Do You Know the Origin of the 'Inclusive' Term Latinx?

By Mary Anne R. First Posted: Sep 02, 2020 02:48 AM EDT

Latinx is a gender-neutral alternative term to Latina and Latino. The term has also gained a presence in popular culture.

The term Latinx is used to describe a group of people who have roots in Latin America and Spain. Languages, like Spanish, classifies most words as feminine or masculine.

The term Latinx came about as an act of solidarity to include LGBTQIA+ members who may not be classified as male or female.

Alan Aja, a professor in the Puerto Rican and Latin Studies department at Brooklyn College, City University of New York, said that Latinx is an inclusive term that can collectively call people within and outside the gender binary.

Latinx is being used by some media outlets, corporations, local governance, and schools when referring to the country's Hispanic population.

However, a research conducted by the Pew Research Center last December showed that only three percent said they use it to describe themselves. This showed that the use of the term Latinx is not a common practice.

It has even created a debate about its appropriateness in a gendered language like Spanish. Some critics pointed out its origins among U.S. English speakers, adding that it ignores the Spanish language and its gendered form.

Others see the term as a gender-and LGBTQ-inclusive term, which is a wide movement in the U.S. around gender identity.

The term's exact origin is unclear, but it can be traced back to online community forums. Some researchers said that they found its early uses of the "x" in place of the gendered "o" and "a" back to the late 90s.

"We found that after the Pulse Massacre, Latinx was thrust into larger use. Perhaps as an act of resistance, solidarity, and visibility of non-binary gender identities as the LGBTQ+ [community] was being attacked," said Aja and Maria Scharrón-del Río, a professor in the School Counseling Program at the same institution.

Meanwhile, others claimed that the English language is not grammatically gendered. They further noted that "Latinos" is inclusive in both languages, and substitutes like "Latin" and "Hispanic" can describe the population that is Latino and nonbinary.

Pew Research survey showed that 61 percent prefer Hispanic to describe the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S., while 29 percent said they prefer the term Latino.

Meanwhile, only four percent said they prefer to use Latinx to describe the Hispanic or Latino population. The survey added that preference for the Latinx term is high among those aware of the term.

The term Latinx is known in about one in four Latinos. However, only three percent said they use it to describe themselves. Younger Latinos know the term Latinx more compared to older Latinos.

Some seven percent of those ages 18 to 29 said they have used the term, while only two percent or fewer of those ages 30 and older said the same.