But as the number of interracial and interethnic couples grows and immigration slows, “Hispanic” and “Latino” may be used less in the future. We’ve seen Hispanic identity evolve through recent decades. However, a new Pew Research Center survey shows that two-thirds of Hispanics see their Hispanic background at least in part as a racial one.

Census Bureau does not regard Hispanic to be a race, but rather an ethnicity. The likelihood of speaking Spanish also fades with each new U.S.-born generation.Ĭurrently the U.S. Our surveys show that among second- and third-generation Hispanics, smaller shares identify themselves by the names of their ancestors’ home countries. births are - driving down the share of the community that is foreign born (just 35.5 percent of Hispanics are immigrants). Immigration is no longer the driving force of the Hispanic community’s growth. More than likely they are the children or grandchildren of a couple that includes one Hispanic and one non-Hispanic parent. Already two million Americans say they are not Hispanic although they indicate their ancestry includes roots in a Spanish-speaking country. These trends could have implications for what Hispanics call themselves in the future - and even whether they consider themselves Hispanic at all. And among Latino newborns who live with their parents, 27 percent have one non-Latino parent. Today, one-in-four Latino newlyweds marries someone who is not Latino. For example, today’s young Hispanics hear their parents say “be proud of your Hispanic identity and speak Spanish.” But among Hispanics who grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, being American and speaking English were more emphasized.

social attitudes toward diversity and intermarriage, and big demographic trends, such as the recent wave of Mexican immigration, have affected Hispanics’ sense of identity.

While some Hispanics consider their background one of race, increasingly they prefer to identify with a nationality (Mexican or Cuban or Dominican).īut today, while both terms are widely used, Pew Research Center surveys show that Hispanics prefer to identify themselves with terms of nationality (Mexican or Cuban or Dominican) rather than pan-ethnic monikers (Hispanic or Latino or even American).

Hispanic outlook identity crisis