Photo: Deborah Rodriguez
As a little kid, my parents bought me a Spanish-language book highlighting the different Latin American countries. It had all the countries you’ve come to associate with Latin America: Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, etc. But included in the book was Spain, and this is where the confusion began.
You see, growing up in a mixed-Latino heritage household, I always understood that, while Latin America is made up of many distinct nations (and cultures), the commonalities that Latinos shared made it easier to appreciate the differences. In other words, as a young kid, I had my own concept (whether correct or not) of what it meant to “be Latino.”
So when I saw that Spain was included with all the other countries in the book I did what all curious kids do: I asked questions. “Are Spaniards Latinos?” “Do they consider themselves Latinos?” “Should they consider themselves Latinos?”
It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve started asking those questions, and sometimes I feel like I’m still asking them. And it’s not because I feel like there has to be a definition of who does and doesn’t fall under the “Latino umbrella,” but maybe those answers will help me better understand who I really am as a Latino.
I don’t know about you, but I cringe whenever I hear someone say things like, “oh look at those Spanish girls,” when they’re clearly Puerto Rican. Or when someone calls Mexican food, “Spanish food.” I’m not here saying that I don’t understand and appreciate the Spanish influence on my culture (or my own definition of it) and who I am today, but there’s much more to being Latino than just the Spanish aspect of it. And learning and honoring all parts of our culture is one thing that I think our community can do better. But that’s the hard part right? Depending on what part of Latin America your family hails from, you may not even have direct Spanish, Indigenous, African, or even Asian ancestry/influence.
These are some of the reasons why we are so difficult to “label” as a community. I mean, every time I fill out the Census or have to indicate my race on an application, I question what I’m really filling in or if I should have made that selection.
Going back to the relationship between Latinos and Spain, I’ve realized that I personally have about as much in common with someone from Spain, than I do with someone from, say, Uruguay. It would be hypocritical for me to say that I have some “connection” with someone from Uruguay, when, in reality, I have roughly the same connection with them as I do with someone from Spain.
So are Spaniards Latinos? I guess that’s not for me to say. I mean, who am I to decide who is Latino and who isn’t? The only thing I know for sure is that 20 years from now I’ll probably still be asking the same identity-related questions I did 20 years ago.
About Cristopher Rubio
My grandmother on my mothers side was Puerto Rican and my grandfather was Mexican. My grandfather on my fathers side was Mexican and my grandmother, Spanish. My last name is of Philipino orgin. When I was filling out the census a few years ago, I was classified as White…not hispanic, not latino…white!!!
The word Hispanic means ‘of or belonging to Spain.’ So Spaniards would be called Hispanic. The term Latino came about to differentiate between Hispanic Spaniards and people from Latin America.
The word Hispanic means ‘of or belonging to Spain’, so Spaniards have always been called Hispanic.
The word Latino came about to differentiate between Spaniards and people from Latin America.
I believe that they are not “Latino Americanos” because they are not from Latin America. They are from “la madre patria” but they are not Latinos. We do speak their language, which makes all of us that can speak Spanish, Hispano hablantes, but that’s about as far as I’ll go with that.
Yes they are Latinos! Latinos europeus! It’s like me I’m brazilian I don’t speak Spanish but I speak latino or portunhol so I’m Latina! I don’t know why some Latinos that are not brazilian have issues to admit that brazilians are also latinos!!!
Hmmm….my deal is the word “hispanic.” Hispanic is not a race. Just saying.
no
Latinos as in their language is dereived from Latin?…of course they are, and so are the French, Italians, Portuguese and Romanians.
I think it’s more like, Latinos are part Spaniards.
NO. They are Spaniards…Son ESPANOLES…
No theyre not.
most of them dont think of themselves as Latinos, but I am no one to omit them from the group if someone from Spain Identifies as Latino. I remember a time where you were just Puerto Rican, or Mexican, or Colombian…etc…Latino is a social construct.
no, and neither should brazilians for that matter.
Lol claro. They are the ‘real’ hispanics.
Latino isn’t a race either.
No they are not, and the word “Hispanic” is a racist term used on someone who’s a half breed,mutt, bi-racial(Spanish). It’s like the “N” word.
Spaniards are spaniards they are not Hispanic.
I thought Latino was bc LatinoAmerica (western hemisphere) and Spanish is the main language. Los espanoles son Europeans.
Latinos: no, hispanics: yes
The average white spaniard. No offense.
Latinos to me come from Latin America (or their ancestors). The Spaniards that I know personally consider themselves Spaniards, then Europeans and only Latino when something cool to claim is part of the conversation.
Why is this even a question. It’s clearly defined. Google it.
Perhaps someone with a better knowledge can clarify this further.
Anna, que opinas?
of course they are… what kind of stupidity keeps a person from acknowledging that? I see the words latino or hispanic and a beautiful way to unify people via their roots
If you ask any Spaniard from Spain (with no ties to the Americas) they will definitely tell you “NO”. I served with the Spanish military in Afghanistan so trust me they don’t consider themselves Latino.
they are cocasian white europeans!
Latin American is termed “latin” because of the language roots in Latin. Spanish, French, Portuguese as well are latin languages. In that sense, yes Spanish people are latinos. Here is the problem, a racists issue. Many uneducated americans think latino means a dark skinned person from central or south america. go figure…
NO !!!! They are A-Holes !!! Come mierdas who HATE to be associated with other Latinos.. The same with Argentinos.
to me if you speak the language, then you are nothing wrong with being latin. when i hear the italian speak i hear some latin there also.
I thought Latino people came from regions of Latin America. I say keep it regional. IMO
The only real “latinos” are the people from the Lazio Valley in Italy. Therefore southamericans are not real Latinos.
Then if you used the adjective “latino” to define the people who speak the language you have to include, Spaniards, Portuguese, French, Brazilians, Romanians part of the Swiss, Italians.
Latino is not a race is just a racist way, together with Hispanic, that the U.S., have to label people from the rest of America who’s not from an English background.
So if you are picky, the question would be, should people from the America’s consider themselves Latinos, the answer would be, technically no.
NO, THEY ARE NOT
Spaniards have never called themselves latinos IN HISTORY, and i don’t know why many of them are attempting to claim it now. For a start, there is NO SUCH THING AS LATIN HERITAGE OR ETHNICITY. Latin is simply the name of the language that ROMANS spoke. Latin America is named like that because the majority of countries there speak languages that evolved from the Latin language. THATS ALL, it’s just the name of a language.
I also don’t know why people insist in classifying themselves just because of a language. The English speakers of the world aren’t called ‘Britanic’ or some other stupid random word just because they speak English.
Latinos in the modern meaning of the word are only and exclusively people from LATIN AMERICA, hence the name.
Does it matter?. The expression “Latin” or “Latino” derived from distinguishing the countries whose romance languages derived from “Latin” (modern Portugal, France, Italy, Romania and Spain!). However, the Spaniards have never called themselves “Latinos”. Also, the term “Latino” as coined in the US, and also the most modern meaning is derived from “Latin America” (and the “Latin” of Latin America, was coined thanks to Europeans that spoke Roman Languages, most specially Spanish) or more specifically the word “Latinoamericano”. “Hispanic” is a label established by the US government to refer to “a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race”. “Latino” is also used in that context by the US government, and incorrectly used as a synonym for “Hispanic”. “Latino” in a most modern approach refers to “Latin Americans.” However, Latin Americans, in general, first called themselves the name of their country of origin (i.e. Mexicano, Salvadoreño, Venezolano, etc.), secondly (and more recently) “Latinos.”… Just labels!