Ask the OEDI: Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latinx - Which is Best?
By William Alexander
A variety of terms are used to describe people who come from, or have family roots coming from, countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the United States, two terms are most frequently used, sometimes interchangeably: Hispanic, and some variation of Latino, Latina, or Latinx.
With National Hispanic American Heritage Month coming up, we'll use our first “Ask the OEDI” column to discuss these terms, why they matter, and why many people from these communities have complex feelings about what term(s) they prefer. We’ll also share some links to resources where you can read more on the subject.
Is there a difference between the terms Hispanic and Latino? What do they mean?
The short answers to these questions are “yes,” and “it’s complicated.”
At the most basic level, the terms Hispanic and Latino refer to two different, partially overlapping groups*:
Hispanic refers to a person with ancestry from a country whose primary language is Spanish.
Latino and its variations refer to a person with origins from anywhere in Latin America (Mexico, South and Central America) and the Caribbean.
According to these definitions, a person from Brazil (where Portuguese is spoken) would be considered Latino (and not Hispanic) and a person from Spain would be considered Hispanic (but not Latino). A person with Mexican ancestry could be considered both (depending on where in Mexico they came from and their own sense of identity; a person of Mayan heritage or a Colombian person whose family fought for Spanish independence might understandably bristle at a term that assumes a connection with Spain).
Terry Blas defines the differences between the two terms as follows:
