They are multilingual but Hispanics may not identify with being Latino, not the same way in reverse.
Latinos I know have no problem being identified as Hispanics, but that is not always the case in reverse. Latinos refers to geography and Hispanics to the language, try explaining that to a Hispanic and insist they are Latinos.
The US now has more Spanish speakers than Spain and the second-most in the world, according to a recent study.
New Mexico is home to the highest population of Spanish-speakers in the country, with 47 percent. California and Texas are next in line with 38 percent, followed by Arizona (30 percent), Nevada (27.3 percent) and Florida (23.2 percent).
Even though both terms are used interchangeably, there is a difference between Hispanic and Latino. Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to ancient Hispania (Iberian Peninsula). Now it relates to the contemporary nation of Spain, its history, and culture; a native of Spain residing in the United States is a Hispanic. Latino refers more exclusively to persons or communities of Latin American origin. While there is a significant overlap between the groups, Brazilians are a good example of Latinos who are not Hispanic. Both terms were meant to refer to ethnicity, not a race; however, in the U.S., they are often used haphazardly to refer to the race as well. As such, personal adoption of the terms is rather low.
Hispanic or Latino
Hispanic refers to language. Hispanic if you and/or your ancestry come from a country where they speak Spanish. Latino refers to geography. Specifically, to Latin America, to people from the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic), South America (Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, etc.) and Central America (Honduras, Costa Rica, etc.)
In the U.S.
Was first adopted by the United States government during the administration of Richard Nixon, It has been used in the U.S. Census since 1980. "Hispanic" is used more often in states such as Florida and Texas.
The government adopted these terms because they did not have an inclusive term to identify and segregate the mixed white with black and native "mestizo or Mulato people of Central and South America.
Derived from the term "Hispanic" comes from a Latin word for Spain "Hispania", which later became "España". It refers to a person of Latin American or Iberian ancestry, fluent in Spanish.
The term "Latino" is shortened from Spanish Latino americano, "Latin American" thus narrowing the scope of meaning to Central and South America, and Spanish speaking Carribean Islands.
Usage "Hispanic" is primarily used along the Eastern seaboard, and favored by those of the Caribbean and South American ancestry or origin. “Latino” is principally used west of the Mississippi, where it has displaced “Chicano” and “Mexican American.”
The study by the Instituto Cervantes says an estimated 52.6 million people in the US speak the worldwide romance language, which is second only to Mexico’s 121 million. Que Pasa USA? https://youtu.be/b2ulKw0DwaY
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