Hispanic (and Latino) Heritage Month
By: Ana Luiza Ramos, LAHLO Vice President 2025-26
This month we celebrate Hispanic heritage. And because we are celebrating, I felt it would be poignant to point to the differences between Hispanic and Latino heritage. Both should be celebrated, don’t get me wrong! But the United States has time, and time again conflated the two words, to the point that many people seem to believe Latinos and Hispanics are “the same thing.” Doing so is an affront to our history and tradition.
Breaking it down, we can place them in two broad categories: language and geography.
The word Hispanic means, according to Oxford dictionary, “relating to Spain or to Spanish-speaking countries, especially those of Latin America.” This denomination, therefore, has to do with the language the individual speaks, in this case, Spanish. There are over 400 languages spoken throughout Latin America.
The word Latino, in turn, which was popularized as a term around 1950, is defined as “(especially in the US) a person of Latin American origin or descent.” Latinos are not “people who speak a Latin-based language”, because if that was the case, Italians, Portuguese, French, and Romanian would all be “Latinos” in the US, even though they hail from Europe. If you want to get even more nit-picky, English also has a lot of Latin-based words. Do you consider yourself a Latino then?
Take me, for example. I am Brazilian. This means I was born and raised in Latin America. However, Brazil, the largest country in Latin America, does NOT speak Spanish. In fact, Brazil by itself covers more than half of South America and is the fifth largest country in the world. Therefore, more than half of South America speaks Portuguese, not Spanish. For those who mistakenly believe that Portuguese and Spanish are similar enough to be “basically the same language”, I will just say, they are as similar as English and German. There are a lot of similar words, right? Do you feel confident you speak German?
Latin America has so many different cultures, rituals, and heritage that should be celebrated. Spanish speaking countries in Latin America also have so much heritage that should be celebrated. What shouldn’t happen is the use of “Latino” and “Hispanic” interchangeably. Please do not come up to a Surinamese and say they are Hispanic. Do not go to a Brazilian and start speaking Spanish, expecting them to answer. It is degrading and shows how ignorant you are.
Not only are language and geography differentials in these denominations, but race is sometimes added to the mix. In some forms (college admissions, alien petitions, census, etc.), “Latinos and/or Hispanic” are listed as a race. I have already described the difference between the words, but to add insult to injury, calling Latinos a race is as accurate as saying your race is “American”, or “English”. Most Latin American countries are a melting pot of cultures and races. In countries like Brazil, races are so mixed most people cannot pick just one. No one is calling their race “Hispanic” or “Latino”. A Hispanic can look Black, Caucasian, Asian, or any other race.
The federal government usually distinguishes between race and ethnicity. While the categories above are racial, “Hispanic or Latino” is usually considered an ethnicity and is a separate question in most forms. “Ethnicity” in US Government forms refers to “the cultural background and shared heritage of a person or their ancestors.” If you are confused by these identifiers, imagine how most “Latinos” feel.
If you are unsure of what language a colleague speaks, just ask. Do not assume they speak Spanish just because you know they are Latino. And if you’d like to learn more about their culture, just ask. Sharing traditions is how you keep them alive. This month, make sure to share in knowledge passed down through the ages, and celebrate everyone’s history by respecting each person’s individuality and past.
For Hispanic Heritage Month (Sep. 15-Oct. 15), the Muse Law Library invited the Latin American and Hispanic Law Organization (LAHLO) to write a guest post for the Law Library’s blog. I would like to thank Vice President Ana Luiza Ramos for her fantastic and informative post, as well as the entirety of LAHLO for their contributions to the University of Richmond Law School community! – Mads Ball, Student Services Librarian