immigrated to the United States from Mexico), so people have more freedom to define themselves as they please.

There are some important considerations before using the terms “Latino” and “Hispanic.” Here are four to keep in mind:

1. 1. Ask the person. Every individual will likely have a different preference regarding which of these terms they prefer. Others might use both terms. Still, others might wish to refer to themselves by their country of origin (e.g., Colombian for Colombia, Dominican for the Dominican Republic, and so on). The best way to find out which they prefer is to ask them.
2. 2. Consider geography. Think about where the person is originally from when trying to figure out the demographic in which they fit best. For instance, if they’re from Spain, they’re more likely to call themselves Hispanic (or simply Spanish), whereas if they’re from a South American country, they might call themselves Latino/Latina/Latinx.
3. 3. Let the person define themselves. Ultimately, allow the person to define themselves however they see fit rather than putting any categories on them yourself. Certain people from Cuba might prefer to call themselves Latino, while others might prefer Cuban-American. Someone from El Salvador might say they’re Hispanic, Salvadoran, Latino, or all of the above. A Mexican-American person might prefer the term “Chicano.”
4. 4. Think about language. If a person comes from any country that predominantly uses the Spanish language, they can accurately refer to themselves as Hispanic. As such, Spanish speakers can rely on Hispanic as the broadest possible definition comprising multiple different demographics and ethnic groups.

The term “Latinx” is a newer, gender-neutral version of the words “Latino” and “Latina.” While it’s popular amid certain strains of activism, some in the Latino community still prefer the older words rather than this new one. Still, others prefer the term “Latine,” another gender-neutral option that is easier to pronounce.

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