Latino (demonym)

Latino (masculine) and Latina (feminine) as a noun refer mainly to Latin Americans or descendants of Latin Americans living in the United States. As an adjective, the terms refer to things as having ties with Latin America. The related term Hispanic usually includes Spanish Americans too, whereas Latino as a noun sometimes does not. Latino/Latina might include Brazilians, while Hispanic does not. In spite of these distinctions, the terms Latino and Hispanic are often used interchangeably. Preference for Hispanic or Latino varies based on factors such as age and geography.

Usage of the term is mostly limited to the United States and Canada. Latin American people usually refer to themselves by national origin and rarely as Latino as the region does not have a cohesive identity. Because of this, many Latin American scholars, journalists, and Indigenous-rights organizations have objected to the mass-media use of the word to refer to all people of Latin American background.