Updated
Updated · Pew Research Center · Jul 9
Pew Survey Finds 54% of U.S. Hispanics Prefer “Hispanic” as 84% Have Used Pan-Ethnic Labels
Updated
Updated · Pew Research Center · Jul 9

Pew Survey Finds 54% of U.S. Hispanics Prefer “Hispanic” as 84% Have Used Pan-Ethnic Labels

3 articles · Updated · Pew Research Center · Jul 9

Summary

  • 4,923 Hispanic adults surveyed in October 2025 showed no single dominant self-label, though 54% preferred “Hispanic” for the broader group and 30% preferred “Latino.”
  • 35% most often describe themselves by country of origin alone, such as Mexican or Puerto Rican, while another 18% pair origin with “American,” putting origin-based labels ahead of pan-ethnic ones.
  • 84% said they have used a pan-ethnic term at least once, 80% have used their family’s origin on its own, and only 1% each preferred “Latinx” or “Latine.”
  • Generation shaped identity choices: 67% of immigrants most often used origin-based labels, versus 49% of second-generation and 34% of third-plus-generation Hispanics; 40% of the third-plus generation most often used “American” alone.
  • Views on belonging were split almost evenly, with 48% saying they see themselves as a typical American and 51% saying they feel very different from one.

Insights

As federal census categories change, how will the identity of 68 million U.S. Latinos evolve in the coming decade?
If Latino identity weakens across generations, what does this mean for closing the community's multigenerational wealth gap?