"Latinx", a term coined to avoid the gendered inferences of "Latino" and "Latina", has received growing criticism since its inception from those who identify as Latin or Central American. This criticism came to fruition on Thursday when President Joe Biden used the term to describe the Latino populations of America who have been statistically more hesitant to receive the vaccine. Twitter users of Latin descent and not have all taken to criticize the President for using the term, which Latino Americans rarely use themselves and see as an American colonization of their language.
"If an American comes up to me and calls me by latinx i am f****** sueing," said one Twitter user in response to Biden's speech. Others voiced similar disdain for the word: "Speaking as someone that’s 1/4 Dominican, and married to a Latina, can say with the utmost sincerity that I don’t know a single person of Hispanic heritage that considers themselves 'Latinx'. The woke crowd needs to let that one go. It really does just sound silly."
Other users were more focused on Biden's controversial remarks, which read "It’s awful hard, as well, to get Latinx vaccinated as well. Why? They’re worried that they’ll be vaccinated and deported," which many read as racially charged and stereotypical: "Latinos are more offended that Biden called us ' Latinx ' than they are about his assumption that we are all illegal." Another user had a similar stance: "this is such a democrat quote because he used 'Latinx' and then was just straight up racist lmao."
A Pew Research Center Poll conducted last year found that only 3% of Latino Americans used the term "Latinx" and 76% had never even heard of the term.
Do you think the term is useful or necessary? Let us know and check out some reactions below:
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