If you are Hispanic, you can be of any race, as Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race. This means that identifying as Hispanic does not determine your race, and individuals of Hispanic origin can belong to any racial group.
Understanding Race and Ethnicity
To clarify this distinction, it's helpful to understand how race and ethnicity are typically defined in official classifications and self-identification:
- Ethnicity refers to shared cultural heritage, ancestry, language, and/or national origin. It often reflects a group's common traditions, history, and sense of belonging.
- Examples of Ethnicities:
- Hispanic or Latino: Encompasses people whose origins are from Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Central and South America, or other Spanish cultures, regardless of race.
- Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino
- Examples of Ethnicities:
- Race is generally understood as a social construct used to categorize people based on shared physical or social qualities, such as common ancestry. These categories have varied over time and across different societies.
- Common Racial Categories (as recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau and many demographic surveys):
- White
- Black or African American
- Asian
- American Indian or Alaska Native
- Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
- Some Other Race
- Two or More Races
- Common Racial Categories (as recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau and many demographic surveys):
How Hispanic Identity Relates to Race
Official data collection systems, such as those used for census or demographic surveys, treat Hispanic or Latino origin as a distinct ethnicity category, separate from race. When individuals are asked about their identity, they typically report their Hispanic or non-Hispanic status and then separately report their race, selecting from categories like White, Black, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.
Although a specific race is requested alongside Hispanic status, it's important to understand that in some official data sets, the racial identification of many individuals who identify as Hispanic may not be explicitly recorded if another racial category isn't chosen. This can sometimes result in the race of some Hispanics being listed as "missing" or "unspecified" in certain statistical reports, even though they have a racial background.
This means a person's identity can be a combination of their ethnicity and their race. For example:
| Ethnicity | Race | Example Identity |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | White | Hispanic and White |
| Hispanic or Latino | Black or African American | Hispanic and Black |
| Hispanic or Latino | American Indian or Alaska Native | Hispanic and American Indian |
| Hispanic or Latino | Asian | Hispanic and Asian |
| Hispanic or Latino | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | Hispanic and Pacific Islander |
| Hispanic or Latino | Some Other Race | Hispanic and Some Other Race |
| Hispanic or Latino | Two or More Races | Hispanic and Multiracial |
Self-Identification
Ultimately, how you identify yourself is a personal choice. Many people of Hispanic origin identify with one or more specific racial groups based on their ancestry and appearance. Others may choose "Some Other Race" because they feel none of the standard racial categories fully encompass their diverse background, or they may view their Hispanic identity itself as a racial identity, even if it's officially categorized as an ethnicity.
For more detailed information on racial and ethnic classifications, you can refer to official government sources like the U.S. Census Bureau for their definitions of race and Hispanic Origin.
