Definition
People of Latin American origin or descent, particularly those living in the United States. The term encompasses diverse ethnicities, nationalities, and cultural backgrounds from Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Etymology
From Spanish and Portuguese 'latino,' derived from Latin Latinus meaning 'of or pertaining to Latium' (ancient region of Italy). The term gained prominence in U.S. usage during the 1970s as a pan-ethnic identifier, preferred by many over 'Hispanic.'
Kelly Says
The term 'Latino' represents one of the most linguistically complex identity labels in America, as it attempts to unite people from over 20 different countries with distinct cultures, histories, and even languages (including indigenous ones). The debate over 'Latinx' as a gender-neutral alternative has sparked fascinating discussions about language evolution, inclusivity, and cultural authenticity.
Translations
AMአማርኛ
ላቲን አሜሪካን
la-teen a-me-ri-kan
ARالعربية
latinos
la-tee-nohs
BNবাংলা
লেটিন আমেরিকান
le-tee-n a-me-ri-kan
CACatalà
llatinoamericans
la-tee-no-a-me-ri-kan
CSČeština
Latinskoameričané
la-ti-n-sko-a-me-ri-cha-ne
DADansk
latinere
la-tee-ne-reh
DEDeutsch
Latinos
la-tee-nohs
ELΕλληνικά
Λατινοαμερικανοί
la-tee-no-a-me-ri-ka-noi
ESEspañol
latinos
la-tee-nohs
FAفارسی
آمریکایی لاتین
a-me-ree-ka-ee la-tee-n
FISuomi
latinalaisten
la-ti-na-lai-sten
FRFrançais
Latino-américains
la-tee-noh-ma-ree-kan
GUGU
લેટીન અમેરિકન
la-tee-n a-me-ri-kan
HAHA
Latin Amurka
la-tin a-mur-ka
HEעברית
אמריקאים לטיניים
a-me-ri-kai-im la-tee-nee-im
HIहिन्दी
लैटिनो
la-tee-noh
HUMagyar
latin-amerikaiak
la-tin-a-me-ri-kai-ak
IDBahasa Indonesia
Latin
la-tin
IGIG
Ndị Latin America
n-dee la-tin a-me-ri-ka
ITItaliano
latini
la-tee-nee
JA日本語
ラテンアメリカ人
ra-ten ame-ri-ka-jin
KKKK
Латын Американ
la-tin a-me-ri-kan
KMKM
អាមេរិកខ្មែរ
a-me-ri-k kha-me-r
MSBahasa Melayu
Latin Amerika
la-tin a-me-ri-ka
MYမြန်မာ
လက်တင်း အမေရိကန်
la-tet-ting a-me-ri-ka-n
NLNederlands
Latino's
la-tee-nohs
NONorsk
latinere
la-tee-ne-reh
PAPA
ਲੈਟਿਨ ਅਮਰੀਕਨ
la-tee-n a-me-ri-kan
PLPolski
Latynosi
la-tee-no-see
PTPortuguês
latinos
la-tee-nohs
RORomână
latino-americani
la-tee-no-a-me-ree-ka-nee
RUРусский
Латиноамериканцы
la-tee-no-a-me-ri-kan-tsy
SVSvenska
latinos
la-tee-nohs
SWKiswahili
Watu wa Amerika ya Kusini
wa-too wa a-me-ri-ka ya ku-sini
TAதமிழ்
லத்தீன் அமெரிக்கர்கள்
la-thee-n a-me-ri-ka-rgal
TEతెలుగు
లాటిన్ అమెరికన్లు
la-ti-n a-me-ri-kan-lu
THไทย
ชาวลาติน
cha-ao la-tin
TLTL
Latin Amerikano
la-tin a-me-ri-ka-no
TRTürkçe
Latin Amerikalılar
la-teen a-me-ri-ka-li-lar
UKУкраїнська
латиноамериканці
la-tee-no-a-me-ri-kan-tsee
URاردو
لاطینی امریکی
la-tee-nee a-me-ree-kee
VITiếng Việt
người Latin
ngoi la-tin
YOYO
Latin Amerika
la-tin a-me-ri-ka
ZH中文
拉丁美洲人
la-din me-zhou ren
ZUZU
Abantu baseMelika la-Tin
a-ban-too ba-se-me-li-ka la-tin
Ethical Language Guidance
Gender History
Spanish linguistic convention defaults to masculine plural for mixed-gender groups (latinos = any mix; latinas = all female). This grammatical rule has been criticized as erasive of women and non-binary identities within Latino communities.
Inclusive Usage
Use 'Latino' for singular masculine, 'Latina' for singular feminine, or 'Latinx/Latine' for gender-inclusive reference to the community broadly. Context determines appropriateness.
Inclusive Alternatives
["Latinx","Latine","Latin American","Latino and Latina","Hispanic"]
Empowerment Note
Latina writers, organizers, and scholars have led language innovation (Latinx, Latine) to resist male-default grammar and center women and queer Latinos in community identity.