Hispanic and Latinx People


Hispanic and Latinx are terms that refer to shared cultures, identities, and ethnicities, and include diverse groups of people from across the globe. “Hispanic” is a language-based ethnic identity, which describes people born in or with ancestors from the Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, the Caribbean, and Spain. The term “Latino/a/x” is a geography-based ethnic identity, which describes people born in or with ancestors from Latin America. Latin America includes countries in South America, Middle America, and the Caribbean that speak Latin/Romance languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, and French. Latinx (pronounced la-teen-ex) and Latine are terms coined by gender expansive Latin American people intended to provide gender-neutral alternatives to Latina and Latino. Latinx is most widely used, but some Spanish-speaking people prefer Latine, as it is less anglicized. Because the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino/a/x” can overlap in their definitions, individuals may consider themselves Hispanic, Latinx, both, or neither. These terms refer to one’s ethnicity, meaning Hispanic and Latinx people can belong to any race. Some Hispanic and Latinx people prefer being identified by nationality (Mexican, Puerto Rican, Guatemalan, Cuban, Colombian, etc.) rather than ethnicity. Because racial and ethnic identities are deeply personal and are constantly evolving, terminology is a matter of individual preference and should be treated as such. 


Hispanic and Latinx people have been instrumental as activists for workers’ rights, gay and transgender liberation, and gun law reform. They have also broken barriers in the United States as scientists, artists, and inventors. Despite these contributions to society, Hispanic and Latinx people have been routinely mistreated, marginalized, and excluded in the United States. From being the targets of hate crimes and racist deportation campaigns to being scapegoated for bringing drugs, disease, and economic downturn to America, Hispanic and Latinx lives are too often devalued and criminalized. Hispanic and Latinx people in the United States also experience disparities in health and access to care. Hispanic people are about 50% more likely to die from diabetes or liver disease than their white counterparts. Additionally, Hispanic and Latinx people are 3 times more likely to be uninsured than white people. Hispanic and Latinx people who are immigrants, refugees, undocumented, limited-English proficient, economically poor, disabled, and/or LGBTQ+ are even more likely to struggle to thrive due to the compounding marginalizations they experience. 


Hispanic and Latinx people are the fastest growing communities of color in the United States. Despite this growth, anti-Latinx rhetoric is still commonplace, and can be seen in characterizations of Mexican immigrants as rapists, criminals, and drug dealers or Latinx people being labeled as parasites, gang-members, and animals, regardless of immigration status. It is important to note that not all Hispanic and Latinx people in the United States are immigrants. This perception contributes to systemic oppression, as anti-immigration movements in the U.S. have often become thinly-veiled anti-Latinx movements. 


Achieving health equity and racial justice for Hispanic and Latinx people requires deeply uprooting racist systems that perpetuate their exploitation and abuse. Institutionalizing and operationalizing equity and justice throughout all leadership levels of all sectors will require organizations, allies, and systems to deeply center and follow the leadership of people with lived experience. Community-led processes, self-representation, and centering Hispanic and Latinx voices are a few effective tactics communities can leverage to advance equity and well-being for Hispanic and Latinx people. 


Resources & Tools


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Priority Populations Channel
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Community Commons
Staff Pick!
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Taking Action to End Gun Violence: Our Top Tools, Resources, Stories, and Data
Story - Original
Brought to you by Community Commons
First page of Recognizing and Dismantling Raciolinguistic Hierarchies in Latinx Health
Recognizing and Dismantling Raciolinguistic Hierarchies in Latinx Health
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by AMA
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Vaccinate for All: Resources for Champions
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by NHMA
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Latinos
Resource - Website/webpage
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In Common Newsletter: Trauma, Stress, and Trauma-Informed Practice
Resource
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 09/16/2022
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Ask an Advocate
Resource - Podcast
Brought to you by APHA
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NIH Style Guide
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by NIH
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Interactive Summary Health Statistics for Adults, by Detailed Race and Ethnicity
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by CDC National Center for Health Statistics
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Minority Population Profiles
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
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Hispanic Health
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by CDC
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Bright Spot: Road to Health Toolkit
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by 100MHL
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Bright Spot: PASO (Providers Advancing School Outcomes)
Resource - Model Policy
Brought to you by 100MHL
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Racial Trauma
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by MHA
Screen shot of top of paper: Firearm Deaths Grow, Disparities Widen: Comprehensive Strategies Can Prevent Violence and Help Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities
Firearm Deaths Grow, Disparities Widen
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by CDC
First page of Hispanic/Latino Health in the United States: A Pathfinder to Resources
Hispanic/Latino Health in the United States: A Pathfinder to Resources
Resource
Brought to you by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Screen capture of Pandemic Intensified Longstanding Stresses for Hispanics
Pandemic Intensified Longstanding Stresses for Hispanics
Resource - Blog
Brought to you by UT Health San Antonio
Screen grab of Coronavirus and Latino Health Equity
Coronavirus and Latino Health Equity
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Salud America!
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BIPOC? Latinx? Here's How to Describe People Accurately
Resource - Guide/handbook
Brought to you by NPR
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Medicare and Dental Coverage: A Closer Look
Resource - Report
Brought to you by KFF
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Dental Health Is Worse in Communities of Color
Resource - Report
Brought to you by The Pew Charitable Trusts
Screen grab of Systemic Racism, Disparities and Health: The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health
Systemic Racism, Disparities and Health: The Impact of COVID-19 on Latino Health
Resource - Webinar
Brought to you by NIHCM Foundation
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Sylvia Rivera
Story - Written
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Ask an Advocate: Latino Caucus for Public Health
Story - Video
Brought to you by APHA
Screen capture of How a Coding Error Provided a Rare Glimpse Into Latino Identity Among Brazilians in the U.S. article
How a Coding Error Provided a Rare Glimpse Into Latino Identity Among Brazilians in the U.S.
Story - Written
Brought to you by The Pew Charitable Trusts
Published on 04/19/2023
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"This Is America, Speak English": Latinas On The Fear Of Speaking Spanish In Public
Story - Written
Brought to you by Vice Media Group
Published on 05/16/2018
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¡Échale Ganas!
Story - Written
Brought to you by Patagonia
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The Story of Cesar Chavez
Story - Written
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We See You: Why America Must Invest in Young Adults of Color
Story - Written
Brought to you by SSIR

Data & Metrics


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BIPOC Health Equity Library
Library
Published on 09/27/2022

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