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Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx

Foster Open Dialogue page

Activity: Understanding Latinxs’ Presence in the United States 

Race and Ethnicity Sociology in Action book cover image

  • Time frame: 15 – 20 minutes
  • Setting: Writing assignment, in-class discussion, and group work
  • Source: Chapter 10 (Learning Outcome: 10.1) from
    Race and Ethnicity: Sociology in Action,
    edited by: Kathleen Odell Korgen and Maxine P. Atkinson
  • Contributor(s): María Isabel Ayala

Doing Sociology 10.1 Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx: Which Should the U.S. Census Use?

In this exercise, you will determine the pros and cons of categorizing ethnic groups and explain the different meanings of Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx. Imagine the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has asked you to explain the difference among the Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx categories and why they should use one instead of the other two. Write down answers to the following questions and be prepared to share them with the class. Then, with a classmate, share your answers, and answer the questions again, together. 

  1. What are the differences among the terms Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx?
  2. If you could pick just one, which should the census use? Why? 
  3. What information do you need to make this decision? Why?

Note to Instructors: 
This exercise has students explain the differences among the Hispanic, Latino/a, and Latinx labels. It also helps them understand why the Census collects racial and pan ethnic information. This works well in online classes as a paper or discussion as well as in face-to-face classes of all sizes. If you have a large in-person or online class, randomly choose pairs to present and defend their answers. 

Sage College Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)