As language and identity continue evolving, knowing when to use certain terms can be tricky. One complex case includes the usage of Hispanic, Latino/a, Latinx and Latine. What do they mean? What are the differences between them? Which should be used?
Assistant Professor of Latin American Studies Christina Baker, Assistant Professor of Philosophy César Cabezas, and Professor of Spanish and Portuguese Augusto Lorenzino share their perspectives on the definitions, history, evolution and cultural nuances of these terms to identify individuals and their communities.
Temple Now: What’s the difference between Hispanic and Latino/a?
Baker: From a language perspective, these terms have roots and deep histories. Layers of naming come from those with the power to construct identity. Hispanic is a term that is derived from Hispania. It’s then anglicized and used first in formal documents in the U.S. Census in 1970. Many people have identified with a direct link to Spain and a heritage of Spanish people. It also references their identity as a Spanish speaker.
But many turn to Latino to distance themselves from the colonized past of the Spanish. Latino can also mean non-Spanish speaker. It comes from Latinoamerica, and it’s gendered. The grammar rules of Spanish as defined by the Real Academia Española in Spain make terms masculine and feminine. As the term Latino became institutionalized in academic spaces, Latina was added to recognize that female contributions are in many ways different than their male counterparts. They have other questions and urgencies about representation, voting rights, rights over their body and ways of producing knowledge.
Cabezas: Hispanic versus Latino is contested because of xenophobia and the way Latinos are racialized in the U.S. Hispanic excludes certain groups from Latin America, and there are Latinos or Latinas who don’t feel comfortable emphasizing their heritage because of colonization. There’s friction between those who want to highlight their Spanish heritage and those who see it as this colonial legacy. Additionally, these terms may not include Brazilians who sometimes but not always identify as Latino/a. Their self-identification is contested as well.
And as mentioned, not every Latino/a speaks Spanish, both because they might be children or grandchildren of immigrants who may not have learned the language and because some speak other languages such as indigenous languages or Portuguese.
TN: What is Latinx? What is Latine?
Cabezas: Latinx stems from an attempt to be more inclusive of nonbinary individuals. The “o” ending is supposed to be gender-neutral in Spanish, but it is also the masculine ending. There are critiques that the Spanish language is male-centric, so activists have tried to change the endings. There’s debate about the origin of Latinx, and it’s a contested label. A source of contestation in the U.S. comes from an older generation of self-identified Latinos or Hispanics who dismiss gender-neutral language. They also argue that Latinx butchers the language because the “x” ending doesn’t exist in Spanish. They view it as a form of U.S. imperialism in which American activists are telling them how to use their language and forcing this term that native Spanish speakers can’t pronounce. There’s also an assumption that Latinx originated in the U.S., but there’s evidence of uses of it in Latin America from feminist movements trying to decenter the maleness of the Spanish language.
If the critique of Latinx is that it’s not pronounceable by native Spanish speakers because the “x” ending isn’t part of the language, one way to still be inclusive of nonbinary people is to create an alternative ending that’s easier to pronounce and follows Latin-inspired grammar. That results in Latine (lah-TEE-ney), which is easy for Spanish speakers to use, and it’s gender-neutral. The “e” ending is already part of social movements in Latin America to make Spanish more inclusive of nonbinary people. It’s supposed to be the best of both worlds where you can signal your support for nonbinary identities, and you don’t have to worry about this Anglo imposition on Spanish speakers. Many young people are shifting to use Latine.
Baker: I tend to use Latinx. I use Latine (and the e) when writing in and speaking Spanish, but when I’m in a broader public or in the U.S. I use the “x” because not everyone speaks Spanish in Latin America. Some argue it can’t be pronounced, but it’s an interesting idea because there’s power in not knowing how to pronounce it because some are on the outside. There are certain things that aren’t meant for certain people.
For me, the "x" also has other indicators. In some ways, it’s a multiple signifier that calls to communities that have long fought for recognition. Some people marked their existence in documents with “x.” The "x" also denotes so many ways of crossing identities symbolically, literally and practically. It also opens us up to think about indigenous populations that have their own identity and may not identify with Spanish or any other Latin-derived language. I go with an open-ended space of recognition in “x,” which is why I use Latinx. For me, it’s a choice to think about and make room for others.
Lorenzino: Latinx sounds too academic to me. There’s something about the “x” that doesn’t look right. It feels like an imposition from the Anglo culture. Latinx is used more by the Anglo community rather than the Hispanic or Latino community. It’s hard to pronounce in certain parts of Spanish.
Romance languages like Spanish derive from Latin. The “e” ending in Latine comes from Latin, which had three genders: masculine, feminine and neutral. Language always changes, and it will continue changing to reflect these new social realities and the multiple ways people use to identify themselves.
TN: Why are there different terms to identify individuals with Spanish or Latin roots?
Cabezas: People use different terms based on whatever best describes how they feel. That’s part of why there’s so much variety. Individuals also have different experiences and relationships to their identities. Some people may find that their Spanish heritage is important to them, so they’ll use Hispanic, for instance.
It also has to do with the labels imposed on them. In the U.S. the main label or category for this community has been Hispanic for a long time. People have built their identity around it, and there’s a resistance to change.
Some of the disagreement around the Latinx and Latine identity is a rejection of the political motivation to be more inclusive of nonbinary individuals. There’s also a concern about the influence of U.S. academia and social norms and how they’re forcing an already oppressed group to change the way they speak.
TN: Which term should be used? What’s recommended or preferred?
Baker: I don’t think there’s one answer. People should use the term they feel comfortable with, even if it’s not one of the above options. They may prefer something like Mexican American, Cuban, Guatemalan or Salvi. Often more important to someone is not if they use those terms but where they or their family have roots. Then they might say secondarily Latina, Latinx or Hispanic.
There’s also a sense of recognizing broader trends. Ultimately, it’s my place to respect people using what they want and to speak to diversity. There are a lot of options, so it’s what someone wants to be called.
Lorenzino: What I like about these terms is people get to pick what they want to be called. There’s not just one term that describes a particular person. Sometimes I call myself Argentine, sometimes Latino Americano, sometimes Latino, sometimes Hispanic. It depends on the identity I want to convey, and I can go from one word to another depending on the situation. I see young people do this as well.
Language academies are always behind real changes; young generations drive the change. It’s fascinating because it’s about language in real use. This debate helps us understand the complexity, and it’s something we can learn through practice and asking someone which is the right word for them that conveys their identity.
Cabezas: For those of this descent, there’s not a wrong answer on how to identify. It depends on what aspect of that identity you relate to. For people who don’t identify as this descent, it might be preferable to use the gender-inclusive term, either Latinx or Latine. If you’re talking to a specific person, you can ask how they identify and use what they prefer.
If everyone were able to identify how they want, I don’t think they’d have as much trouble. Maybe the question should be how you identify instead of what term should you use. Then there shouldn’t be disagreement. You’re called what you want to be called.