What Race Are Latinos? Examination of Ethnoracial Identity and Experiences of Latino Sexual Minority Men in the United States

Background and Purpose: The U.S. Latino population is characterized by ongoing debates over identity labels and terms, partly due to the lack of consensus over who is considered “Latino.” Although the U.S. Census asks respondents about Hispanic origin and race separately, confusion or disagreement with such terms may lead individuals to mark “Other” when reporting their race. These data have important implications for understanding the U.S. Latino population and for the development and delivery of health and social services. There is limited data regarding the experiences of Latinos who mark “Other” to report their race—this is particularly true of Latinos with multiple marginalized identities, such as gay, bisexual and other sexual minority men (SMM). To address this gap, we (1) examined factors associated with selecting standard U.S. Census race categories (e.g., Black, White, etc.) versus selecting "Other" to report one's race among Latino SMM; and (2) assessed differences across identity-related experiences including discrimination, connectedness to one’s racial group, race-based socialization, queer/gay community attachment, and beliefs of skin tone, among the racial categories.

Methods: We analyzed data from a national study of SMM, which recruited participants through social media/dating apps. Participants reported sociodemographic characteristics including education and country of origin. Race and ethnicity were assessed using a set of questions consistent with the U.S. Census, which asked whether participants were Latino/Hispanic and asked about racial identification with a list of options, which included “Other.” We assessed participants’ sexual and racial identity-based discrimination, skin color beliefs, ethnoracial socialization and beliefs of belonging to Latino community. We used chi-square or t-tests to assess differences in sociodemographic characteristics between participants that selected a U.S. Census race and those that selected “Other.” Then, we examined group differences (selected a U.S. Census race vs. “Other”) across ethnoracial and sexual identity-related constructs using ANOVAS.

Results: Participants who selected a U.S. Census race category were more likely to have a bachelor’s degree and less likely to have been born outside the U.S. than those who selected “Other.” Analyses revealed that experiences of race-related discrimination was lower among White-Latinos relative to all other groups. Self-reported skin color also differed across racial categories with “Other” Latino SMM reporting lighter skin tones (M=5.84, SD:1.81) than Black/Afro-Latino SMM (M=7.40, SD:1.94, p<.01) and darker skin tones than White-Latino SMM (M=4.41, SD:1.96, p<.01). "Other" Latino SMM reported being more satisfied with their skin color (M=7.48, SD:2.02) than Multiracial-Latino SMM (M=7.11, SD:2.10, p<.01), but less satisfied than Black/Afro-Latino SMM (M=8.42, SD:1.11, p<.01). Reports of racial socialization processes were higher among Black/Afro-Latinos than all other groups.

Conclusions and Implications: Findings point to differences across discrimination, skin color beliefs, and ethnoracial socialization among Latino SMM who identify as “Other” compared to other racial groups. “Other” Latino SMM may have unique preferences, perspectives, and experiences that warrant tailored health and social services. Social work practitioners and researchers should be attentive to the nuanced understanding of racial identity among Latino SMM when delivering care.