Hispanic (Spanish: hispano, hispánico; Portuguese: hispânico, hispano, Catalan: hispà, hispànic) is an ethnonym that denotes a relationship to Spain or to ancient Hispania, which comprised Andorra, Portugal, Spain and the territory of Gibraltar. Today, organizations in the United States use the term Hispanic to either denote a relationship to Spain or to Spain and Portugal. Some organizations intend to encapsulate only the Spanish-speaking population, limiting the definition to that subset.

The term is also used to denote the culture and people of Spanish colonization of the Americas countries formerly ruled by the Crown of Castile.

Cultural elements (Spanish names, the Spanish language, Spanish customs, etc.), and people known as Hispanic in the United States, can also be found in other areas that were formerly part of the Spanish Empire, such as in Equatorial Guinea in Africa, or the Philippines in Asia-Pacific.

The term Hispanic is derived from Hispanicus, which derived from Hispania) Hispania may in turn derive from Latin Hispanicus, or from Greek Ισπανία Hispania and Ισπανός Hispanos, probably from Celtiberian or from Basque Ezpanna. In English the word is attested from the 16th century (and in late 19th century in American English).

María Elena Salinas (born August 1954) is the co-anchor of Noticiero Univision with Jorge Ramos, the most watched newscast by American Hispanics. She is considered one of the most recognized and influential female Hispanic journalists in the United States.

Her parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1940s. She was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

After a humble beginning as news reader at Radio Xpress XEPRS, a radio station broadcasting to Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California, USA, she promptly jumped into the ranks of KMEX Channel 34 in Los Angeles, California as TV news reporter.

Salinas has interviewed some of the world's most politically influential figures, ranging from U.S. President Jimmy Carter, Mexican President Vicente Fox, Zapatista Army of National Liberation spokesman Subcomandante Marcos and U.S. Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Salinas is one of the founders of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists. She sponsors the Maria Elena Salinas Scholarship for college students interested in Spanish news broadcasting. She also was inducted into the association's Hall of Fame in 2006.

Mario Michael Lopez, Jr. (born October 10, 1973) is an American television host and actor who has appeared on several television series, in films, and on Broadway. He is best known for his portrayal of the character A.C. Slater on Saved By The Bell, which he also portrayed as a regular on Saved by the Bell: The College Years. He has appeared in numerous projects since, including the third season of Dancing with the Stars and as a celebrity guest host for the syndicated entertainment news magazine show Extra. He currently hosts America's Best Dance Crew for MTV.

Lopez was born in San Diego in 1973 to Mexican parents, the son of Elvia, a telephone clerk, and Mario Michael Lopez, Sr., who worked for the municipality of National City. He was raised in a large Catholic family with a younger sister Marissa. Lopez was a high school wrestler. In 1987, his freshman year, he took 7th place at the State tournament.^{[citation needed]} He graduated from Chula Vista High School in 1991.

Lopez's professional career began in 1984 when he appeared as younger brother Tomás in the short-lived ABC comedy series a.k.a. Pablo. That same year, he was cast as a drummer and dancer on Kids Incorporated. In March 1987, he was cast as a guest star on the popular sitcom The Golden Girls as a Cuban boy named Mario who faces deportation. In 1989, Lopez was cast as A.C. Slater in the popular television sitcom Saved by the Bell, a role which lasted five years. Lopez's character was a masculine, athletic student, helping to garner the actor a sizeable teenage-girl fan base. After Saved by the Bell ended in 1993, Lopez went on to reprise his role as A.C. Slater in the short-lived spin-off series Saved by the Bell: The College Years.

Eva Jacqueline Longoria (born March 15, 1975) is an American actress, best known for portraying Gabrielle Solis on the ABC television series Desperate Housewives. Longoria received a nomination for the 2006 Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance on Desperate Housewives.

Longoria first rose to fame on television for portraying Isabella Braña on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 2001 to 2003. She became nationally recognized in the 2000s after appearing in several high-profile advertising campaigns and numerous men's magazines, reaching #14 in the FHM "Sexiest Women 2008" poll, and having appeared on the cover of various international women's magazines including Vogue, Marie Claire and Harper's Bazaar. Longoria has also starred in films such as Harsh Times (2005), The Sentinel (2006) and Over Her Dead Body (2008).

Eva Jacqueline Longoria was born in Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, the youngest of four daughters born to Mexican-Americans Enrique Longoria, Jr. and Ella Eva Mireles. She was raised Roman Catholic. The Longoria family originated in Spain and has resided in Texas since before the creation of the United States, predating the English-speaking settlers.