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You are here: Home / History / Why are Hispanics in the United States called “Hispanic Americans” but not “Spanish Americans”?

Why are Hispanics in the United States called “Hispanic Americans” but not “Spanish Americans”?

July 31, 2020 by Karen Hill

Many Hispanics informally call themselves “Spanish,” but the term can lead to confusion.

Strictly speaking, a Spanish American person is an American whose family comes from Spain. While some Hispanic Americans can claim a direct link to that European nation, most descend from one of the lands in the Americas settled by Spain.

Today, most of these lands are part of Latin America, which includes such countries as Mexico in North America, El Salvador in Central America, Cuba in the West Indies, and Colombia in South America.

Because Spain settled these regions long before the English founded their thirteen American colonies, the history of Latin America stretches back further than that of the United States.

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  • What is a Hispanic and Where do Hispanics come from?
  • When did the Spanish conquer Central America and What was the first long term Spanish colony?
  • How much of the United States would be Spanish if Spain had never lost any of its colonies?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « What is the United States’ largest minority group and are Hispanic Americans the country’s largest minority group?
Next Post: What is the difference between Latin America and South America and are they the same thing? »

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