Is speaking Spanish necessary to be Hispanic?

What does the Hispanic public think when it comes to the question of whether it is necessary to speak Spanish in order to be considered Hispanic?

On the one hand, Spanish is an important part of Latino culture and identity, with 95% of Latinos saying it is important for future generations to speak Spanish.

At the same time, most Latino adults say it is not necessary to speak Spanish to be considered Latino. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey of Latinos, 71% of Latino adults hold that view while 28% say the opposite.

Among Hispanics, views on speaking Spanish and Hispanic identity differ, though majorities of all key subgroups say speaking Spanish isn't necessary to be considered Hispanic.

For example, 58% of immigrant Hispanics say speaking Spanish isn't a necessary component of Latino identity, as do 87% of U.S.-born Hispanics. The 2015 survey of Latino adults also shows that among Hispanic registered voters, 81% say speaking Spanish is not required to be considered Hispanic.

While language use differs among Hispanics – some speak only English, some speak only Spanish and some are bilingual – Spanish is still a characteristic that, for the most part, unites much of group. About three-quarters of Latinos, no matter where they are from, speak Spanish at home.

Even so, the share that does so at home is declining at the same time that immigration from Mexico has slowed substantially and U.S. births have become the driver of Hispanic population growth. In fact, the share of Latinos who speak only English at home is rising. Today, 27% of Hispanics ages 5 and older live in a household where only English is spoken, compared with 22% in 2006.

Source: Pew Research Center, Is speaking Spanish necessary to be Hispanic? Most Hispanics say no, by Mark Hugo Lopez, February 19, 2016.

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