Latino people from all 50 states shape American culture and politics, but despite their diversity, they are too often viewed as belonging to a single category. That diversity appears across the U.S.: In New Mexico, where hispanos have deep connections to Spanish culture; in South Texas, where some Mexican-Americans express disdain for the country just a few miles south; in Miami, where cubanos differentiate themselves from Hispanics; and in New York City, where Puerto Rican immigrants have been linked with with the local Black community.

This Hispanic Heritage Month, Héctor Tobar, an associate professor of literary journalism and Chicano/Latino studies at UCI, joins the UCI Podcast to discuss the origins of the term “Latino,” the various Latinx cultures he encountered during a road trip across America for a story he published in Harper’s Magazine, and how the lives of all Latinx people are influenced by U.S. imperialism.

In this episode:

Héctor Tobar, associate professor of literary journalism and Chicano/Latino studies

“Home Country: What does it mean to be Latino?“ an article for Harper’s Magazine written by Héctor Tobar

“This author traveled across the country to ask: What does it mean to be Latino?“ a PBS News Hour segment about Héctor Tobar’s 9,000-mile road trip and magazine story

Full transcript