Why the labels Hispanic and Latino are often rejected by those they describe

Countries & Cities · Published 15 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the United States, the terms Hispanic and Latino are used to group millions of people with roots in Spanish-speaking or Latin American countries. Yet, these labels are frequently contested. Many people prefer identifying by their specific country of origin, viewing these broad, government-mandated categories as imprecise or even politically imposed.

The term Hispanic was formalized by the U.S. government in 1977 via the Office of Management and Budget’s Directive No. 15. It was promoted by Mexican-American political elites who sought to encourage cultural assimilation and move away from the more radical, anti-assimilationist politics of the Chicano Movement. By the 1980s, the label gained traction in media and government, partly to help track the social and economic progress of these populations. However, critics argue that Hispanic emphasizes a colonial connection to Spain, which many find distasteful.

Latino emerged in the early 1990s, popularized significantly by the Los Angeles Times. It was often adopted by local institutions as a more inclusive alternative to Hispanic, as it encompasses Latin American countries—including Brazil—while excluding Spain. Despite this, the term has faced its own backlash. Critics note that the concept of Latin America itself was coined by the French in the 19th century to justify intervention in the region, leading some to argue that Latino is just as much of an imposed, arbitrary label as Hispanic.

Today, there is no consensus on which term is superior. Usage often splits geographically, with Hispanic preferred in the Eastern United States and Latino in the West. Yet, data consistently shows that the majority of people in these groups do not identify with either term at all. A 2011 Pew Research Center study found that 51% of those surveyed preferred to identify by their family’s country of origin, while only 24% preferred the terms Hispanic or Latino. For many, these labels fail to capture the vast diversity of Indigenous, Afro-Latin American, and Asian identities within the Americas.

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