Hispanic

The term Hispanic (Spanish: hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad broadly. In some places, such as the United States, "Hispanic" describes a group of people who share a common background.

The term usually includes Spaniards and people who speak Spanish, living in Hispanic America and Hispanic Africa (Equatorial Guinea and Western Sahara). These areas were once part of the Spanish Empire. The cultures in these places have been shaped by both Spanish traditions and local customs from before Spanish influence.

Hispanic culture includes shared customs, traditions, and ways of expressing yourself through music, art, food, and more. The Spanish language is a key part of what connects Hispanic peoples, although cultures can differ from one country to another.

Etymology

The word Hispanic comes from the Latin word Hispanicus, which relates to Hispania, an old name for the Iberian Peninsula. People have used this word in English since the 1500s.

The words Spain, Spanish, and Spaniard all share the same roots as Hispanicus.

Hispanus was a Latin term for someone from Hispania during Roman times. The area called Hispania included what is now Spain, Portugal, parts of France, Andorra, and Gibraltar.

Here are some related terms:

• Hispania was the name for the Iberian Peninsula from 200 BC to 800 AD.
• Hispano-Roman describes the culture and people of Hispania during Roman and Visigothic times.
• Hispanic today refers to modern Spain, the Spanish language, and Spanish-speaking countries, especially in the Americas.
• Spanish refers to the people, language, and culture of Spain.
• Spaniard means a person from Spain.

Hispania was divided into different regions by the Romans. Before the 1400s, the Christian kingdoms in the Iberian Peninsula were called The Spains. The term Spain became more common later.

The growth of the Spanish Empire from 1492 to 1898 brought many Spanish people to new lands, especially in the Americas, creating many Hispanic communities today.

Culture

The Miguel de Cervantes Prize is for Hispanic writers, and the Latin Grammy Award is for Hispanic musicians. There are also special awards for Hispanic films.

Music

Main articles: Music of Spain, Music of Latin America, and Latin music (genre)

Music and dance differ a lot among Hispanic groups. Spanish music is different from Hispanic American music, but they sometimes share styles. Spain has many languages and music styles, such as Flamenco from Andalusia. In Hispanic America, music also varies. For example, Mexican music mixes European and Native American sounds. In the Caribbean, music often has rhythms from African traditions. People worldwide enjoy styles like Rock en español, Latin hip-hop, Salsa, Merengue, Bachata, Cumbia, and Reggaeton.

Literature

Hispanic literature is rich and comes from many countries and times. Well-known Hispanic writers include Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra from Spain, Gabriel García Márquez from Colombia, and Pablo Neruda from Chile.

Sports

In most Hispanic countries, association football is the most popular sport. Teams from Argentina, Uruguay, and Spain have won the FIFA World Cup. baseball is very popular in places like Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Many Hispanic athletes are famous worldwide, such as Lionel Messi in football and Rafael Nadal in tennis.

Religion

The Spanish and Portuguese brought the Catholic faith to many parts of the world they explored. Today, most Hispanics are Catholic, but some belong to other Christian groups like Protestant churches. There are also smaller groups of Muslims and Jews among Hispanics.