From the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico, to the mountains of Peru, to the islands of the Caribbean, Latinx and Hispanics are a culturally rich group of individuals. So often, the differences between Hispanic and Latinx are blurred in America. Similar to the way Blacks are no longer simply called Black but can also be called African-American, Afro-Dominican, Afro-Cuban, etc., Latin Americans and Hispanics are no longer considered the same category. In the United States, the definition of a Latin American is generally someone from a predominantly Spanish-speaking or even French-speaking country or a country once part of the Spanish or Portuguese empires, so long as it fits within the boundaries of Central and South America and the Caribbean; however, Spain is not included in Latin America.
Hispanics are Latin Americans, but Latin Americans are not necessarily Hispanic. The definition of a Hispanic person is an individual of Spanish-speaking descent. This means that Brazilians, Haitians and people from other countries located within Latin America who speak languages that are not Spanish are not considered Hispanic. The difference between Latin American and Hispanic, simply, is geographic location and language. Even Filipinos could be described as being loosely Hispanic due to Spaniard colonization of the Philippines, although these individuals usually are grouped under the Asian/Pacific Islander category.
The fine line between these two is hard to define, and the United States Census since 1970 has taken several steps to modify the term with each new collection. Since the term “Hispanic” was first introduced in the US Census of 1970, the Census has taken steps to include Latin American as a separate definition.
Latin American is not a race. If one were to travel from Brazil to Mexico or even from Haiti to the Dominican Republic, there would be a distinct difference, but all would be considered Latin American. People who identify their origin as Hispanic, Spanish, or Latino may be of any race—Asian-Latinx and Afro-Latinx exist, for example. Due to such flexibility, Latin Americans are a beautiful blend of Native Americans, Blacks, European Spaniards, and more. Together, this blend permeates heavily throughout Latin American culture and arts, whether through salsa and its African backbeat or the heavy emphasis on Roman Catholicism stemming from Spanish Europeans during colonialism.
In the same way that it is hard to truly apply blanket statements on such a culturally rich group of people, it is hard to apply one single stereotype to our university. It’s a very hard feat to group all of us into one label. Together, we make up who Southern is; whether you identify with being Latin American/Hispanic, African-American/Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, or of European descent, we are all a part of our university. Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, however, is National Hispanic Heritage Month. Latinos and Hispanics are the biggest minority on campus, as well as the biggest minority in the United States today. I invite you to join in the celebration of their culture, no matter what you identify with.