What is the difference between Latino and Hispanic? How should I refer to my patients?
The terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” are often used interchangeably. In the southwest region of the US, the term Hispanic is preferred while the East Coast region of the US generally prefers the term Latino. Technically, HISPANIC implies a connection to ancient Spain and its language while LATINO represents Latin American origins or ancestry. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language describes the difference this way: “Hispanic, from the Latin word for ‘Spain’, has the broader reference, potentially encompassing all Spanish-speaking peoples in both hemispheres and emphasizing the common denominator of language among communities that sometimes have little else in common. Latino—which in Spanish means ‘Latin’ but which as an English word is probably a shortening of the Spanish word ‘latinoamericano’—refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. Of the two, only Hispanic can be used in referring to Spain and its history and culture; a native of S
