‘Latinx’ Label Is So Despised by Latinos It’s Moving Them to Trump: Study

Depending on where you live or your social media algorithms, you might have seen the term “Latinx” used to describe Hispanics and Latinos over the last few years, as a gender-neutral way to refer to people of Latin American descent or cultural identity in the United States. But new research suggests that not only do many of those exact people dislike it, the word itself may even be pushing them away from the Democratic Party.

“Latinx” entered the mainstream lexicon around 2016, gaining traction through its use by liberal celebrities, media and politicians. Democratic figures like Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden have used the term in public statements. During the 116th Congress, between 2019 and 2021, half of Democratic representatives used it on social media, while Republicans did not use it once.

While “Latinx” was intended to be an inclusive term by progressives, it has had the opposite effect among many in the Latino community. A Pew Research survey found that 75 percent of Latinos familiar with the term say it should not be used to describe the Hispanic population, with 36 percent believing it has negative connotations.

Now, a new study conducted by professors Amanda Sahar d’Urso from Georgetown and Marcel F. Roman from Harvard University, goes further. Their research found that the label not only alienates Latino voters but may also actively push them toward Republican candidates.

“Latinos and Hispanics often dislike the term and, as a result, are more inclined to support the Republican Party or withdraw support for Democratic candidates,” Roman said in an interview with Newsweek.

He said that part of the backlash stems from the perception that “Latinx” signals an association with progressive gender and LGBTQ+ issues, which may not resonate with the more socially conservative segments of the Latino community.

Such backlash against the term reflects a broader trend among Latino voters, long thought to be a reliably Democratic voting bloc.

Polls from FiveThirtyEight show Latino support for former President Donald Trump increased in 2020, especially in swing states like Florida and Texas. Experts, including Sahar d’Urso and Roman, attribute this shift to rising concerns over the Democratic Party’s progressive social agenda, which includes terms like “Latinx.”

Evelyn Pérez-Verdia, a communications and cultural context strategist and founder of We Are Más, a South Florida social-impact organization, told Newsweek that Latino voters are moving away from identity-based politics and instead aligning with a broader economic and social conservatism, with many failing to connect with the progressive pitch Democrats have pushed to appeal to them.

“The label ‘Latinx’ has become emblematic of the Democratic disconnect with Latino cultural values. The consequences of the Democrats’ use of triggering messaging and symbols, and not addressing the concerns of our expat communities, will continue to be revealed as more Hispanic Democrats jump off the ship,” she said.

Pérez-Verdia pointed to the summer of 2020 and the rise of Black Lives Matter, coming after the #MeToo movement, as the point at which progressive orthodoxy started to turn off such voters, leading to a backlash that’s now being reflected in polling.

The divide over “Latinx” and related identity issues also intersects with party affiliation within the Latino community. Data from research conducted by d’Urso and Roman found that Latinos who reject the term “Latinx” are statistically less likely to support Democratic candidates.

“Our strongest evidence is from a survey experiment,” Roman said. “We had about 1,000 Latino respondents evaluate two hypothetical politicians making economic appeals to the Latino community. Half saw a politician using ‘Latino,’ and the other half saw one using ‘Latinx.’ Those who saw ‘Latinx’ rated the politician more negatively, were less likely to support them, and felt more negatively toward them.”

Additionally, the professors found that while young Latinas are more inclined to embrace the term, influenced by some movements of inclusive language in Spanish-speaking countries, young Latino men are the ones who reject it the most. Marcel notes that this behavior among Latino men aligns with a larger trend across America as young men become more conservative.

“This trend of young men, including Latinos, showing more conservative leanings is happening broadly. It might reflect difficulties men face adapting to changing social dynamics, like the progress of women in education and the workforce. This broader pattern is indicative of the struggle some young men experience across different communities,” he added.

As visibility — and controversy – around the use of the “Latinx” identifier have grown in recent years, including efforts to ban its use, another gender-neutral term, Latine, has emerged as an alternative. However, a Pew survey from November 2023 found that Latine is largely unknown among U.S. Hispanics, with the majority—81 percent—continuing to prefer the terms Hispanic or Latino when choosing how describe themselves as a group.

As the 2024 election enters its final stretch, the Latino community has taken center stage after a comedian at a New York Trump rally made a racist joke about Puerto Rico and other remarks targeting Hispanics. This week, the Trump campaign worked to ease tensions, while the Harris campaign seized the moment, rallying Latino superstars like Bad Bunny, Marc Anthony, and Jennifer Lopez to their side.

This spotlight on Latino voters reflects an acknowledgment within both parties that their support is up for grabs to a degree it hasn’t been in the past. While the group has historically favored Democrats, recent trends raise concerns for the party. A UnidosUS poll shows Kamala Harris leading Trump among Latino voters, but her 59 percent support is slightly below the 61 percent Joe Biden secured in 2020.

Young Latinos are especially influential this election, with 17.5 million expected to vote and 1 in 5 casting a ballot in a presidential election for the first time. UnidosUS reports that 38 percent of the Latino electorate will be new since 2016, underscoring the group’s growing impact.