Who identifies as “Latinx”? An examination of the determinants of the use of Latinx among Hispanic-Latinos in the United States
“Latinx”—a gender neutral variation of “Latino/a”—is increasingly used to describe the Latin American diaspora. Despite expanded use of the term, the 2019 National Survey of Latinos found that just 3% of Hispanic-Latinos have ever used “Latinx” to describe themselves. Drawing on these data, we address three interrelated questions: 1) what factors explain Hispanic-Latinos having heard of the term? 2) What factors are associated with having ever used the term to identify oneself? 3) What explains individuals believing the term should be used to describe the Hispanic-Latino population? We find that sharing a sense of linked fate with other Hispanic-Latinos, greater discrimination experiences, Democratic partisan affiliation, being younger, and having at least some college experience all increase the likelihood of respondents exhibiting greater awareness of the term. However, having ever used Latinx to identify oneself is only associated with personal experiences of discrimination, identifying as Afro-Latino, and being female. Believing the term should be used as a panethnic label is associated with the same factors as those that explain awareness of the term, with the exception of greater education. These findings suggest that while university and college campuses may represent critical sites for raising awareness of the term, this knowledge is not necessarily leading to its active use.