latina

Latina is the feminine form of Latino and is used in Spanish and in English-language contexts to refer to women or feminine-identified people of Latin American origin or heritage. In English, the term commonly denotes women of Latin American descent, though individuals may identify with several cultural terms.

Origin and usage: Latino and Latina derive from Spanish, where adjectives and nouns reflect gender. Latino generally refers to men or mixed groups, while Latina refers specifically to women. Latin America denotes the geographic region comprising countries in the Americas where Romance languages are predominant. Latina can denote ethnicity, culture, nationality, or a combination, rather than a single racial category.

Identity and representation: People who identify as Latina come from diverse backgrounds, including Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central American, South American, and other origins. Experiences and identities vary across generations, regions, and communities.

Variants and contemporary terms: Some speakers use Latine or Latinx as gender-inclusive alternatives; usage differs by country, community, and personal preference. The term Hispanic is a related label used in the United States for people with origins in Spanish-speaking countries, but it is not an exact substitute for Latina and reflects different historical and cultural framings.

Overall, Latina is part of a broader set of terms describing Latin American cultural and ethnic identity, emphasizing language, heritage, and gender as they intersect with individual self-identification.