A report by the Pew Research Center raised questions related to Hispanic identity in the United States, further highlighting how this identity has evolved and how it is measured over time.

The publication mentions that debates about who is considered Hispanic have been frequent in the United States, especially among those with Latino or Spanish heritage. The 2020 census and changes in the way Hispanic identity is measured have brought these questions to the fore.

The Census Bureau estimated there were about 63.7 million Hispanics in the U.S. in 2022, representing 19 percent of the nation's population. However, the definition of who is considered Hispanic has evolved over the years. Some approaches include anyone who self-declares themselves as Hispanic, while others may have exceptions if someone selects a non-Hispanic category, such as “Irish”, even if they identify as Hispanic.

In the 2020 census, there was a notable change, where people who answered the racial question in a way that implied a Hispanic origin (e.g., “Mexican” or “Argentine”) were counted as Hispanic, even if they had not checked the box with the “Hispanic” option. That change affected about 1 percent or less of Hispanics.

Hispanic identity is also related to race. Although the Census Bureau defines Hispanics as an ethnicity rather than a race, there is debate about how people view that identity. Some surveys show that some Hispanics consider it primarily a matter of race, while others see it as a matter of ancestry or culture. The research also shows that racial identification varies among Hispanics, with many opting for “some other race”.

“In 2023, an OMB working group sought public feedback on a proposal to combine the race and ethnicity questions asked in federal surveys, including the decennial census. The proposal would add checkboxes for ‘Hispanic or Latino’ and ‘Middle Eastern or North African’. Officials hope the changes will reduce the number of Americans who choose the ‘Some other race’ category, especially among Hispanics. The review of the proposal is scheduled to be completed by summer 2024. Approved changes would be implemented in the 2030 census and other Census Bureau surveys. However, it is worth noting that public feedback has included concerns that combining the race and ethnicity questions could lead to an undercount of the nation’s Afro-Latino population”. according to the same publication.

The text points out that there is a debate about the distinction between the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino”. Some argue that “Hispanics” are those with origins in Spain or Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, while “Latinos” would include people from all over Latin America, regardless of language, which excludes Spain and Portugal.

Despite the official definitions, the research highlights that these labels are not universally adopted by the population that falls into these categories. Research reveals that many Hispanics prefer to use other terms to describe their identity, such as their family’s country of origin or even identifying as American.

The survey reveals that preferences vary, with 53 percent of Hispanics preferring to describe themselves as “Hispanic”, 26 percent preferring “Latino”, 2 percent opting for “Latinx”, and 18 percent not having a clear preference.

Skin color also plays a role in Hispanic identity, with most Latinos having varying skin tones. Research shows that skin color can influence daily living experiences and opportunities perceived by Latinos.

“[...] Eight-in-ten Latinos selected one of the four lightest skin colors, and the second-lightest was most common (28%), followed by the third- (21%) and fourth-lightest colors (17%). By contrast, only 3% selected one of the four darkest skin colors”.

The research also addresses the existence of Afro-Latino identity, which coexists with Hispanic identity for some, but not all, people. About 6 million African-Latino adults live in the U.S., and approximately one in seven of them do not identify as Hispanic.

Origin or ancestry can also influence Hispanic identity, with people from different countries of origin more likely to identify as Hispanic on census forms. For example, almost all immigrants from Latin American countries call themselves Hispanic, but self-identification varies between generations.

It is important to mention how the Census Bureau has changed the way it counts Hispanics over time, from the inclusion of the ethnic question in 1980 to the changes in question-and-answer categories over the years. “Officially, Brazilians are not considered Hispanic or Latino because the federal government’s definition — last revised in 1997 — applies only to those of ‘Spanish culture or origin’’. However, an error in the way the Census Bureau processed data from a 2020 national survey at least 416,000 Brazilians — more than two-thirds of Brazilians in the U.S. — described themselves as Hispanic or Latino in the ACS and were wrongly counted that way. Only 14,000 Brazilians were counted as Hispanic in 2019, and 16,000 were in 2021”, according to the report.

In summary, the research explores the complexity of Hispanic identity in the United States, including how it is measured, how it relates to race, skin color, and origin. It is important to follow how these issues have evolved over time, as the growth of the Hispanic population in the country has increasingly influenced various political and economic decisions in the country.