Every class that focuses on Latin Americans opens with a conversation on terms. At least, this is true in my experience.

The class is presented with a list of terms—Hispanic, Latino, Latina, Latin@, Latinx, Chicano…the list goes on. 

Latine was the latest to be introduced. 

I heard it for the first time when taking a survey. A question asked, “Have you ever heard the term Latine?” Of course, I answered no, but I was curious what the word meant. 

I was not the only one hearing this term for the first time. According to a Pew Research study, only 1 in 5 Latinos had heard of “Latine” in 2023. 

Before the introduction of Latine, I exclusively used Latinx—a term which carries controversy. It is meant to be a gender-inclusive term that transcends the gender binary of Latino/Latina. However, the issue is not with it being inclusive—at least not in my opinion.

One issue is the “x.” In Spanish, the word does not work phonetically. The “nx” does not usually go together. Language is only the first issue. Some have argued that the use of this term is another example of Latine peoples’ lack of autonomy. The term was placed on them, and they did not have a say in the decision.

Latine is also a gender-fluid term that refers to people with Latin American heritage. Unlike Latinx, it is easier to pronounce in Spanish. The word is said like “La–tee-neh.”

The team at Lo Nuestro decided to use Latine throughout the magazine, website, and branding  because we want to be inclusive. Using the term does not only acknowledge and respect those who are gender-fluid and non-binary but also those who are Spanish speakers.

We are not saying that Latine is the only word that can be used to describe our community. The team presents this term to expand vocabularies and challenge how communities are labeled.