𝗘𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀

By Mercedes Sullivan – VP, HR Storefront

The search for a unifying Latino identity in America has evolved significantly.

It’s messy:

– 𝟭𝟵𝟲𝟬𝘀: Efforts to create a unifying Latino identity for political representation begin.

– 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟬: “Hispanic” appears on the U.S. Census, unifying Spanish-speakers but excluding non-Spanish speakers and Indigenous communities.

– 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟬𝘀: “Latino” and “Latina” become popular, offering a gendered alternative to Hispanic but maintaining traditional Spanish gender rules.

– 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬𝘀: “Latin@” is introduced online as a gender-neutral shorthand but fades due to pronunciation challenges.

– 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟬𝘀: “Latinx” gains traction in academia and activism as a gender-neutral option, but by 2020, only 3% of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos use it.

– 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟬𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁: “Latine” emerges as a more linguistically natural gender-neutral term, with less than 25% familiarity with “Latinx” according to Pew Research.

𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀:

– 𝗕𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗢𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗻: Many prefer to identify by their family’s country (e.g., Mexican, Cuban).

– 𝗣𝗮𝗻-𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗧𝗲𝗿𝗺𝘀: Some use “Hispanic” or “Latino,” though preferences vary.

– 𝗔𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: U.S.-born and third-generation Latinos often identify as “American.”

– 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆: “Latinx” and “Latine” are used to include gender diversity.

– 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆: Terms like Afro-Latino, Chicano, or Indigenous identities reflect specific cultural experiences.

Phew.

I don’t blame you if you still don’t follow!