ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Hispanic-Latino naming dispute

Well, you know how sometimes people have different opinions on how to call or name something? Like when some people call soda "pop" and other people call it "soda"? Well, there's a similar issue with how to call people who come from or have ancestry from the countries of Latin America, which include countries like Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina.

Some people like to use the word "Hispanic" to describe people from these countries. This word comes from the language of Spain, which is a country in Europe that used to have a lot of influence in Latin America. "Hispanic" is used to group together all people from Latin America who have a connection to Spain through their language, culture, or history.

But some people prefer to use the word "Latino" instead. This word comes from the words "Latin American," which is used to refer to people from the countries in Latin America. Using "Latino" instead of "Hispanic" acknowledges the diversity of people from these countries and doesn't focus on just their connection to Spain.

The problem is that some people don't like either of these words and don't want to be labeled with them. They believe that these labels don't fully represent them and their identity. Some people don't like being grouped together with other people just because they speak the same language or come from the same region. They believe that each person from Latin America is unique and should be recognized for their individual identity.

So, in summary, some people like to use the word "Hispanic" to refer to people from Latin America who have a connection to Spain, while others prefer to use "Latino" to acknowledge the diversity of people from these countries. But there are also people who don't like either of these labels and would rather be recognized for their individual identity.