Latinx

Latinx ( lə-TEE-neks) is a neologism used to refer to people with Latin American cultural or ethnic identity in the United States. The term aims to be a gender-neutral alternative to Latino and Latina by replacing the masculine ⟨-o⟩ and feminine ⟨-a⟩ ending with the ⟨-x⟩ suffix. The plural for Latinx is Latinxs or Latinxes. The term was first seen online around 2004; it has since been used in social media by activists, students, and academics who seek to advocate for non-binary and genderqueer individuals. Related gender-neutral neologisms include Xicanx or Chicanx as a derivative of Chicano/Chicana. Latinx does not adhere to conventional grammatical gender rules in Spanish, is difficult to pronounce for Spanish speakers, and is criticized as showing disrespect towards the Spanish language as a whole. In Latin America, terms such as Latine and Latin@ have been used to indicate gender-neutrality; however, the Royal Spanish Academy style guide does not recognize gender-neutral language for the Spanish language as grammatically correct. In English, Latin without a suffix has been proposed as an alternative to Latinx. Popular usage of the term among Hispanic and Latino Americans has been generally limited and the reception to the term overwhelmingly negative in this group. Surveys have found that the vast majority prefer other terms such as Hispanic and Latina/Latino to describe themselves with only 2–3% using Latinx. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that roughly half of U.S. Hispanics were not aware of the term Latinx; of those aware of it, 75% said it should not be used to describe the Hispanic or Latino population, preferring instead the terms "Latino" and "Hispanic" by large margins. Reception to the term has been mixed to negative. Of U.S. Hispanic adults familiar with "Latinx", more respondents viewed increased use of the term to be a...