How do factors like language, parental background and last name affect whether someone is considered Hispanic
Many U.S. Hispanics have an inclusive view of what it means to be Hispanic:
78% of Hispanic adults said in a 2022 Center survey that speaking Spanish is not required to be considered Hispanic. English-dominant Hispanics were more likely than Spanish-dominant Hispanics to say so (93% vs. 64%).
33% of Hispanic adults said in a 2019 survey that having two Hispanic parents is not an essential part of what being Hispanic means to them. Another 34% said it was important but not essential and 32% said it was essential.
84% of Hispanic adults said in a 2015 survey that having a Spanish last name is not required.
Views of Hispanic identity may change in the coming decades as broad societal changes, such as rising intermarriage rates, produce an increasingly diverse and multiracial U.S. population.
Today, many Hispanic families include people who are not Hispanic:
Spouses: Among all married Hispanics in 2022, 22% had a spouse who is not Hispanic. And in a 2023 Center survey, 27% of Hispanics with a spouse or partner said their spouse or partner is not Hispanic.
Newlyweds: In 2022, 30% of Hispanic newlyweds married someone who is not Hispanic. Among them, 41% of those born in the U.S. married someone who is not Hispanic, compared with 11% of immigrant newlyweds, according to an analysis of ACS data.
Parents: Our 2015 survey found that 15% of U.S. Hispanic adults had at least one parent who is not Hispanic. This share rose to 29% among the U.S. born and 48% among the third or higher generation – those born in the U.S. to parents who were also U.S. born.
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