The term Hispanic refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as a
Bust of a young Hispano-Roman man, 2nd century.
1770 painting of a mixed-race family from Spanish America. As a result of the significant mixing of populations during this time, the term "Hispanic" is often considered independent of racial background.
Hispanic boy from New Mexico, 1940 photograph.
The image of Our Lady of the Pillar wearing her canonical crown
Mestizo is a term primarily used to denote people of mixed Spanish and Amerindian descent in Hispanic America. In certain regions of the continent, it may also refer to anyone who is culturally Hispan
Hispanic
…in the Americas Spanish language in the United States Chavacano Latin Americans Afro-Latin American Amerindians Asian Latin American Criollo people Mestizo Mulatto White Latin American Isleño Americans Black Hispanic and Latino Americans White Hispanic and Latino Americans Hispanic America Hispanic Heritage…
A casta painting of a Spanish man and an Indigenous Mexican woman with their Mestizo child, c. 1763
A casta painting by Miguel Cabrera. Here he shows a Spanish (español) father, Mestiza (mixed Spanish–American Indian) mother, and their Castiza daughter.
Luis de Mena, Virgin of Guadalupe and castas, 1750. The top left grouping is of an indio and an española, with their Mestizo son. This is the only known casta painting with an indio man and española woman.
Casta painting showing 16 hierarchically arranged, mixed-race groupings. The top left grouping uses cholo as a synonym for mestizo. Ignacio Maria Barreda, 1777. Real Academia Española de la Lengua, Madrid.