A study by the Pew Research Center examined the growing awareness and use of the term "Latinx" among the U.S. Latino population. Although more Latinos have become aware of the term since 2019, when only 23% knew about it, there is still a significant portion (50%) who have never heard of it. In 2023, 47% of Latinos said they were aware of the term, but its use remains limited: only 4% of the Hispanic population describes themselves as "Latinx”, a slight increase from 2019, when that number was 3%. This represents about 1.9 million people.

Despite its growing visibility, "Latinx" faces criticism and controversy, as well as being little known or used by most Hispanics. In addition, another gender-neutral alternative, "Latine”, considered more Spanish-friendly, emerged in the late 2010s but is still largely unknown (79 percent of Latinos have never heard of it), NBCNews reports.

The debate over pan-ethnic terms, such as "Hispanic”, “Latino”, and "Latinx”, reflects the diversity and growth of the Latino population in the U.S. The word "Hispanic" was initially adopted in the 1960s by civil rights groups, as a way to identify and meet the needs of Latino communities. Later, other terms emerged, such as "Latino" and "Latinx," with "Latino" being the only one, other than "Hispanic," present on U.S. census forms.

The study also revealed other relevant conclusions:

●     Latinos with a college degree (74%) and young adults ages 18-29 (60%) are more likely to know the term "Latinx”.

●     Sixty-seven per cent (67%) of Latinos who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are familiar with "Latinx," but only 13% use it to describe themselves.

●     Nine per cent (9%) of Afro-Latinos say they use "Latinx."

●     About one-third (36%) of Latinos who know the term believe its widespread use is "a bad thing," while 12% see it as "a good thing," and 38% don't have a definite opinion on the subject.

This data reflects the complexity surrounding the acceptance and use of terms such as "Latinx," which attempt to accommodate the diversity of identities within the Latino community but face challenges in gaining popularity and consensus.