Hispanic or Latino?
 
This question resonates through my mind whenever I am asked to submit information about my race. What do I choose? What do each truly mean? Deep within the root of the question is not an argument of what I am, but an argument of what these words distinguish us as, and on what are these descriptors based? To be Hispanic or Latinx often overlaps; as a matter of fact, time and time again we misinterpret each of these words for one another. Yet, I find it significant to acknowledge the importance of clarity when we discuss our identity. Oftentimes, Latinx culture is misunderstood and seen as something derived from Hispanic and Latino origin. This is not the case, and in order to distinguish the qualities between both identifications, we must dissect them.
 
Hispanic?
[1] "of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent and especially of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican origin living in the U.S." 
[2] "of or relating to the people, speech, or culture of Spain" 
-Merriam-Webster

Latino?
[1]"a native or inhabitant of Latin America" 
[2] "a person of Latin American origin living in the U.S."
-Merriam-Webster
 
           
"Hispanic" is often interpreted as a qualification of individuals with "Spanish" descent - that is those who embrace, and are raised in, a culture whose origins relate to (or is) Spain. Dictionaries such as the one referenced above claim a Hispanic to be a descendant of Latin origin, yet also centralize the definition on certain nationalities: Cubans, Mexicans and Puerto Ricans living within the United States. 
 
All that we have discussed thus far begs the question. … am I Hispanic? As an Argentinian American, does my family "qualify" while a Haitian family does not?
 
The Hispanic argument is one that can be contextualized in thousands of different ways; with many families randomly divided on the premise of prioritizing certain nationalities rooted by Spain or present in the United States. The Centralism of our celebration should not be based on a single European country, but that of the greater whole.
 
"Latino," as described in the Merriam Webster dictionary, feels more fitting of who I am as an individual and of who we truly are as a culture. There is no ambiguity to it. No questions of who within the community is actually Hispanic. … and who is not. "Latin," as an identifier of those who are Latino, embraces a holistically diverse group of people - not only or simply those neighboring or below the U.S. border, but of all cultures whose language resides within the romance branch and find their home within Americas predominantly affected by cultures using these languages.
 
Latinx Heritage Month is about inclusivity, and I find it important that we look for common ground. As a Latinx community, we cut through the ambiguity of what a dictionary describes us as, and aim to look forward to embracing the beauty of the many cultures that reside within Latin America. As we start off a month-long journey identifying the amazing diversity within our umbrella of people, I am proud to identify as Latinx. I hope that we all gain a better understanding of the vast array of people within the Latinx community, and that we work constructively to better identify ourselves despite the obstacles presented by oft-unclear or problematic definitions.