Hispanic vs. Latin

Hispanic vs. Latin
by Al Sosa

A Discussion On The Meaning Of The Words Hispanic and Latin

Many people are confused as to the proper use of the terms Hispanic and Latin. Spanish speakers are themselves in disagreement as to how these two terms should be applied. Both sides of this contentious issue feel very strongly about their positions and pose valid arguments. The following is an attempt to settle the issue in a scholarly rather than emotional fashion. The author believes that if we know what these words originally meant, it might be easier to draw the appropriate conclusions and use the words as they were intended to be used.

The Origins

The first time that we hear the word Latin was in the time just prior to the Roman Empire in what is now called Italy. A tribe of people who called themselves Latins appeared in Italy and began to subjugate their neighbors. Their country was called Latium, their capital city was Rome and the language they spoke was, of course, Latin. Later, when the Romans invaded Iberia (Spain), they found many different tribes there.

Eventually they conquered most of the peninsula, and in the southwest of Iberia they found a city called Hispalis (Seville). It is not clear if Hispalis was originally Greek or Phoenician. From the name it appears that the city was originally a Greek colony (Hispalus was a mythical Greek hero who was related to Hercules). At the time of the Roman conquest the city was occupied by a tribe of Celtiberians, a mixture of Celts and Iberians.

The Romans eventually annexed the Iberian peninsula and made it a province which they called Hispania, most probably named after the city of Hispalis. Later, the Romans divided their new province into two parts, Hispania Citerior (closer Spain) and Hispania Ulterior (farther Spain). Although there were other divisions later, these were the official names of Iberia throughout the Roman Empire, and would remain so until the fall of the Empire.

It should be understood then, that the word España comes from the Latin word Hispania and not the other way around. The word Hispania then, in ancient times referred to the people and eventually to the culture of the Iberian peninsula. It was probably the Anglo-Saxons who, having difficulty pronouncing the Latin word Hispania, that coined the English term, Hispanic.

As Rome added more territory to her empire, she began to impose her language and ways on the conquered people. This eventually led to the creation of several new languages which are now called Latin or Romance languages (Romance as used here has nothing to do with amorous relations, it is a reference to the city of Rome). Several Latin countries were also created, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Albania and Romania. In summation the term Latin originally referred to the following:

1) The name of the tribes of people which eventually started the Roman
Empire and the name of the language that they spoke.

2) The official language of the Roman Catholic church.

3) An individual from a country that speaks a Latin language.

The Modern Meanings

The modern use of the term Hispanic is given to us by the need of the US government to count its ever increasing number of Spanish speaking people. The US government realized early on that these Spanish speaking people did not have any unifying physical characteristics such as color of skin, texture of hair, shape of eyes, etc. As such, these Spanish speakers could not be categorized as members of a single race. In addition to that these Spanish speakers did not even share a common religion. In order to count its Spanish speaking citizens, the US government needed a category other than "White," "Black", "Native American" or "Asian". Thus the term "Hispanic" was included on all government forms and applications requiring such information. Eventually, the term made its way into the private sector as well.

This practice, however, has lead to some additional confusion, since the other categories "White" "Black", etc. refer to race while "Hispanic" was intended to refer to a cultural or ethnic group. In Europe Latins are generally accepted to be individuals coming from a country where a Latin language is spoken. Individuals coming from France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Albania and Romania are called Latins. The European view of Latin America is simply as a geographical location. Someone from Venezuela, for instance will be seen as Latin American but not necessarily as Latin. A subtle, but nonetheless accurate distinction. The European view of the term Hispanic is fairly precise. It refers to Spain, its culture, the Spanish speaking people of Latin America and/or their culture.

It is in the US that the terms Latin and Hispanic are often misapplied and confused. The terms mean different things to different people. In some areas of the US, for instance, Puerto Ricans and Cubans are considered Latinos but Mexicans and Colombians are not. In other areas Latin and Latino mean different things. I have even heard some individuals say that the term Hispanic was created by the "Anglos" in order to lump us all together and in the same breath say that the term Hispano is good because it tends to bring the Spanish speaking people together. Go figure.

So, What Are We, Latin or Hispanic ?

Some of us are Latin, some of us are not, but all of us are Hispanic. As genealogical and historical researchers, and especially for the sake of future researchers, I think it's our responsibility to assure that our culture and people are portrayed as accurately as possible. If we must be categorized, then let us be categorized with an inclusive rather than an exclusive term. A term that unites us, rather than divides us. Let us use the term Hispanic. It includes all of us accurately without regard to race, creed, color or national origin.

Source:http://web.archive.org/web/20000817034433/home.att.net/~Alsosa/page2.htm