“Latino” and “Hispanic” have long been the most prominent terms used to describe people in the US with roots in Latin America and Spain. But in recent years, “Latinx” has become a de facto gender-neutral alternative to Latino and Hispanic, according to a new study from race and ethnicity researchers.
Despite increased awareness of the term among Latinos — 47% have heard of it — only 4% or 1.9 million people use “Latinx” to describe themselves, a 1 percent increase since 2019, according to the Pew Research Center survey .
“Latinx is more widely known among U.S. Latinos today, but few still embrace it,” said Mark Lopez, Pew’s director of race and ethnicity research.
Of Latinos who have heard the term, 36% consider using the term a bad thing rather than a good thing, the survey found.
And with mixed opinionsA new term has emerged about ‘Latinx’: ‘Latine’ (pronounced LA TEE NEH). That term has become popular among people from Latin American countries and Spanish speakers who have pushed for the use of the term instead of “Latinx” because in Spanish “e” can be used to better emphasize gender neutrality, said Josh Guzmán, an associate professor of gender studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In the US, ‘Latinx’ is more popular than ‘Latine’. According to the Pew survey, only 18% of Hispanics have heard of the latter. Yet 75% of U.S. Latinos surveyed believe these terms should not be used to describe the population, with 81% largely preferring “Hispanic” and “Latino.”
Guzmán said it is still important to respect those who use both terms.
“There are already so many differences within Latin communities that academics have begun to debate whether there will ever be a term that will be sufficient to cover all the different components of this identity,” Guzmán said.
Jasmine Odalys, host of the podcast “Hella Latin@,” said the term “Latinx” feels more corporate, more politically correct and very American.”
“I think it came from a community that wanted to feel recognized and seen,” Odalys said. “I think it’s led to companies maybe taking it and making it so that it’s a blanket term for our community. I think we’re almost perpetuating the problem if we have one kind of quote-unquote-inclusive term, but then it doesn’t encompass everyone’s experiences.”
“Hispanic” was coined by the federal government for people descended from Spanish-speaking cultures. But for some it has connotations of political conservatism and emphasizes a connection to Spain and its colonial past. It is sometimes incorrectly interchanged with ‘Latino’ or ‘Latinx’.
Latin Americans are not a monolithand there are multiple identifiers that depend largely on personal preference. Mexican Americans who grew up during the civil rights era of the 1960s can identify as Chicano. Others may use their family’s nation of origin, such as Colombian American or Salvadoran American. For some, Latino reflects their ties to Latin America.
According to Guzmán, the use of the @ sign with “Latin” began to become popular among Chicana feminists in the early 1990s, with the rise of the Internet. The word “Latinx” can also be traced back to Latino youth and queer culture in the ’90s, as a nod to people’s indigenous roots.
In the early 2000s, “Latinx” began to gain popularity when gay communities in Latin America began using the “x” in different words, such as “bexos” instead of “besos,” Spanish for “kisses,” Guzmán said.
Eventually, the use of the letter “x” circulated to the United States, and it stuck.
In 2017, Elisabeth Rosario founded the “Latinx Collective,” a newsletter highlighting achievements within the community. Rosario said the name choice was a conscious effort to be open and inclusive.
“Language will always evolve, and culture will always evolve, and the way people think about their identity,” Rosario said. “I think we just have to be very aware of what makes people comfortable. And you’re never going to make an entire group happy.”
Three years ago, Luis Torres founded the group “Queer Latinxs in Tech.” Torres said that in the San Francisco Bay Area, where he lives, there is a strong emphasis on inclusivity, and he wanted to reflect that and respect people’s gender identity and pronouns.
Despite choosing “Latinxs” as the group’s name, Torres said he and his friends change the term they use when they’re not sure who’s around and depending on what feels more comfortable. With friends, he uses “Latino” instead of “Latinx” because it feels more natural to him.
“I think it’s all about intention,” Torres said. “I think people who are purposefully, in good conscience, trying to create a safe and inclusive environment use that word.”
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