A Guide to Latinx Terms

Grouping the diverse Spanish-speaking diaspora into one ethnicity with a term such as Latino or Hispanic came about in the United States in the 1970s after groups lobbied the U.S. government to represent them in Census counts. Here’s what different terms mean:

Latino The masculine term used in English, Spanish and Portuguese to refer to United States residents with cultural ties to Latin America. Can include Brazilians, Haitians and people of Spanish descent.

Latina The feminine term used in English, Spanish and Portuguese to refer to United States residents with cultural ties to Latin America. Can include Brazilians, Haitians and people of Spanish descent.

Hispanic A term referring to Spaniards, or people of Spanish descent, but not to people with ethnic ties to Central and South America.

Latinx A gender-neutral way to refer to U.S. residents of Latin American cultural or ethnic identity that has grown in popularity with advocates for gender fluid and non-binary individuals in recent years. Plural: Latinxs.

Latine A synonym for Latinx Latin@ A synonym for Latinx

Sources: Pew Research Center, Rosetta Stone, Mic, Wikipedia