Relating to Spain or Spanish-speaking countries and their people, especially those of Latin American origin.
From Latin 'Hispanicus,' from 'Hispania' (the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula). The modern usage as an ethnic category developed in the United States in the 1970s for census purposes.
The term 'Hispanic' is uniquely American, created to group diverse populations with vastly different cultures, histories, and even languages under one category. Many people it describes prefer terms like 'Latino,' 'Chicano,' or their specific nationality, showing how language creates and sometimes constrains identity.
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