Unpacking the Term Hispanic and the Homogenizing of Diasporas

Hispanic? Latino/a/e/x? The terms have been used interchangeably to describe people with roots in Spain or Latin America. The lumping of the terms, specifically Hispanic, has been used to refer to a person from Spain, Chile, the Philippines, or Equatorial Guinea. But the ambiguous nature blurs multiple diaspora experiences because of a shared language and loose ancestry, erasing the history of colonization that formed these commonalities. Doing so creates a false sense that they have a shared political interest and lived experiences. So, where exactly did this term come from? Who exactly does it refer to?