Most of our readers will know that Latinos/as/x comprise 37 percent of the 39 million people in California. But did you know that we also account for 18.9% of the world’s total population?
We are many. We are proud. And we make a mark in every part of the world. So, we should have a say in what we are called. When filling out forms, we are often made to choose either Hispanic (Hello, Census) or Latino. But things are changing, and the U.S. Census Bureau is in the process of updating and changing labels used on their forms to better accommodate our large and diverse population.
CALÓ NEWS hit the streets to ask people in our community what they want to be called. Do you agree? Do you have your own answers? If so, please send it to brenda@latinomedia.org.
Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.
ANTHONY RIOS, 27, Uber Driver, Compton, He/Him, Mexican
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
Yeah, we don’t have a specific title for us, so I think calling us Latinos is really the only solution. There are too many titles that we can use, like Mexican or Guatemalan, so I guess it’s the easiest way to identify us.
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
Yes, I do check Hispanic, mainly because I’m not fully Mexican. I was born here in the U.S.A. and not in Mexico, which I think will make you fully Mexican. If we’re born here but have parents from Mexico or another country, that will make us Latino, or at least that is what I think.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY, AND WHY?
I typically just say I’m Mexican to people I meet because of my family and my pride in culture. It’s part of my roots, and who I am, so I’d like people to know that.
MICHELLE MOLINA, 31, Compton, Data Analyst, She/Her, Latino
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
I think so. There aren’t really any other options that we identify with. We can put “other” and put a specific race like Mexican, but I think that’s too much and might get confusing when taking surveys and stuff.
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
Yes, I check off Latino since it’s the one I identify with.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
Latinos are easy to understand, so that’s what I typically use when meeting new people or something like that. Other people also consider themselves Latino, and I think it’s easier to relate to people when you just say Latino without knowing specifically where the other person is from.
ALEXA BALLES, 20, Market expert, Los Angeles, She/Her, Mexican
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
Using Latino or any other labels like Latinx should be used on surveys or the Census since that’s what people identify as. People consider themselves “white,” and that’s how they view themselves, so why shouldn’t it be the same for Latinos or Hispanics?
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
I’ve heard terms like Hispanic or Latino growing up and during school. It’s how teachers identify Spanish-speaking people who migrated to the United States, so that’s what I check off.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
I use Latino, but I don’t like using it since it’s more of a generic label. I am Mexican, but I think it’s easier for people to relate to me if I say Latino. Many other people aren’t Mexican, but we share a similar culture and lifestyle without being from the same place of origin, which is why I like to use Latino.
HENRY INIGUEZ, 19, Compton, College Student, He/Him, Mexican
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
I don’t think so. I think it should be specific to everyone’s race or ethnicity. It will make things a lot more complicated by putting all the races out there, but if that is what people consider themselves as, why shouldn’t we have them?
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
I do put Latino when filling out the Census or surveys, just because it’s easy. Although I don’t like to do it. I am Mexican, but since they don’t have an option, I just put the next best thing.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
I say I am Mexican. I have pride in who I am and where my family and relatives come from, so that’s what I say. That or Mexican-American since I was born here, [U.S.A.] which is probably why people say they are Latino. They don’t see themselves as Mexican because they weren’t born there, and people over here use Latino or Hispanic.
KAREN QUINTEROS, 26, Compton, Reception at A Medical Office, She/ Her, Latina
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
Yes. It’s what we are labeled as over here [in the U.S.A.], what most of us identify as, so why not make it a race already?
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
I put down Latino. Just because it’s there, and that’s the one I identify as. I could check off “other” and write in Salvadoran, but that makes things confusing for others who don’t know much about the country or heritage.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
I use Latino. More specifically, Latina, since that is the term for a female Latino. Those terms are how we identify people at my Providence [Health care company] work.
ERICA RODRIGUEZ, 23, Cashier At Gamestop, South Gate, She/Her, Hispanic
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
Yes, because we are a one-of-a-kind group that spans all throughout Central and South America. It is easier for people to understand that we are “Latino” or “Chicana” than something more specific, like Chilean or Mexican. It’s easier to be identified as one label than to have a bunch of other races that people may not know what they are.
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
I use Hispanic. It’s easier for people to understand my general culture or background. I’ve been using it since I became a citizen here two years ago. Using Latino or Hispanic is an “American” thing, since there are many different people here from all over the world. I think it just makes things easier.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
I use Hispanic. It may be a bit generic, but that’s who I believe I am.
YALERIE GARCIA, 20, Compton, Starbucks Barista, She/Her, Hispanic-American
SHOULD LATINOS BE CONSIDERED A RACE ON GOVERNMENT FORMS AND ELSEWHERE?
I don’t really know. I think it’s complicated because it’s a very controversial topic that seems like everyone has an opinion on, which they should be. I don’t think there should be a clear answer to it, and I can see both sides of why it should be or shouldn’t be.
WHEN YOU FILL OUT THE U.S. CENSUS OR OTHER SURVEYS, DO YOU CHECK HISPANIC OR LATINO?
I choose Hispanic because it’s the only option I identify with. I’m not White or Native American, so I’m obviously not going to fill out those options, so the next best option is to put that I am Hispanic. I could just check off “other,” but I think Hispanic is close enough to what I am, so I check that one.
WHAT LABELS DO YOU USE TO IDENTIFY YOUR RACE OR ETHNICITY?
As I said, saying that I am Hispanic just makes everything easier. I am able to connect with people from places like Costa Rica or El Salvador, even though we don’t share the same blood. We share similar roots and heritage, even though we come from different places.