You’ve probably heard these three terms everywhere: Hispanic, Latino, Chicano and Latinx. But… did you know they don’t mean exactly the same thing? Although many people use them interchangeably, there are differences worth knowing, especially if you’re interested in your identity and roots. 🌎
Hispanic comes from Hispania, the ancient name of Spain. Therefore, “Hispanic” refers to all people of Hispanic origin or heritage. For example: People from Central America, South America, or the Caribbean; even Spain is Hispanic.
Latino, on the other hand, encompasses more languages. It refers to people from countries where a language derived from Latin is spoken: Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italian, or Romanian. So yes, Brazilians are also Latino (even though they don’t speak Spanish).
Fun fact: all Hispanics are Latino, but not all Latinos are Hispanic. 🇧🇷
Another term used is Chicano, which refers to people of Mexican origin but born in the United States. 🇺🇸
Example: someone whose parents are from Mexico but was born in California or Texas.
According to the Pew Research Center, among the more than 62 million people with roots in Latin America or Spain living in the U.S., not everyone feels the same way about these terms. 📊
A survey showed that:
54% have no preference
27% prefer “Hispanic”
18% prefer “Latino”
And these numbers have barely changed in more than 20 years.
The most recent term to emerge in the U.S. is Latinx and it was created to be gender-neutral and inclusive alternative to “Latino” or “Latina.”
But be aware: most Latinos in the U.S. don’t even use it. In a survey, 76% said they had never heard the term, and only 3% use it to describe themselves
@colbertlateshow Hispanic, Latino, or Latinx? Our amigos help break it down. #Colbert #HispanicHeritageMonth
♬ original sound – colbertlateshow – colbertlateshow
So the next time you hear Hispanic, Latino, Chicano or Latinx, you will know what each term means, although the truly important thing is that we cannot allow our origin or our culture, to be forgotten, fade or be degraded in the future. Therefore, you should take the time to learn a little about how to refer to a race, nationality, or gender. Share this post with your friends and keep learning about our history and pride. Because understanding who we are is also celebrating where we come from.
💪 #LatinoPride #CultureThatInspires #HispanicHeritage
