The difference between Latino, Hispanic and Spanish

Author: Janet Carr

Fashion, beauty and animal loving language consultant from South Africa living in Stockholm, Sweden.

5 thoughts

  1. I PREVER HISPANIC, MY NAME COMES FROM SPAIN, NOT MEXICO, OR LATIN AMERICA. THERE IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY BY OUR NAME 50 MILES SW OF MADRID. MY GRAND PARENTS AND MY DAD WERE BORNE IN MEXICO, MIGRATED TO TEXAS IN1920. MY MOM AND HER PARENTS WERE 2ND GENERATION TEXANS. IN TEXAS OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WAS CALLED THE LATIN AMERICAN SCHOOL, THE PREDOMINATE ENGLISH SPEAKING STUDENTS WERE IN A SEPARATE SHOOL. HOORRAAA ! USMC. YES I AM A MARINE, 1954-1958, KOREA, VIETNAM ERA, SAW NO ACTION.

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    1. I guess it depends how broadly or narrowly you want to define it. In a narrow definition, if you did not come from Spain you would not be considered Spanish, rather Spanish-speaking. But I am an outsider to your country so my view is probably different from many others.

      I am from South Africa, a former British colony. In South Africa, I would be called European, not African. In Europe I am not European, but African. I am not English, but I am English-speaking. If people ask me, I say I am South African, even though I am no longer a citizen.

      I think definitions also never take into account how you yourself identify.

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  3. This is really interesting! I am Spanish and for a while I was wondering if I was Latina or not and this makes sense. It was weird to be Hispánica but not Latina. Thank you for posting this!

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