---
title: "‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’: When Labels Don’t Fit"
description: "A majority (51%) of Hispanic adults prefer to identify themselves by their country of origin, rather than the label “Hispanic” or “Latino.”"
date: "2012-05-08"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2012/05/08/hispanic-and-latino-when-labels-dont-fit/"
---

# ‘Hispanic’ and ‘Latino’: When Labels Don’t Fit

Although Hispanics in the United States share a common language, a survey conducted during November and December 2011 found that more than half (51%) say they most often identify themselves by their family’s country of origin,such as “Mexican,” “Cuban” or “Dominican,” for example.Just one-quarter (24%) say they use the terms “Hispanic” or “Latino” most often to describe their identity. About one-in-five (21%) say they use the term “American” most often.When asked whether they prefer either “Latino” or “Hispanic,” half (51%) of the respondents say they have no preference for either term. When a preference is expressed, “Hispanic” is preferred over “Latino” by more than a two-to-one margin — 33% versus 14%. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/2012/04/04/when-labels-dont-fit-hispanics-and-their-views-of-identity/)