The two often overlap, but they don't always match. Two people can share a race and have different ethnicities, like a Black American whose family has been here for generations and a recent immigrant from Nigeria. And people of one ethnicity can be of any race. Latino people, for example, can be Black, white, Indigenous, Asian or mixed.
This is also why "Hispanic" and "Latino" mean different things. Hispanic refers to people from Spain or Spanish-speaking countries, so it's about language. Latino, Latina, Latine and Latinx refer to people with roots in Latin America, which is about geography and culture (Oprah Daily). That's why a Brazilian person can be Latino but not Hispanic.
The categories themselves were built by people, often for political reasons. After the 1960 Census grouped Latin American immigrants with white Americans, activists pushed for a separate category so they could show their communities were underrepresented (University of Chicago). Since the 1970s, federal forms have asked about Hispanic origin as an ethnicity, separate from race. That's why many Latino people checked "some other race." In March 2024, the federal government combined race and ethnicity into one question and added a Middle Eastern or North African category.
It matters because broad labels can hide real needs. Asian Americans include dozens of ethnic groups with very different incomes and histories. So when you can, be specific, and use the words people use to describe themselves.
Common questions
Is Hispanic a race or an ethnicity?
Hispanic is an ethnicity. Hispanic and Latino people can be of any race, which is why US forms asked about it as a separate question for decades.
Can you be more than one race or ethnicity?
Yes. Many people have mixed ancestry, and since 2000 the US Census has let people choose more than one race.
Why does the difference between race and ethnicity matter?
Broad racial labels can hide real differences in income, health and history between ethnic groups. Being specific helps us see who needs what.