Hispanic and Latino are tricky terms for many, isn’t it? But you don’t need to worry! We will give you a detailed knowledge of these terms in our given article.

Hispanic is used for those who speak Spanish and are of Spanish background whereas Latino refers to those who are with Latin American heritage. Hispanic is about language and Latino is about geography. Brazilians are good example of Latinos who are not Hispanic.

But both the terms are meant to refer ethnicity not race. To understand this better, let’s discuss the topic in more detail.

Hispanic

Hispanic is those who are from Spanish background. This word is used for the people who speak Spanish language. Hispano is used for male and hispana is used for female. Hispanic person can be any race or color. Hispanic refers what language people or that their ancestors speak, it refers to an element of culture.

Hispanic is most commonly used in the eastern U.S., including Florida and Texas. People of all different races identify as Hispanic, including white people. Hispanic was coined from the dwellers of the Iberian Peninsula which includes Portugal and Spain.

Latino

Latinos are those who are with Latin American heritage. Brazilians are good example of Latinos. Latino is a term that refers to geography. It is used to signify that a person is from or descended from people from Latin America. Latinos can also be Hispanic, but not always.

Latino on the other hand originated from the dwellers of Latin America which includes Cuba, Puerto Rico, Mexico and other places in south and Central America. Latino is an abbreviation of the term Latin America.

Now let’s talk about the differences between Hispanic and Latino.

About

Hispanic is about language and Latino is about geography.

Terminology

Hispanic refers to language. Hispanic refers what language people or that their ancestors speak, it refers to an element of culture while Latino refers to geography. Latinos are those who are with Latin American heritage.

Derived from

The term “Hispanic” comes from a Latin word for Spain “Hispania”, which later became “España” while the term “Latino” is shortened from Spanish Latino Americano, “Latin American”.

Usage

Hispanic is primarily used along the Eastern seaboard, and favored by those of Caribbean and South American ancestry or origin whereas Latino is principally used west of the Mississippi, where it has displaced “Chicano” and “Mexican American.”