In the Western Hemisphere, particularly in the United States, terms such as Hispanic and Latino have been used to identify and give more visibility to people whose linguistic or cultural roots fall within the Spanish-speaking linguistic, ethnic, or cultural context: Spain, Latin America, or the Caribbean. Far from representing a monolithic cultural or ethnic group, these identity categories refer to people with various ethnic and linguistic characteristics and ancestry that intersect in many ways.The Spanish-Speaking United StatesThe Hispanic population in the United States in 2010, with the original Republic of Mexico (until 1848) outlined in red. Source: Wikimedia Commons:The arrival of the Spanish Empire to the Americas in 1492, initiated by Christopher Columbuss transatlantic travels, brought the Spanish language to the Western hemisphere, which later spread through colonial rule to other places in the American continent. The later colonial influence of the Portuguese, French, and Dutch brought other Latin-descendant languages (romance languages) to other places in present-day Latin America and the Caribbean. These languages became the official languages in many countries in the region.The Spanish language has been present in the US since the 16th century when Juan Ponce de Len led the first Spanish expedition in what is now the territory of Florida. Later in the 19th century, after Mexico lost more than half of its territory because of US intervention, many Spanish-speaking people living in what is now Texas, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, California, Nevada, and Utah became US citizens. Nonetheless, throughout the history of the US, social segregation between white people and other ethnic groups, such as Latinos or Black people, was normalized in some places. For instance, speaking Spanish became punishable in schools, and Blacks and Latinos were not allowed in public spaces. This historical background has greatly influenced todays racism in the US and the unequal opportunities for development mostly affecting Latinos and Black people.Photograph of Mexican-Americans in a rally at the California State Capitol to protest against discrimination. Source: History.comToday, although Hispanic and Latino/a/x people are considered a minority in the US, the Pew Research Center calculates that they represent 19% of the countrys population, some 62.5 million people. Their primary origins are Mexico, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, though many come from Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, and other countries in the Western Hemisphere as well. Spanish-speaking communities represent an important social, cultural, and economic part of the US. Almost 10.7 million Hispanic and Latino people have been born in the US, while 1.1 million have a migratory origin.European Identity: SpanishPhoto of a protest in support of the referendum for the independence of Catalunya (speaking Catalan) from Spain by Javier Zorilla, 2017. Source: The New York TimesPerhaps the most straightforward term, Spanish refers only to people from Spain in Europe. Although Spanish is the name of the official language spoken in this country as well as throughout the Hispanic world, it is more accurate today to refer to it as Castilian Spanish because this is the dialect now dominant across Spain. Though less well known, other languages are also spoken in Spain, including Catalan/Valencian, Galician, Basque, and Occitan, and are spoken by nearly half of Spains population. Combined with some political and territorial issues, there is a considerable debate in Spain between those who think that Spanish should be the only unifying language of the country and those from the Autonomous Communities who want to preserve their linguistic and cultural roots.Hispanic: The Spanish ConnectionA 20-cent commemorative stamp honoring Hispanic Americans designed by Robert McCall, 1984. Source: SmithsonianThe term Hispanic has a linguistic connotation and refers to people who speak Spanish or whose ancestors come from Spain or any Spanish-speaking country on the American continent: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, and Venezuela.It excludes non-Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, like Brazil where the primary language is Portuguese, Caribbean islands that speak English or French, and places where Dutch is spoken, like Curaao.The US government first used the term Hispanic in the 1970s to register the communities already settled in the US and the increasing migratory communities from Spanish-speaking countries. It became an important term to bring visibility to people coming from Spanish-speaking countries and an important category of ethnicity for the census. However, the term has been criticized since the 1990s because it is reminiscent of the Spanish colonial past, which caused immense damage to native lands, territories, and people on the American continent. This perspective led to the proposal of Latino as an alternative that could be more inclusive and decoupled from the colonial connotation.Latino, Latina, Latinx: Seeking InclusivityMap of Latin America by the Central Intelligence Agency, 2006. Source: Library of CongressThe term Latino has a geographical meaning and refers to everyone from Latin America or whose ancestors are Latin Americans. The term Latino is different from Hispanic because while Hispanic refers to the people who are culturally or linguistically related to the Spanish language, Latino refers to the places where people come from. Latin America comprises different countries of the Western hemisphere where Romance languages are spoken, but both broad and narrow conceptions of the term mean the exact countries included remain up for debate.The term Latino can have other cultural, identitarian, and political nuances that are important to know. Because of the presence of Europeans in the Americas from the 16th century, the slave trade, and the mixing of different ethnic groups, today, people from Latin America have varied ethnic backgrounds. Latinos can be Black, Indigenous, white, or even Asian (in Peru, for example). This suggests that the designation Latino should not be used to describe race or ethnicity but rather where people come from, either geographically or culturally.More recently, it has become common to use the terms Latina or Latinx, in consideration of the gender implications of Latino. Spanish is a gendered language, where most words ending with -a correspond to feminine nouns and with -o to masculine ones. For decades, feminist movements have criticized how, in the Spanish language, the masculine form of words has been used universally to include both male and female, in effect erasing women in public discourse. Because of this, Latina and Latinx (pronounced Latin-ex) have gained more legitimacy in cultural and political discourses, as they can be used to represent and give more visibility to feminine-identifying people and people who do not identify with the gender binary masculine or female, respectively. Latinx can also be used as a neutral category to include everyone regardless of gender identification. However, there has been some debate on the anglicization of the Spanish word, the unclear pronunciation, and even some who might prefer gendered terms over a general one.Photo of members of a womens organization celebrating their graduation from the Whittier College in California, one of the most ethnically diverse colleges in the US, Karla Gachet, 2018. Source: National GeographicAlthough some conceptions of Latin America include the Caribbean, it is uncommon for people from this region to identify as Latino/a/x. For instance, people from Haiti who speak mainly French and French Creole and people from Jamaica who speak English might prefer to identify as Caribbeans, Afro-Caribbeans, or simply by their specific country of origin.Another example of cultural and ethnic specificity is the term Afro-Latino, which refers to Latino/a/x people with African ancestry. The linguistic visibility of these people is important because, historically, Afro-descendants have been among the most marginalized people in Latin America due to historical and structural racism and segregation inherited from colonial times. Afro-Latinos/as/x are around 133 million people living mostly in Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, and Ecuador.Best Practices: Using Hispanic, Latino, and Similar TermsPhoto of a protester holding a US flag during a rally in support of immigration reform in Washington, 2014. Source: MSNBCAlthough some conceptual characteristics of the terms Hispanic, Latino/a/x, and Spanish can be agreed on, what is most important to consider when using them is to pay attention to how people account for their identity and which terms they prefer or do not prefer to use. Although identity categories help us understand peoples geographical, ethnic, and linguistic diversity and ancestry, these terms are not absolute and require nuanced reflection and care when used.For instance, second-generation Mexicans living in the US who do not speak Spanish may not associate with the term Hispanic and prefer Latino/a/x. For people whose parents migrated from another country to the US and who have dual nationality, it is common to identify with both, such as Colombian-American, Argentinian-American, Mexican-American, etc. Others might avoid using Hispanic because of the colonial association with Spain, or others might insist on using Latinx because of its increasing legitimacy and representativity in the academic and political discourse.Beyond the conceptual complexity, here are some important reminders to consider when using these terms:Not everyone who speaks Spanish is Spanish; people can identify as Latino/a/x or Hispanic without having any cultural relationship with Spain.People from Spain are not Latino/a/x.Even people who speak Spanish or are culturally or linguistically rooted in a Spanish-speaking country might prefer not to call themselves Hispanic because of its colonial connotation.Not all Latinos/as/x speak Spanish.While the Caribbean islands are sometimes included in the conception of Latin America, using the term Caribbean for people from this region is more common.Because the term Latino is borrowed from a gendered language, it can also be adjusted in consideration of gender: Latina may be used for women and Latinx for people who do not identify with either gender. Latinx can also be used as a more inclusive, non-gendered term, however, this is still subject to debate.People who identify with both Latin and African ancestral roots may prefer the term Afro-Latino/a/x or Afro-Caribbean.When the correct or preferred term is unclear, the best practice is simply to ask.