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Are Spanish People White or Hispanic?

Published in Spanish Ethnoracial Classification 3 mins read

Spanish people are uniquely classified as both white and Hispanic. This dual categorization stems from their specific historical and cultural role.

Understanding the Dual Classification

Spaniards occupy a distinct position within ethnoracial and panethnic frameworks. They are considered the singular European national group that is denoted as Hispanic on official forms, such as census documents, because Spain originated the language and culture that the broader panethnic term "Hispanic" refers to.

This means that while they are racially categorized as white due to their European ancestry, they are also ethnically identified as Hispanic through their foundational contribution to the Spanish language and culture prevalent across many parts of the world.

Race vs. Ethnicity: A Key Distinction

To fully grasp this dual identity, it's important to understand the difference between race and ethnicity:

  • Race typically refers to a person's physical characteristics, such as skin color and facial features, or a group of people thought to share common ancestry based on physical traits. In many contexts, "White" refers to people with origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa, as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • Ethnicity refers to cultural factors, including nationality, regional culture, ancestry, and language. "Hispanic" is a panethnic term, not a race, that generally refers to people, cultures, or languages with a historical origin in Spain or Latin America. The U.S. Census Bureau defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

Here's how this applies to Spaniards:

Category Definition/Relevance Application to Spaniards
Race People having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe. Spaniards are considered white due to their indigenous European ancestry.
Ethnicity A panethnic term for people whose origins are from Spanish-speaking countries or cultures. Spaniards are classified as Hispanic because Spain is the historical origin of the Spanish language and the culture associated with it.

Why This Unique Classification?

Spain's historical influence as the colonial power that spread its language and culture across a vast portion of the Americas is the primary reason for this unique classification. Unlike other European nationalities, Spaniards are directly linked to the very origin of what constitutes "Hispanic" identity. Therefore, while a German or Italian person would be considered white but not Hispanic, a Spaniard is recognized for both their European racial background and their fundamental role in Hispanic culture.

For instance, on U.S. census forms, an individual originating from Spain would typically identify as "White" for race and "Hispanic or Latino" for ethnicity, highlighting this unique, bifurcated identity.