A variety of terms are used to describe people who are descendants of Latin America (which includes Mexico, Central America, South America and the Caribbean). Some of the terms you may have heard are Hispanic, Latino/a, Latinx, and Latine. Although these terms are sometimes used interchangeably, they each have different origins and meanings within Latin American communities.
Here are definitions of some of the most common different terms:
Hispanic is used to describe communities that are Spanish-speaking or of Spanish origin. It was adopted by politicians in the 1970s during the Nixon administration to classify people of Spanish-speaking origins, particularly those from Latin America. Hispanic comes from the Spanish word Hispania, which referred to the geographical region now known as Spain. Although this is one of the most widely used terms in the United States, it is important to note that some Latin Americans do not have Spanish origin. This term excludes Indigenous and Brazilian populations.
Latin American
Latin American is a person with Latin American origin. This term includes people with Mexican (North America), Central American, South American, and Caribbean origin.
Latino or Latina is a person with origins from Latin America. This term is the second widely used term in the United States. The Spanish language is one of many languages used in Latin America. Spanish typically uses a gender-binary grammar system with words ending in “o” referring to masculine-associated nouns and words ending in “a” referring to feminine-associated nouns. Latino is used to describe a Latin American male and Latina is used to describe a Latin American female.
Latin@
Latin@ is used to refer to both Latino and Latina. This term along with Latino/a (with the dash) was one of the first gender-inclusive variations used. The “@” in Latin@ is seen as a combination of “a” and “o”, but is generally only used in written text.
Latinx
Latinx is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino and Latina. The origin of this term is not fully known, but it is believed that it was first used in the mid-2000s. The “x” does not imply a specific gender, which makes it inclusive of non-binary populations. Latinx is more popularly used in the United States among academic, LGBTQIA+, and non-binary communities. However, some reject this term because the letter “x” was imposed on indigenous languages during Spanish conquest.
Latine
Latine is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino and Latina. This term originated from LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary, and feminist communitiesin Spanish-speaking countries. Latine replaces the “a” and “o” with the gender-neutral Spanish letter “e”. The letter “e” can be found in non-gendered Spanish nouns like “estudiante” (student).
Chicano/a/x
Chicano, Chicana, Chicanx or Xicanx is a person born in the U.S. with Mexican origin. It is believed that Chicano came from mexicano (pronounced meshicano), a word that some Indigenous speakers of Nahuatl called their language. Originally, the term Chicano/a was used by wealthier Mexican-Americans as a derogatory term against low-income Mexican-Americans. In the 1940s Mexican youth who belonged to the Pachuco and Pachuca subculture reclaimed the term and by the 1960s, Chicano became popular due to its use by Mexican-American students participating in the Civil Rights Movement. The term evolved to Xicano/a in the 21st century with gender-inclusive alternatives (Chicanx or Xicanx).
Why Latine?
You may notice that at Cambio Center, we mostly use Latine. Latines have intersectionalities of various identities. Although we know that one term will not encompass all those identities, we use Latine to create an inclusive and welcoming environment for people in our community who come from those various identities. However, we would like to acknowledge that the discourse around which term to use is complex and evolving. Every person has the right to use the term that captures who they are and that feels the most welcoming to them. Regardless of which term you prefer to use, you are welcome at Cambio Center. As we learn we hope to grow and continue working towards an inclusive and welcoming community.
Unlike Latino/a, Latine, and Latinx, which all refer to people with origins in Latin American countries, “Hispanic” refers broadly to Spanish-speaking countries, including Spain.
noun. , plural la·ti·nes. a person of Latin American origin or descent (used especially by Spanish speakers in place of the anglicized gender-neutral form Latinx, the masculine form Latino, or the feminine form Latina ): The voice acting hits me, as a latine, as stereotyped and forced.
Like most historically disenfranchised groups in the United States, some Mexican Americans have taken the term Chicano, previously considered a pejorative word, and used it to empower themselves. Today, the term Chicano is an essential component of the community's revitalization and renewed sense of hope and pride.
Hispanic or Latino origin includes people of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central and South American, Dominican, and other or unknown Latin American or Spanish origin. People of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
Latine came to mainstream use in the late 2010s as another gender-neutral alternative. Both Latinx and Latine replace the letters "a" and "o" as feminine and masculine identifiers. Some argue that the letter "x" does not honor Spanish pronunciation and prefer the use of "e" instead.
Latinx, gender-neutral term referring to someone living in the United States who was born in or has ancestors from Latin America; it is an alternative to the masculine (Latino) and feminine (Latina) forms.
If the group's language is the most important factor (i.e. describing a Spanish-speaking population), Hispanic may be the better choice. If where a person or group comes from (especially if from Latin America or the Caribbean) is most important, Latino and its variations are probably the better choice.
Mexican refers to people who inhabit for are from Mexico, a part of Latin America. Spanish is the main language in Mexico, but not all Mexicans speak the language. This means that people from Mexico are Latino, and they may or may not be Hispanic.
OMB defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
While it is unclear exactly when and where the term emerged, it is clear it emerged from queer Latinx online communities in order to challenge the gender binary. Latiné is also a gender-neutral form of the word Latino, created by gender non-binary and feminist communities in Spanish-speaking countries.
LATINO/LATINA Someone who is native of, or descends from, a Latin American country. The term Latino/Latina includes people from Brazil and excludes those who were born in or descended from Spain. Not all Brazilians identify themselves as Latino/Latina, but many do.
In the English language, the term Latino is a loan word from American Spanish. (Oxford Dictionaries attributes the origin to Latin-American Spanish.) Its origin is generally given as a shortening of latinoamericano, Spanish for 'Latin American'.
The widespread use of the term “Hispanic” began in the U.S. in the 1970s when the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) and other organizations lobbied the federal government to have their community included in the U.S. Census as a distinct ethnic category.
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.
Latine is a gender-neutral or non-binary alternative to Latino and Latina. This term originated from LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary, and feminist communities in Spanish-speaking countries.
Latine (pronounced la·ˈti·ne) is a gender-neutral form of the word Latino, created by LGBTQIA+, gender non-binary, and feminist communities in Spanish speaking countries. The objective of the term Latine is to remove gender from the Spanish word Latino, by replacing it with the gender-neutral Spanish letter E.
OMB defines "Hispanic or Latino" as a person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.
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