Latino (masculine) and Latina (feminine) as a noun refer to people living in the United States who have cultural ties to Latin America. As an adjective, the terms refer to things as having ties with Latin America. The term Hispanic usually includes Spaniards, whereas Latino as a noun often does not.

Hispanic refers to people from Spanish-speaking countries, while Latino refers to people from Latin American countries. A person can be Hispanic, Latino, both, or neither, depending on their background. When using one of these terms to refer to a specific person, always respect their preference.

Today, Latinos are the country’s second-largest racial or ethnic group, making up one-in-five Americans. They are also strikingly diverse, relatively young, mostly U.S. born and increasingly dispersed across the country.

The terms Latino, Hispanic and Latinx are often used interchangeably to describe a group that makes up about 19 percent of the U.S. population.

The term Latino is different from Hispanic because while Hispanic refers to the people who are culturally or linguistically related to the Spanish language, Latino refers to the places where people come from.

The meaning of LATINO is a native or inhabitant of Latin America.

What does Latino mean? Latino is an adjective and a noun that describes a person “of Latin American origin or descent,” especially one who lives in the United States.

National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries.