We asked Dominic Ledesma, Cooperative Extension’s Language Access Coordinator, to provide some clarification and guidance on the use of the terms Hispanic, Latina(o), and Latinx for identifying ethnicity on demographic self-reporting forms and here is what he said.
While respecting the multiple ways an individual may or may not choose to self-identify, I offer the following perspective. Certain terms are used to systematically identify groups of individuals who share a common sense of identification. However, for terms that are socially constructed, like Hispanic, Latina(o), Latinx, and many others, it can be harder to navigate the context in which these terms are used. Without a single a term that unmistakably applies to everyone who chooses to identify with one or more of these terms or none of them at all, it is always most appropriate to ask when in doubt rather than to assume. Given the absence of a blanket term, simply ask if individuals have a preference on how they self-identify.
As one of the many terms of self-identification used by Brown people, Latinx is becoming widely embraced within the U.S. and for good reasons. The emergence and acceptance of Latinx offers the public a gender-neutral option. This is important because people may consciously choose not to identify along the lines of gender or because people believe in deemphasizing the presence of “gender-based” words in the Spanish language. Before continuing, I think it is important to note the historical and present-day role gender plays in the Spanish language’s linguistic form.
Gender-typing exists in English but in a different way than it does in Spanish. In the Spanish language, gender is arbitrarily assigned to nouns and the words that modify them. That being said, it is important to emphasize the fact that words with gender-based declensions in the Spanish language are rooted in a form of arbitrary assignment. However, some may point out that gender-based terms of identification in any language are conditioned by social hegemony and/or associated with other forms of power structures. My point is that whether people use terms that are considered by some to be gender-based or whether they consciously opt for a gender-neutral term like Latinx, no one is wrong.
The term Latinx seems to be a preferred term used non-exclusively by certain groups and within specific contexts. In the present day, the term appears to be most commonly used among younger generations, especially the U.S.-based population. The term also frequently appears and is used in academic settings as well, like higher education. Its use in present day speech seems less common among older generations and/or those who were born outside of the U.S. In this case, most immigrants or adult populations still identify with their country of origin (i.e. Mexican, Dominican, etc.) or have come to incorporate the use of Hispanic/Latina(o). For the record, these terms also receive their fair share of critique and criticism which is beyond the scope of this blog post.
While growing in popularity, the term Latinx has established itself as a term of choice, rather than the term of choice. Using the term Latinx, for most intents and purposes, will not lead to significant confusion. However, there could be some confusion among two populations if the term is used indiscriminately: First, among our colleagues who are not familiar with the emergence of this term. (In fact, I have had more conversations with colleagues on the differences between Hispanic and Latina/o than I have on the emergence of Latinx). Second, use of Latinx could be confusing for some of our older members of the public, particularly immigrant populations, who are not familiar with the term’s place as a gender-neutral option. In my opinion, if anyone’s unfamiliar with this socially constructed term it is probably because they are unfamiliar with its backstory on how it has emerged in society.
Since questions about appropriate use of socially constructed terms comes up most frequently with our demographic self-reporting form, it is a good idea to offer our colleagues an option that helps strike a balance. With a goal of being sensitive to how members of our public choose to identify, here is my recommendation that has been approved for use by the Director of Diversity and Inclusion:
__ Hispanic, Latina(o), or Latinx
