A lesson from Diversity.com:
Latino is slightly preferred.
Bottom line: “Latino” and “Hispanic” are terms used in the United States to identify individuals whose ancestry comes from a variety of countries where Spanish is their main language. Both terms are generally acceptable, although in the last 10 years, there is a slight preference for the use of the term “Latino.” There are also some regional preferences that play a role, and when in doubt, you should ask.
Defining some of the most common terms:
· Latino An individual with roots that go back to any of the Spanish-speaking countries. Be aware that the term “Latino” may be used for a man only or for a man and woman. Latina is used for women only (never say “Latina women,” as it is redundant). The term “Latino” began to be broadly used in the late 1980s when a younger generation started using it to replace the term “Hispanic.”
· Hispanic – A term that was originated by the Census Bureau in the 1960s. It was used as a way to capture all the people whose backgrounds included any of the Spanish-speaking countries. The term is gender neutral.
· Mexican American – An American citizen of Mexican descent. This term gained popularity in 1980s.
· Spanish – The language of Spain and the language spoken in most of Latin America, except for Brazil, where Portuguese is the main language.
· Latin – The official and ancient language of the people of the Roman Empire. It is a term that is generally not used to refer to someone who is Latino.
· Chicano – An American citizen of Mexican descent who has a strong sense of Mexican-American ethnic identity. This term was regularly used in the 1960s, mostly in the Southwest, and by the 1970s it was the preferred term used to refer to Mexican Americans. It isn’t used widely today except in some parts of the country, like Chicago.
