From exploring the Western frontier on horseback to developing an early color transmission system for television, people of Hispanic heritage have helped shape the United States for centuries. To celebrate the important contributions of those who came before us, the country recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month in September and October each year.
But when it comes to discussing and defining what Hispanic heritage is, even experts disagree. The term Hispanic encompasses a vast and varied group of people with diverse backgrounds. As a result, some people are offended by the umbrella term and prefer to use the more specific terms Latino or Latina.
Hispanic heritage is the shared culture, traditions and history of the people who live in the countries whose language is Spanish. The term Latino encompasses all those who self-identify as belonging to or descended from any of the 10 largest Hispanic origin groups, according to the Census Bureau’s 2021 ACS data:
People with Hispanic heritage include people born in the United States, those born abroad to American parents and naturalized citizens of Hispanic descent. Four-in-five of these people are U.S. citizens, up from just over three-in-five in 2010.
But the differences between Hispanic and Latino go beyond semantics. In many instances, the use of the term Hispanic erases the centuries of pre-Columbian history and culture that existed in the Americas before European colonization. The recent emergence of the gender-neutral word Latinx, which became a part of the English language in 2018, presents an alternative to Hispanic that advocates say offers more inclusivity.
The National Park Service, along with its partners in communities across the country, shares more than 500 years of Hispanic and Latino heritage through national parks, historic sites and other cultural institutions. (Opens in new tab) Learn more about National Hispanic Heritage Month and explore historic sites on the NPS website.
The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino (Opens in new tab) is scheduled to open on the National Mall in fall 2020, and Congress has passed bipartisan legislation to establish it as a national museum. It will bring together art, culture, science and technology to tell the stories of Latinos and their impact on America. Learn more about the project and how you can support its progress.