Whats the difference between Hispanic and Latino?

[_Izzy_]

(This came out long, don't reply just to say that it's alot of writing, I know it is)

This is rlly random but idk I thought it'd make a interesting post bc alot of American ppl I know think they're the same and its low-key mainly bc of Puerto Ricans since it's used interchangeably on them in America

So theres two ways to think of it, the by definition way and the more idk racial way (if that makes sense)

Hispanic means from a Spanish speaking country, Latino is from latin America, Puerto Ricans and Mexicans are Hispanic AND latino, but a literal Spainards are not latino

(Ok this next part is a rant so read at your own risk TvT)

The term Hispanic has nothing to do with race technically (and yet my race on my certificate says "Hispanic" so i don't feel bad Abt seeing it in a racial way since clearly your supposed too TvT) but I always thought of it as Hispanic being desendents of Spain (European/"White") and latinos being descendants of indigenous Latin American ("Brown") people (like the Tieno of Puerto Rico), most Latinos are Hispanic but not all Hispanic are latinos

Puerto Ricans are interesting bc alot of modern Puerto Ricans have more Hispanic features and are more genetically European (around 60% on average) but Puerto Rican culture itself is very much based off it's latino roots if that makes sense (technically it's a mix of all sorts of things bc of colonization, but you get my point). Puerto-Ricans are the ultimate Hispanic-latino mix lol

Me personally my Puerto Rican side is definitely "white" Puerto Rican, my mom has white skin and straight hair and so does her mom and dad and grandma (though straight hair was common among indigenous Latin people and im pretty sure curly hair was more common among Europeans then the native latinos), my bf on the other hand is more Latino Puerto Rican, having darker/bronze-ish skin and epicanthic eye lids (more stereotypically asian eyes common among indigenous people)

This is also why I don't like when Hispanics say the N word and claim that they're black bc as a mixed girl who's Black and Hispanic, Hispanics are NOT Black TvT (also like I explained if we're talking Abt Hispanics as in descendants of Spain, which in this case i am, Hispanics are literally European, the ppl who ENSLAVED black ppl and indigenous latinos TvT) also im Hispanic and Black and my skin is light af like make it makes sense, the whiteness is coming from somewhere lol

and the ides of Puerto Ricans automatically being black is silly bc like I said on average theyre more European then anything and Hispanics and Latinos were LEGALLY considered white during the civil rights movement, while it isnt at all uncommon for Puerto Ricans to have a bit of African DNA, it really depends on your specific background but as stated majority of Puerto Ricans are more (European) Spainard then anything lol

I feel like the way Hispanic-latinos/ and Latinos claim that they're black or that theyre all the same is incredibly disrespectful to both cultures bc it just waters them all down and shows a ignorant and blatant lack of historical knowledge

also once again as a mixed girl, the two cultures are VERY different and theres certain things I've experienced that most Puerto Ricans never will and these experiences are a direct result of my Black features (4c hair, nose type, ect) while both Latinos and Black people had to fight against oppression, our experiences then and now were and are NOT the same and I think it's amazing that Black culture and Latino culture and people are connected but the way ppl view them as the same is disgustingly ignorant and frustrating as a mixed girl

Anyways thanks if you genuinely read this far, you deserve a cookie

[FlavPlaz45129]

I'm mixed between black and white.

[seal]

idk, i just call all "hispanics/latinos" by "hispanics" just makes life easier n people still know,what im tb

[Shockrat]

yay, I get a cookie!!!

[_Izzy_]

@seal I'm sure you do, it was kinda the point of the post lol

The thing that rlly pushed me to post this was my bfs friend telling my bf that he wishes he "looked more Hispanic" and used features my bf had as a example...features that are (mainly) LATINO features

The guy already looked very much Hispanic, it's just alot if people don't realize actual Hispanic features are... European TvT

[Shockrat]

gang, im like mostly hispanic, but I just genuinely dont give a s***

[_Izzy_]

@Shockrat well no one expects you to lol pls dont detail^^

[Yanderemenhera]

this reminds me of when I when I say Indian, I am refering to someone from india, not they have ancestors that were in America prior to the europian's showing up

[Yanderemenhera]

this reminds me of when I when I say Indian, I am refering to someone from india, not they have ancestors that were in American prior to the europian's showed up

[Araghie]

@Yanderemenhera Ouuuuhh I hate when people refer to Native Americans as Indians, they are very clearly two different things and I always find it a bit confusing

[Yanderemenhera]

my laptop is bugging out, I apologize for inproper Grammer/duplicate comments

[_Izzy_]

@Yanderemenhera yeah it's definitely another one of those normalized misunderstandings due to lack of historical education like this TvT

[Yanderemenhera]

@_Izzy_ I was friends with a native American guy, the Indian thing pissed him off for that reason

[_Izzy_]

@Yanderemenhera for me it's the classic "Puerto Ricans are Black" comment will always get me lol

[Yanderemenhera]

@_Izzy_ how does one come to that conclusion like genuinely how???
I'm sorry ya gotta deal with that BS

[Jace123]

im Italian and Mexican my dad is almost full Italian and my mom is Mexican

[seal]

@_Izzy_ i made myself lookdumb im aware that the two are seperate but i often get the two confused so i just use "hispanics" because i honestly think most people get the two confused aswell

[_Izzy_]

@seal nah you dont look dumb, like I said most Americans have the same thought process lol I just thought it'd be fun to clear it up and rant a bit

[_Izzy_]

@Yanderemenhera I don't know but everytime I say smth Abt a Hispanics saying the N word they say it TvT

Imma be real idgaf if someone says it bc its just a show of their character and it doesn't actually hurt me, and I especially dont mind when it's just genuinely a part of a latinos vocabulary bc if the environment they grew up in and they're using it as a term of endearment (unfortunately that's kinda just how the culture is in some areas y'know?) but alot of ppl (mainly newer gen actually and Wana be thug kids) use it in ONLY negative context or as a joke to be funny or in a mocking way, and I don't believe that most latinos are genuinely [censored] bc of it because I dont think saying a word makes you [censored], but it is ignorant and disrespectful and the fact that they get mad when ppl do say something instead of taking accountability Is just... Not cute