A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a Latino Heritage Festival. It was a great way to start Hispanic Heritage Month.
Seeing Aztec inspired dancing from Mexico, folk dancing from Guatemala, a singer/guitarist from Brazil, and food from Puerto Rico (to name a few), I was reminded of the immense and rich diversity held within the Hispanic community.
However, going to a Latino heritage festival during Hispanic Heritage Month made me question the difference between the two words, and though some may argue it’s only “semantics,” others would argue there is a significant difference.
To preface, each of these terms can be argued as to who actually falls into each category, but according to Britannica.com (Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.) the word “Latino” (which is short for latinoamericano [Spanish] or latino-americano [Portuguese]) has a broader use and is attributed to most people living in the United States whose families are from Latin America. This does not typically include individuals who speak European Romance languages such as Spaniards or Italians, or any Spanish speakers from the Caribbean region. It is also argued that this does not include French Guiana, Belize, Guyana, and Suriname since these countries speak French, English and Dutch (respectively).
The word “Hispanic” typically has a narrower meaning and only consists of people from Spanish-speaking Latin America. This includes territories and countries of the Caribbean region and even Spain itself. Unfortunately, this term may not be the most ideal as there are many people of indigenous descent who are from Spanish-speaking countries, yet do not speak the dominant Spanish language or identify with the dominant Spanish culture.
This graphic helps break down some of these distinctions and differences:
When it comes down to it, many people of Latin American descent prefer to directly use their countries of origin such as Cuban-American, Mexican-American, Brazilian-American, etc.
NOTE: “Latinx” is also a gender neutral term used for people who are of Latin American descent - whether they speak Spanish or not.
Traver Butcher
CEO/All Shores Consulting
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