The ongoing Hispanic versus Latino story

The truth is, we do care. According to a new Pew Research Center survey of Hispanic adults, half (50%) say they have no preference for identifying with either Hispanic or Latino. But among those who do have a preference, “Hispanic” is preferred over “Latino” by a ratio of about 2-1. Texas however has something else to say about the topic. According to the survey, among Hispanic Texans 46% prefer the term Hispanic, while just 8% say they prefer the term “Latino”—roughly a 6-to-1 ratio.

You actually have to dig deeper because some people will say neither, they will say American. But others will report back to their country of origin like Colombian or Puerto Rican. The identifying term is very important because this is how businesses and organizations cater towards our community. If you see an ad referring to the term Latino, but you prefer Hispanic, you may not want their product or service.

I'm actually very surprised the term Hispanic is still high in percentage since in reality, it was a term defined by the U.S. government and only ties us with Spanish roots. Latino encompasses all three cultures: Spanish, African, Indigenous. I honestly named this blog after Geraldo River's book, however, I prefer the term Latino. It's also evident that in mainstream media and professional organizations, the term Hispanic is used more often than Latino.

So what's your preference?