Hispanic

Hispanic is an ethnic group. It refers to the Roman people of the Iberian peninsula (today Spain), but the term can refer to the Spanish speaking populations of the Americas and Europe. The term Hispanic has also come to refer to the descendants of both Native American and European ancestry. Ethnicity transcends nationality. Portuguese speaking people of the Iberian peninsula and the Americas are Lusitan. Lusitania, or today Portugal, was conquered by the Roman Empire. Similar names are applied to the people of France, the Gauls, Switzerland, the Elvetii, Britain, the Bretons, Germany and Austria, the Germanics.

Hispanic, in classification by the United States, is any person who describes himself as Mexican-American, Chicano, Mexican, Mexicano, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, South American, or from some other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race. About 45% of American Hispanics are of European descent, 42% are Mestizo, 10% are African Americans and 3% Asians.

See also

• Latinos