Every year, around this time, many brands join in efforts to plan for National Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM)—September 15 to October 15—a festivity that grows in importance as the Hispanic population rises in the United States.
According to the 2020 Census, 19% of the population in the United States are Hispanics, the fastest growing and second largest segment in the country. Seventy-four percent of US new workers are Hispanics, and one out of 5 entrepreneurs are Latino.
These figures show why Hispanics are a significant market, primarily for politicians and consumer industries. However, HHM relevance must go beyond numbers: the rightful meaning of this celebration is to recognize the Hispanic heritage and all the contributions Hispanics have made in this country.
Each year a theme for HHM is chosen. Last year it was “Esperanza” (Hope), and this year is “Unidos: Inclusivity for a Stronger Nation, always trying to give meaning to this growing segment of the country, thereby helping to build stronger communities and a stronger nation.
But along a unifying theme, some new perspectives and words intend to define this growing population within the United States. Familiar words to describe this group are Hispanic, Latino, and, recently, the gender-neutral term: Latinx. In simple terms, the difference among these words lies in the context and origin of the terminology.
Hispanic derives from Hispania, meaning descended from the people of Spain and people who speak Spanish wherever they are. Latino refers to people descended from Latin American countries. And Latinx has generally been used since the early 2010s as a gender-neutral term for members of the Latin American or Hispanic communities in place of gendered ones like Latino or Latina.
Latinx has been particularly adopted by members of the LGBTQ+ community who may not want to be identified by a specific gender. So while many Hispanics identify as Latinos as well, not all who identify as Latino are Hispanic; for example, people from Brazil belong to a Latin American country but do not speak Spanish.
In the end, Hispanics are Spanish speakers, south, central and Mexican Americans, closely related to each other, sharing many things in common: the Spanish language, a colorful continent full of history and traditions, and strong family ties and values.
