Latine,Latinx, Latino/a & Hispanic are not interchangeable-- a mini comic takes the opportunity to showcase the differences for us:
Born and raised in Chicago Illinois by Mexican immigrant parents, Fernanda provides a first person account of identity--addressing stereotypes and assumptions, and inviting the audience to dig deeper into the Latinx experience in the United States. As someone who proudly identifies with the Hispanic and Latino culture, she addresses the role of Latinx people in shaping the culture, politics, and economy of the USA.
Are Hispanic and Latino racial categories? Well, according the US Census they're not. And with good reason! Just like the US, Latin America has an incredibly complex racial history, and Latinx in America represent this highly varied background. Of course this reality makes talking about race, ethnicity and whiteness in America even more confusing! So we enlisted the help of Kat Lazo to break it all down.
It is important to highlight that being Latine/x does not look like one distinct set of features or cultures. People from Latin America typically are a mix of European, African, and Native American ancestry.