There are many interchangeable terms on how people of Latin and Hispanic descent describe themselves —- and it can be confusing. But it all really depends on who you ask and where you’re located in the U.S.
Some people have preferences on what they like to be referred to, while others don’t mind what they’re called. But not every term holds the same meaning.
In 2024, around 116,000 individuals living in Tulsa County identified as Hispanic or Latino, according to the American Community Survey. We broke down the different meanings below.
What do Latina or Latino mean?
Latina or Latino is a noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture from Latin America, according to the Associated Press Stylebook.
The Flyer follows guidelines from the Associated Press Stylebook, which outlines language used in journalism. We will often ask people for their preferences and use terminology preferred by the organization they represent — like the Tulsa Area Hispanic Chamber of Commerce — when reporting or writing.
These terms are used across Latin America and the U.S. Many words in the Spanish language use male and female endings.
Latina with an “a” refers to females, while Latino with an “o” refers to males. The exception is when it’s plural and calling a group “Latinos,” which can be in reference to a group of men, women or others.
Why do some people prefer Latinx or Latine?
In Spanish, words are considered male or female, but some people prefer more gender-neutral and non-binary terms. This is how Latinx and Latine came to be. These terms were coined more recently by the LGBTQ+ community to be more inclusive.
What about the term Hispanic?
The U.S. Census Bureau coined this term in 1970 to identify populations from Mexico, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central and South America. Hispanic refers to anyone with origins in a Spanish-speaking country. There are some people in the U.S. who do not use this term because of the history of Spanish colonization.
I’ve heard some people identify as Chicano. What does it mean?
Chicano is a term sometimes used by Mexican Americans in the Southwest to describe their heritage. The exact origins to the term are uncertain, but it became a popular term in the U.S. in the 1960s during the Chicano Movement.
Chicano is known to have been a racial slur, but activists adopted it to change the meaning. You may also see the terms Xicana, Xicano or Xicanx, all of which were coined to connect with Indigenous roots.
What about ethnicities?
Depending on the story, the Flyer typically asks and references a person’s ethnicity, such as Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Brazilian or other. At the Flyer, the more specific we can be, the better our reporting will be.
Angelica Perez is the Eastside/La Semana reporter. You can reach her at angelica@tulsaflyer.org. También habla español.
This article was produced as part of a partnership between the Tulsa Flyer and La Semana, a Tulsa-based bilingual Spanish-English newspaper serving Latino communities in Oklahoma.
News decisions at the Tulsa Flyer are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
