Latino or Hispanic: What’s in a Label?

Latino and Hispanic: they’re terms that a lot of Americans are asked to choose between when identifying themselves on the census, in official paperwork, and in everyday conversation. But according to a new poll by the Pew Hispanic Center, most adults of Latin American descent prefer not to use either. Instead, the respondents said they preferred to identify themselves by their country of origin. But there’s more to the story than just that. And a lot of it depends on where in the United States you happen to live.  Jill Replogle  is a reporter for KPBS San Diego’s Fronteras Desk. Her new piece for Fronteras is called “‘Latino Or ‘Hispanic:’ What’s In A Name?”  Gustavo Arellano  is the editor of OC Weekly. He also writes the column  ¡Ask a Mexican! and is the author of the new book “Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.”