LATINE Vs. LATINX: What They Mean, Why They Matter

Being Latino / Latinx or even using the terms is getting a little more complicated… but we’re kind of here for it. Some of us are even wondering, am I Hispanic or Latino? Gender-inclusive language may be somewhat new to older generations, but many people value the way it offers validity to people within the broader spectrum of genders. Language is always evolving, and with younger generations comes change. This makes us wonder, what is the difference between Latino and Hispanic? Well, what happens if we run accross more updated terms like “Latine” and “Latin@”? Slang is one way that language evolves, but it covers much more than that, and in more languages than we might realize. We addressed this recently when we explored if Spaniards are even “Latino.”

When it comes to the terms Latine or Latinx, the issues around it come down to pronunciation. Spanish as a language doesn’t have very many words with the letter X in them, and it can be difficult for native speakers to pronounce it in a way that feels comfortable. Because of this, some have opted for the gender-neutral usage of Latine as an alternate to Latinx. Latinx v Latine is a fairly young controversy, but among the younger bilingual generations, Latinx seems to be the more popular option. This does not mean it hasn’t had its fair share of critical takes.

What is Latine?

To learn more, watch the full episode here.

In Spectrum South, Yvonne Marquez sheds some light on the “Call me Latine” movement that seems to have been originated by James Lee who has been shedding light on the term as an inclusive variation for you to use if you choose to. According to the site callmelatine.com a definition of Latine looks like this:

Latine (pronounced la·ˈ​ti·​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. This idea is native to the Spanish language and can be seen in many gender-neutral words like “estudiante”. – callmelatine.com

Much of the backlash surrounding the term Latinx comes from the perception that English speakers are pushing a difficult-to-interpret sounding word on Spanish-speaking people, which critics claim is actually less inclusive than it attempts to be. Other critics who have researched the words origins see it as something only US-centric, calling it another way that the United States exerts power over Latin America. Due to these arguments, and the difficulty of translation for older generations who speak less English, many opted to try for a more natural-sounding usage of Latine. Despite a more natural-sounding word, critics still claim that the masculine term Latino should be good enough for everyone to use. Advocates disagree with this.

What makes Latinx or Latine desirable for many, is that Spanish is a very masculine-leaning language. If even a single man enters a space full of women, the term used for the group of them goes from Latinas to Latinos. Inclusivity matters to people, from any culture or language, especially ones who may not identify within the confines of the gender binary. What critics call US-centric or white-washing, advocates call a necessary evolution to a masculine leaning language.

When it comes to Latin Americans or Hispanics, many of them don’t have an objection to gender-neutral terms, only a lack of familiarity. Both terms are more popular among younger generations, but studies have found they don’t use the terms in their homes because translation doesn’t cross well with their older relatives. It also has its difficulty among politicians and corporations, trying hard to use the ‘right’ term to vie for votes or sell more of another product to a certain demographic. What matters, when you get down to the individual, is how people are comfortable referring to themselves. This, as well as creating a space in which communities lead their own terms and how they want to be referred, is more important than what that word ends up ultimately being. Developing a relationship among diverse communities is more important than trying to use certain terms because they might be ‘politically correct.’