More Latinos are becoming aware of the gender-neutral word “Latinx,” but still very few approve of using it, according to the Pew Research Center’s bilingual National Survey of Latinos.
The term, pronounced “Latin-X,” has been pushed into the mainstream in recent years by academics, activists, and entertainers as an alternative to the gendered words “Latino” and “Latina,” but it has failed to catch on.
Only 43% of Latino survey participants are even aware of the term, according to the Pew Research Center’s data.
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New York City’s Mexican-American community celebrates Mexico’s Independence at the annual Mexico Day Parade in midtown New York City, New York. (Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)
That number has more than doubled compared to 2019, when only 23% of Latino and Hispanic poll participants recognized the term.
Only a tiny fraction of those surveyed (4%) actually use the term “Latinx” to describe themselves, according to Pew.
This hasn’t changed much since 2019, when 3% say they refer to themselves as Latinx. Pew Research Center found in their survey of Latinos that a staggering 75% actively contend that “Latinx” should not be used at all.
The exact origins of the term “Latinx” are not clear, but many attribute its creation to LGBT members of Hispanic community to avoid reference to gender. “Latine” is a less common suggestion for a gender-neutral word.
The use of “Latinx” and “Latine” in the U.S. — especially in politics — has always been marked by widespread distaste.
Multiple states have threatened or followed through with a ban on using the term “Latinx” in any official state government communications. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
This has even led multiple states to consider banning the term “Latinx” from their official state government communications.
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Arkansas became the first state in the country to ban “Latinx” in government documents after Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed an executive order on her first day in office last year.
The National Survey of Latinos was conducted between Nov. 6 and Nov. 19, 2023. The program surveys a nationally representative sample of 5,078 Hispanics.
Fox News Digital’s Nikolas Lanum contributed to this report.