Mexican and Latino are the names by which people of different regions are called in the United States of America.
The Mexican people are Mexican citizens.
On the other hand, the Latino people are citizens of Latin America or United States citizens of Latin American descent.
Key Takeaways
- Latino is a term used to refer to people with origins from Latin America.
- Mexican refers specifically to people from Mexico, a country in North America.
- Not all Latinos are Mexican, but all Mexicans are considered Latinos as they come from Latin America.
Mexican vs Latino
The people who live in Mexico are known as Mexicans. Different languages combine and make up the Mexican language, but most people speak Spanish. The people who are born in Latin America and currently they are settled in the United States are known as Latinos. Latino people speak the Spanish language.
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Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Mexican | Latino |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Mexican is the word for the people living in or belonging natively to Mexico, a Latin American country. | Latino is the word for the people born in or whose ancestors belong to Latin America and are living in the United States, including the Brazilian people. |
| Country | Mexican word is for the people of Mexico country. | Latino word is for the people of Cuba, South America, Puerto Rico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico. |
| Ancestry | Mexican people have their ancestors from Mexico. | Latino people have ancestors who speak Spanish or are of Spanish descent. |
| Culture and Cuisine | Mexican culture and cuisine are famously called Mexican, and it differs from that of Latinos. | Latino culture and cuisine are very different from that of the Mexicans. |
| Language | The combination of several Amerindian languages makes up the Mexican language, but most of the population speaks Spanish. | The Latino people speak the Spanish language. |
What is Mexican?
Mexican is the word for the people living in or belonging natively to Mexico, a Latin American country.
They are the federal Constitutional Republic in North America, officially known as the United Mexican States.
The name Mexicans call the residents and citizens of Mexico country. They constitute people of mixed race consisting of people of native Indians and people with Spanish ancestors.
Other people also have ancestors from other Asian, African and European countries.
Spanish is the most common and popular language spoken by the maximum Mexican people. Additionally, the combination of several Amerindian languages makes up the Mexican language.
The culture of Mexico is inspired by the Spaniards, who brought their religion with them and changed the religion of the native people.
Mexican cuisine is dissimilar from the other cuisines in the United States and generally consists of corn and beans.
The famous dishes of Mexican cuisine are tortillas, tamales and gorditas; all made from corn.
Mexican food is high in spice and herb content, and mescal and tequila are the two-word famous Mexican beverages.
What is Latino?
Latino is the word for the people born in or whose ancestors belong to Latin America and are currently living in the United States, including the Brazilian people.
These people either speak the Spanish language or are of Spanish descent.
Latino or Latina are the American Spanish words derived from the Latin word ‘Latinus’ meaning ‘Latin.’
Latin is a short form for the Spanish word ‘latinoamericano’ or the Portuguese word ‘Latino-americano’.
The Latino people belong to countries like Cuba, South America, Puerto Rico and other Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico, no matter their race and ethnicity. These people are also called ‘Hispanics’.
The word Latino is constructed by adding a suffix to the name of a place like African for the people of Africa and Asian for the people of Asia.
Like Latinos, it is for the people of Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Latino word is used in the United States of America to call the people of Cuba, Mexico, South America, and Puerto Rica descent and also to the people from Spanish-speaking countries regardless of race and ethnicity.
Latino people is also a word for people whose ancestors are Spanish, either from their mother’s or father’s sides.
Their ancestors are natives of an ancient Spanish colony and those who speak the Spanish language.
Main Differences Between Mexican and Latino
- Mexican is the word for the people living in or belonging natively to Mexico, a Latin American country. On the other hand, Latino is the word for the people born in or whose ancestors belong to Latin America and live in the United States, including the Brazilian people.
- The Mexican word is for the people of Mexico country. On the other hand, the Latino word is for the people of Cuba, South America, Puerto Rico, and other Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico.
- The Mexican people have their ancestors from Mexico. On the other hand, the Latino people have ancestors who speak Spanish or are of Spanish descent.
- The Mexican culture and cuisine are famously called Mexican and differ from that of Latinos. On the other hand, the Latino culture and cuisine are very different from that of the Mexicans.
- The combination of several Amerindian languages makes up the Mexican language, but most of the population speaks Spanish. On the other hand, the primary language of the Latino people is Spanish.
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
