The White House is promoting a number of initiatives for National Hispanic Heritage Month and appears to be avoiding a controversial term in the process.
President Joe Biden spoke earlier this week at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute awards gala, while Vice President Kamala Harris spoke with the institute’s chairwoman, Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragan (D-CA). But the Biden administration has stuck to the terms “Hispanic,” “Latino,” and Latina” to describe the efforts, avoiding the gender-neutral “Latinx.”
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“Today marks the first day of Hispanic Heritage Month, when we honor the rich history and values the Hispanic community contributes to our nation,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Sept. 15. “We reaffirm that diversity is one of our country’s greatest strengths. The Hispanic community enriches our neighborhoods, small businesses, workshop, media, and arts. We uplift the voices and accomplishments of the Hispanic community not only during this month but throughout the year.”
The White House has seen slipping support among Hispanic voters since Biden took office and has committed a few gaffes along the way.
Republicans hit out at Biden in June 2021 when he said it’s hard to “get Latinx vaccinated as well. Why? They’re worried that they’ll be vaccinated and deported.” Conservatives criticized the statement for its use of “Latinx” and the implication that all Hispanics are illegal immigrants.
A 2020 study from the Pew Research Center found that only one-fourth of American Latinos had heard of the term, just 3% used it across all major Democratic subgroups, and that many criticize it for ignoring the Spanish language and its gendered form.
Another poll found that only 2% refer to themselves as Latinx, while 40% said they were offended by the term and 30% said they’d be less likely to vote for a candidate who used it.
One year later, first lady Jill Biden drew widespread ridicule on July 11 for remarks made at the Latinx IncluXion Luncheon in San Antonio, where she said the Hispanic community is as distinct as bodegas and as unique as breakfast tacos.
She drew criticism for the name of the event and the comparisons.
“Maybe if we rebrand the Southern Border as Souxern BorderX, Joe Biden will finally visit?” tweeted Texas congressional candidate Cassy Garcia, who is vying to unseat Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) in a Texas border district and now sells “Unique as a Taco” T-shirts to help fuel her campaign.
But groups outside the conservative sphere also weighed in. The National Association of Hispanic Journalists released a statement saying, “We are not tacos,” while The View’s Sunny Hostin said, “It was a racial stereotype.”
White House communications staff released an email the next day listing “Latinx” among the communities that would benefit from the American Rescue Plan but has not used the term since.
“Democrats’ made-up, offensive terminology shows that Democrats don’t care about understanding or listening to the Latino community,” said Republican National Committee spokeswoman Nicole Morales. “While Democrats are preoccupied figuring out when to use or not use their made-up terms, Republicans are focused on fixing the economy, making our neighborhoods safe, and empowering parents and students in the classroom. Democrats are pandering to win the ‘Latinx’ voters, while Republicans are earning and winning the Latino vote.”
The Biden administration never fully embraced the term, using “Latina,” “Latino,” and “Hispanic” much more often since Joe Biden took office.
But Democrats still haven’t completely abandoned using “Latinx.” The U.S. Senate held a “Special Latino Brunch” to celebrate “Hispanic & Latinx Heritage Month” on Thursday.
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Republicans feel confident they can make inroads with Hispanic voters as Joe Biden and Democrats lose their grip.
The GOP points to two July polls, one by the New York Times and Siena College and the other by Quinnipiac University, in which 63% and 70% of Hispanic and Latino respondents disapproved of Joe Biden’s job as president.
Some of the issues Hispanic voters care about most this election cycle are those on which Republicans perform the strongest, suggesting the GOP has an opening in November to deepen the inroads it made with Latinos during the Trump presidency.
