The terms Latinos use to descr ibe their identity differ across immigrant generations % saying they most often use to identify themselves
The terms Hispanics in the United States use to describe themselves can provide a direct look at how they view their identity and how the strength of immigrant ties influences the ways they see themselves. About half of Hispanic adults say they most often describe themselves by their family’s country of origin or heritage, using terms such as Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican or Salvadoran, while another 39% most often describe themselves as “Hispanic” or “Latino,” the pan-ethnic terms used most often to describe this group in the U.S.
The use of these terms varies across immigrant generations and reflects their diverse experiences. More than half (56%) of foreign-born Latinos most often use the name of their origin country to describe themselves, a share that falls to 39% among the U.S.-born adult children of immigrant parents (i.e., the second generation) and 33% among third- or higher-generation Latinos.
The terms Latinos use to descr ibe their identity differ  | across immigrant generations  | % saying they most often use to identify themselves  | Country of heritage  | Hispanic  | American  | or Latino  | AII Hispanics  | 47  | 39  | 14  | Foreign born  | 56  | 40  | Second generation  | 39  | 39  | 22  | Third or higher  | 33  | 34  | 33  | generation  | Note: Forel lgn born includes those born in Puerto Rico. Second generation refers to those  | born in the 50 states or District of Columbia to at least one fore gn-born parent. Third  | generation refers to those born in the 50 states or D.C to parents who are also U.S. born,  | No answer responses not shown.  | Source: National Survey of Latinos conducted Dec. 3-23, 2019  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 