Just 4% Of Hispanic or Latino People Prefer the Term ‘Latinx’

The use of the term “Latinx” has been a divisive issue for some time — and a new poll shows that it’s the least popular signifier among Hispanic and Latino people.

Gallup found that only 4% of Hispanic and Latino Americans prefer the term Latinx, a gender neutral signifier that has gained popularity in some circles in recent years. In contrast, the poll — released Wednesday — found that 15% prefer “Latino” while 23% prefer “Hispanic.”

But most don’t really have a preference, the poll found, with 57% reporting “does not matter.” If they had to choose, most respondents leaned toward “Hispanic,” a term that directly signifies being of Spanish-speaking origin. “Latino,” on the other hand, is less specific, referring instead to Latin America as a whole.

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The term “Latinx” was originally intended to be used for folks who fall outside the male/female gender binary {snip} Though the term may make immediate sense to anyone who speaks English, the “x” replacement doesn’t really translate in Spanish {snip}

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The Gallup poll also found that 58% of Black Americans do not care which term — either “Black” or “African American” — is used to describe their racial group. Meanwhile, 17% of respondents said they prefer Black, with an equal amount saying they prefer “African American.”

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