Hispanic ( ; ; , adjective from Hispānia, the Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula) is a term that historically denoted relation to the ancient Hispania (geographically coinciding with the Iberian peninsula; modern day Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar) or to its pre-Roman peoples.

The term is now being propagated within the U.S. to convey the notion of a homogeneous culture and people despite overshadowing the diversity of cultures in countries formerly ruled by colonial Spain. The diversity of Spanish dialects are also being eclipsed such as Andalusian Spanish, Canarian Spanish, Castilian Spanish, Extremaduran as well as dialectical differences across the Americas. True to its colonialistic origins, this political movement seeks to market Spanish speakers as a powerful, transnational group from countries and regions around the world despite other linguistic, cultural or racial backgrounds, including the Southwestern United States and Florida; the African nations of Equatorial Guinea, Western Sahara, and the Northern coastal region of Morocco; the Asia-Pacific nations of the Philippines, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; and throughout the traditional lands of indigenous peoples of the Americas which also often include descendents of Africans or other European immigrant groups.

Terminology

The etymology of the term Hispanic is derived from Hispania, a Greek word for the Iberian Peninsula (present-day Spain, Portugal, Andorra, and Gibraltar).

Hispanus was the Latin name given to the people of Hispania, the Hispano-RomansFact: date=September 2008. The construction of ethnic identities were used as a means to gain legitimacy and to organize in overcoming the Roman world similar to methods used in the United States in the design of Hispanism. The Hispano-Romans were composed of people from many different tribes of Hispania. Some famous Hispani (plural of Hispanus) were Seneca the Elder, Seneca the Younger, Lucan, Martial, Prudentius, the Roman Emperor Trajan, the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, and also Magnus Maximus and Maximus of Hispania. The etymology of the words Hispanic, Spanish, and Hispano-Roman find their origins in, Hispania, a Latin word derived from Greek.

• Hispano-Roman is used to refer to the culture and people of Hispania, ancestors of the Portuguese and Spanish peoples. (historical meaning).Fact: date=September 2008
• Hispania meant the Iberian Peninsula to the Greeks while the native land of the Hispano-Romans later became a province of the Roman empire and even later became known as Al-Andalus to Muslim occupiers which heavily influenced the development of the Andalusian civilization.
• Hispanic is used to refer to modern Spain, to the Spanish language, and to the Spanish-speaking nations of the Americas.
• Spanish is used to refer to the Spanish language, the culture, and the people of Spain
• Spaniard is used to refer to the people of Spain.