Throughout history, the term "Hispanic" has been used to classify a certain part of the world's population without knowing the true meaning of the word. By definition, the term “Hispanic” refers to “of or relating to the people, language, or culture of Spain or Spain and Portugal” (Webster, 2014). Another definition of this term is "of, relating to, or being a person of Latin American descent living in the United States; especially a person of Cuban, Mexican, or Puerto Rican descent" (Webster, 2014). Before you can assume that you are fully aware of this controversial term, you need to remember how the term came into being. The formation of this term began in the early 15th century, when Spain and Portugal began the conquest of the New World. During the 15th century, Spain and Portugal began sending conquerors such as Pizarro and Cortés to the New World in search of. commodities that would benefit from its popularity among other European countries. Furthermore, the possibilities of fame due to new discoveries and other achievements were never far from their minds (Hernández, n.d.). Over the years, historians have found evidence indicating that the uncivilized indigenous tribes "inhabiting the areas of Mesoamerica conquered by the Spanish and Portuguese were actually advanced in their development compared to other tribes (Fox, 2010). The evidence indicates also the hardships and struggles that the indigenous civilization suffered due to the power-hungry behavior of the conquerors who were sent to an "underdeveloped" country by some of the most powerful... .. middle of paper .....is been accepted as a common descriptor, however, speaking from personal experience, I think society should perhaps reconsider how the term is used not only in everyday conversations, but also in more important matters, such as government documents, history texts, etc. .Works CitedReferencesFox, Arturo A.. Latin America: Present and Past Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall;, 2010. Print .Hernández Sánchez, Leonid Elsido. "Conceptions of the Region in Current Problems of Latin American Integration." eumed.net nd (0): n. P. www.eumed.net. Network. May 18, 2014."Hispanic." Merriam-Webster.com. Merriam-Webster, nd Web. May 18, 2014. Santiago, Esmeralda. Conqueror: a novel. New York: Vintage Books, 2012. Print.