CHSU Discovery

This study will aim to identify the Latino/a/e/x communities’ perspectives regarding the term Latinx. The term originated in the early 2000s and began gaining popularity with the media around 2010 (Guidotti-Hernández, 2017). The term later gained traction in academia a decade later. The term began circulating in the Latino/a/e/x and LGBTQ+ community as a term of identification that left out the inherent gender use of the Spanish language. However, there is a misconception that the term Latinx originated outside the Latino/a/e/x community. Recent polls from the Pew Research Center show a general dislike for the term from the Latino/a/e/x community (2020). This study proposes to expand on the literature regarding the favorability of the term while also questioning why the community is hesitant to embrace the term Latinx. The researchers hypothesize that the Latino/a/e/x community has not embraced the term due to prejudice, bias, and the belief that the community itself did not create it. The hypothesis was generated after an analysis of the existing literature. It should be noted that literature regarding why the Latino/a/e/x community has not embraced the term is sparse. For the study, the researchers will aim to recruit approximately 220 participants from the Latino/a/e/x community; this estimate will ensure that power remains at .08 (Frost, 2022). The survey will be administered in English and Spanish and include an acculturation scale. The researchers hope the findings will give the field of psychology and academia a better understanding of the term Latinx from the community it seeks to represent.