Hispanic, Latinx, or Latine: Which is correct?

Learn why we use so many different terms and what each of them means.

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By Ian Kumamoto
Bob Riha Jr/Archive Photos/Getty Images

National Hispanic Heritage Month is observed from September 15 to October 15 and celebrates the many contributions of the Hispanic-American community.

62.1 million

The number of people the U.S. Census counted as 'Hispanic' or 'Latino' in 2020, a 23% increase from 2010.

U.S. Census

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But many of the people the census refers to don’t actually use the word Hispanic.

You might have heard Latinx, Latine or even Spanish used interchangeably with Hispanic.

So which one is correct?

The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images
LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC LATINX LATINE HISPANIC

Short answer: It depends on who you’re talking to

“Hispanic”

refers to people of any race with origins in Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain and excluding Brazil (where the primary language is Portuguese). Some people feel the term is far too broad.

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“‘Hispanic’ isn’t being used as much as it once was, at least not by a new generation of Latinx people, despite the continuing effort by the government to force the term down our throat.”

Araceli Cruz via Teen Vogue

“Latinx”

is the gender-expansive version of ‘Latino’ or ‘Latina,’ and is more specific than ‘Hispanic.’ It encompasses people who are from Latin America — including Brazil and excluding Spain — and share a colonial history.

Steve Jennings/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Let's talk about 'X'

The ‘x’ sound is not easy to pronounce in Spanish. For some, that's a big issue with the term “Latinx”

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“Latine”

is a newer gender-neutral term, created to make the pronunciation more accessible to Spanish-speakers.

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Gregory Bojorquez/Archive Photos/Getty Images

‘Spanish,’ ‘Cholo’ and ‘Fronterizo’ are other terms Latinx people use in various parts of the U.S.

The bottom line

Hispanic identity is not a monolith. It’s always best practice to ask someone how they identify before you choose a term to describe them.

Ron Jenkins/AP/Shutterstock

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