SAN ANTONIO – As if there weren’t already enough words to describe people of Latin American descent -- Latino, Hispanic, Chicano, Tejano -- now there’s a new term.
Latinx is a term that seems to be popping up more often in the last couple of years, but research reveals that still very few Latinos identify with it.
A recent Pew Research survey revealed that only 3% of the U.S. Hispanic population use the term Latinx and only 1 in 4 have even heard of it.
Even if few Hispanic people know what it means, Latinx is now a part of the culture, so here’s everything you need to know about the term.
What does Latinx mean?
In 2018 Latinx was added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary and is defined as a gender-neutral alternative to Latino or Latina. It is not a race but considered a racial identity.
When did the term first start being used?
The origins of the term are unclear and some have the term being created in the early 2000s but it really started to trend in the past decade in the United States.
Who identifies as Latinx?
Any Latino can identify with the term but according to Pew Research, the LGBTQ community and younger generations identify as Latinx more than others. It is also used more often by Hispanic women than men.