Generally speaking, the term "Hispanic" refers to the culture, people, and nations linked to Spain or the Spanish language. However, there is no technical definition of Hispanic, and considerable gray area exists regarding exactly who is or is not Hispanic. For example, the United States government has no official stance on what qualifies as Hispanic. A 1976 bill passed by Congress mentions "Americans of Spanish origin or descent," which would include some 20 Spanish-speaking countries (including Spain) but exclude Portuguese-speaking countries Brazil and Portugal. The US Department of Health and Human Services defines Hispanic as "any person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race" (note the last few words). Moreover, the U.S. Census Bureau takes an informal approach and simply asks people to self-report whether they are of Mexican; Puerto Rican; Cuban; or some other Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin.
Under the Census Bureau's system, if a person wishes to be considered Hispanic, as 18.5% of U.S. residents did during the 2020 census, they are counted as such (note that country of origin is a factor, but race is not). The reverse scenario is also true: If a person does not wish to be considered Hispanic, they needn't be. Hispanics can be of any race and have any country of origin or ancestry. Therefore, if a person of Asian descent who was adopted by first-generation Mexican immigrants in Southern California personally feels Hispanic, then can be. Similarly, someone whose mother is Hispanic, but who identifies more with their father's German-descended family in Wisconsin need not identify as Hispanic if they so desire.
This flexibility reflects current thinking from modern Hispanics themselves. In its 2015 National Survey of Latinos, the Pew Research Center found that only 17% of Hispanic adults felt that race was a factor in whether a person was Hispanic or not. In comparison, 29% of respondents felt it was largely a matter of ancestry and a full 42% felt that culture was the most important determining factor.
The difference between Hispanic and Latino
The terms Hispanic and Latino/Latina are often used interchangeably, and they do overlap considerably. However, many population statisticians—as well as many people who count themselves within those categories—maintain that there are distinct differences between the two terms. Typically, the distinction is one of language versus location. Hispanic is the language-based term and describes people from Spain or another Spanish-speaking country, including (to most) Equatorial Guinea in Africa, but not Portugal or Brazil (which both speak Portuguese). By comparison, Latino/a/x is location-based and includes anyone whose family originates from Latin America regardless of language spoken. Therefore, Latino includes Brazil, but not Spain or Portugal.
Despite its arguably finicky modern definition, the term Hispanic has roots that extend back to 200-300 BCE. It is derived from the Latin word Hispanicus, an adjective that referred to the region the Romans called Hispania: modern day Spain, Andorra, Gibraltar, and part of France and Portugal.
It is also notable that a significant percentage of people who could be considered Hispanic and/or Latino actually prefer neither term. Instead, these people often prefer to be identified by their specific country of heritage. For example, a person from Peru prefers to be called Peruvian, a person from Chile prefers the term Chilean, and so on.
FAQs
They are Spain, Mexico, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Equatorial Guinea.
What are the 22 Hispanic countries? ›
There are 22 Spanish speaking countries and cities that include: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain, Uruguay and Venezuela.
What are the top 10 Hispanic countries? ›
The language is predominantly spoken in 21 countries, with the top 10 Spanish-speaking countries being Mexico, Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Peru, Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, and Cuba.
How many Hispanic countries are there in the world? ›
As previously mentioned, Spanish is the official language or national language of 21 different sovereign states. In each of these 21 countries, Spanish is the most prominent language spoken by residents, is taught through the education system and is the primary language for official government communications.
What are the 33 Hispanic countries? ›
There are 33 countries in Latin America, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Belize, Haiti, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Bahams, Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, St. Kitts & Nevis, Brazil, ...
What are the 3 largest Hispanic groups? ›
Overview (Demographics)
In 2020, among Hispanic subgroups , Mexicans ranked as the largest at 61.6 percent. Following this group are Puerto Ricans (9.6 percent), Central Americans (9.3 percent), South Americans (6.4 percent), Other Hispanic/Latino (including Spanish) (5.8 percent), and Cuban (3.9 percent).
What are the six 6 Hispanic countries of Central America? ›
México is the only North American country with Spanish as its official language. Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica y Panamá are the 6 Central American countries that communicate with this language as they connect América del Norte to América del Sur (North America to South America).
What is the list of all Hispanic? ›
The following groups are officially designated as "Spanish/Hispanic/Latino": Mexican American, (Stateside) Puerto Rican, Cuban American, Dominican American, Costa Rican American, Guatemalan American, Honduran American, Nicaraguan American, Panamanian American, Salvadoran American, Argentine American, Bolivian American, ...
What are all the Hispanic nationalities? ›
The 28 Hispanic or Latino American groups in the Census Bureau's reports are the following: "Mexican; Central American: Costa Rican, Guatemalan, Honduran, Nicaraguan, Panamanian, Salvadoran, Other Central American; South American: Bolivian, Chilean, Colombian, Ecuadorian, Paraguayan, Peruvian, Venezuelan, Other South ...
What country is Hispanic but not Latino? ›
For example, a person from Spain would be Hispanic but not Latino because Spain is a Spanish-speaking country but not a Latin American country.
About Hispanic Origin
OMB defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
What is the poorest Hispanic country in the world? ›
Haiti remains the poorest country in the Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) region and among the poorest countries in the world.
Is Jamaica Hispanic? ›
Jamaica, an English–speaking nation, isn't always included as being part of Latin America either, and Jamaicans do not tend to identify as Latino.
Are Haitian people Latino? ›
Haiti is located in Latin America, which refers to countries and territories in North, Central, South America, and the Caribbean where Spanish, French, and Portuguese are primarily spoken. So the term Latin America and Latino is connected to geography and language – specifically romance languages derived from Latin.
Are Colombians Latino or Hispanic? ›
People with origins from Latin America or the Caribbean may consider themselves as Latino or Hispanic, or prefer neither and consider their race to be their country of origin (such as Colombian, Dominican, or Mexican-American).
Are there 23 countries in North America? ›
It is a common misconception that Canada, the US, and Mexico are the only three countries in North America. In fact, this is not true: there are 23 independent nations in North America.
What are the capitals of the 21 Hispanic countries? ›
There are 21 Spanish-speaking countries in the world, and here is a list of those countries and their capitals:
- Argentina – Buenos Aires.
- Bolivia – La Paz, Sucre.
- Chile – Santiago.
- Colombia – Bogotá
- Costa Rica – San José
- Cuba – Havana.
- Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo.
- Ecuador – Quito.
