Latino/a/x Communities

Latino and Hispanic are terms often used interchangeably in the U.S., yet they mean different things. Hispanic relies on linguistic heritage and refers to those who speak Spanish and/or are descended from Spanish-speaking populations. Latino refers to those who may consider themselves of Latin American ancestries. Because Spanish — a language imposed by colonization of Indigenous peoples in what we now know as Latin America — is a gendered language, some use the term Latinx. This circumvents a binary choice (Latino vs. Latina, male vs. female) that excludes those who identify as gender fluid or nonbinary. Many identify by their country of origin or that of their ancestors, or by their specific Indigenous identities. The selections of PBS and PBS Wisconsin programming presented here express the diversity of this wide array of cultures, histories, and experiences that animate and enrich our communities.
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